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Christmas Gift Ideas
Could you get a couple of those paper mache nesting boxes at Michaels and stamp on them? Or, just one of the wooden boxes. Buy a box acrylic frame and make a mat for one or two photos inside depending on the size of the photos. Even if they don't (perish the thought) like the matt, they still can use the frame. Buy one of the Hallmark pocket calendars (ones in the plastic protector) and stamp your image as the outside of the cover.
Here are some more stamped gift ideas:
Christmas magnets
Stamp a wooden or paper mache recipe card box and cards (blank or ones with recipes you've filled out) using fabric paint and bold stamps, decorate the plain cloth/canvas bags you buy at the market for your groceries a stamped bookmark or two tucked inside a book
I just purchased neat 2 year purse-size calendars from Oriental Trading Company (12 for $9.00) for just that purpose. The have a floral design cover and each one comes in a clear plastic checkbook-like cover. My plan is to turn the preprinted cover inside out and stamp on the outside to personalize each one with names and designs appropriate for each one. I also purchased some cute novelty pens to give with each calendar.
How about book templates....this book belongs to........printed on sticker paper...great gift for someone who likes to read (or collect books) personal stationery....I did this for my FIL one year.....got a better reaction than the shirts everyone else gave him!!!
Some of my ideas for kid's teachers, piano instructor, Girl Scout leader, etc. are: bookmarks Little plastic keychains and magnets I bought at the 98 cent store with hideous pictures in them. The pictures slide out and I can slide in a stamped picture. stacks of handmade paper for my stamping friends-can't get more unique than that!
Did you know you can stamp on Christmas ornaments? Last year for gifts, I gave personalized Christmas ornaments. I took the round textured ornaments (not the shiny ones). I used Marvy Wet Looks embossing markers and wrote the name on one side and the year on the opposite side. I then embossed it. Be careful not to get burned though because the glass gets hot!! I would hold the heat gun a little further away than if you are using paper. Then I used the tiniest stamps and made an all over design, embossing after I stamped a couple of images and until the ornament was done. I embellised the finished ornament with a ribbon bow (Debbie's 1" organza ribbon would be perfect). Everyone I gave one to absolutely loved it. They aren't too expensive and people will think of you every year while decorating their Christmas tree!! Some good combinations were red ink on gold, red ink on pink ornament, white on green or red ornament and gold on blue, green or red ornaments.
Yesterday I started packaging my Christmas gifts and found quick easy wrap ups in simple brown paper bags (lunch bags), punched two holes at the top (1 on each side) - strung jute through them and roller wheeled diagonally - looked cute - adorable - quick and no tape! Stamped out some earthy looking tags and finished wrapping about 50 gifts in a couple hours. If you don't want to use jute - try using the Fun Wire - stringing some buttons through it - way KOOL - Curl it - You got a Wowzer package!
I often take cake, cookies, breads, etc. to potlucks, parties, etc. What I discovered is I ended up with missing dishes, so I found an easy solution. I go to thrift stores and garage sales and look for inexpensive glass plates. When I take something, I don't have to worry about getting the dish back. If there is a pattern in the middle, I just cover it up with a paper doily. I usually don't have to pay more that 50-75 cents per plate. One thing I do to try to eliminate the holiday blues, is I've started a snowman collection that goes up right after the Christmas decorations come down, and they stay up until it's time for Valentine's Day. It seemed like things were bare after Christmas, not anymore!
Here is another quick easy homemade gift idea that I did a few years ago that everyone really liked. It's called a Prayer Rock. You find a fist sized rock and wrap it up in a square of fabric. Tie with a ribbon and attach this poem:
PRAYER ROCK
I'm your little prayer
and this is what I'll do
Just put me on your pillow
until the day is through.
Then turn back the covers
and climb into your bed
And WHACK! your little prayer rock
will hit you in the head.
Then you will remember
as the day is through
to kneel and say your prayers
as you wanted to.
Then when you are finished
just set me on the floor
I'll stay there through the nighttime
to give you help once more.
When you get up the next morning
CLUNK! I'll stub your toe
so you remember your morning prayers
before you go.
Put me back upon your pillow
when you bed is made
And your clever little prayer rock
will continue in your aid.
cares and loves you so
He wants you to remember
to talk to him you know!
One of the favorite ones is making a 3-D ornament with the stamps. Take a stamp and stamp the image 3 or 5 times on cardstock (you have to stamp it an odd number of times or the effect doesn't look right). Color and cut out the images. Next, glue the side edges of the back of the images together. This makes a round circle of the images. I have seen these done using carousel horse images and the end project looks like a 3-D carousel. I like doing this with the stamps that look like Christmas glass ornaments and bulbs.
Another idea with the larger stamps is one my youngest son likes. Stamp a holiday scene on a half-sheet of cardstock. Cut out the design leaving a ½" border all around. Laminate both front and back. About every ½" around the outside of the design, punch a hole. I made up alot of these one year and put in a length of colored yarn in a baggie with each card. My son had a blast lacing these up. We have also done this with a smaller design and the front side only laminated. After he laced up the card, we glue it with rubber cement to a card.
Last year I made up some fold over things that had a reindeer stamped on the front and inside was a bag of chocolate chips. I printed the text "You've been naughty all year. So here's the scoop. All you get is Reindeer poop!"
These are two of my grand daughter's favorite things to receive... ANYTHING in a 2 liter coke bottle.. You can either cut off the bottom, fill and then glue the bottom back on....or cut a slit in one side..fill it..and then make a colorful label to cover the slit. They love it..and it takes them a few minutes to figure out how you got the stuff in the bottle! Instead of money I've given Madeline game tokens from her favorite pizza place.You can also use coins for this) Use an empty paper towel roll and a long pipe cleaner. Place a LONG piece of tape..glue side UP on the table..and place the coins or tokens on the tape.Then cover with another long piece of tape. Tape this strip of coins to the end of the pipe cleaner. Cover the towel roll with pretty paper..leaving one end open (for now) Insert the tape strip into the tube..allowing the pipe cleaner to extend out of the tube a few inches. Finish wrapping the open end of the roll..still allowing the pipe cleaner to stick out. The roll is a firecracker..the pipe cleaner the fuse. When the kid opens it..they just pull gently on the fuse and a long line of coins comes out!
I was given a gift of a velvet wine bag (gold on the inside and dark blue velvet on the outside-gorgeous). I used to make wine bags out of fabric so they're easy. If I can make them, anyone can. I'm seamstress challenged. Anyway, why not stamp on the velvet and then make a bag? I'm thinking that it would be really pretty to stamp on the inside piece of velvet and then fold it down so that the top of the bottle would stick out and the stamping would sort of "frame" the top of the bottle
I picked up these directions at A.C.Moore in Parsippany,NJ. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but it sure looks like fun!
DIRECTIONS:
Described below are four finishes (inside coatings) for glass ornaments. All styles (except Iridescent/Transparent) require Step #2.
STEP #1
CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING FINISHES:
1. IRIDESCENT/TRANSPARENT: Place nozzle of spray-glue (not spray-adhesive) close to opening of ornament and, in two short sprays, coat inside. Spray will chill glass. Put into ornament approximately ½ tsp. of Pearl-Ex, Hold fingertip over opening. Turn and tap ball to coat inside. Pour out excess. Pearl-Ex Interference colors, when held to the light will change color! You can make this finish opaque by continuing on to Step #2
2. SPECKLED FAUX.
In a paper cup, mix one part water with two parts white glue (any white glue that dries clear). You can also use clear acrylic paint in the same proportions. Pour mixture into ball. Cover opening with finger and turn to coat inside completely. Pour out excess. Blow dry carefully, until mixture is no longer runny. Load a dry artist's brush with Pearl-Ex. Place in ball, being careful not to touch sides and flick. Repeat with several colors. Air dry completely.
3.MARBLED FAUX
In a paper cup, mix two teaspoons Pearl-Ex, six teaspoons white glue or Clear Acrylic (see above) and two teaspoons water. Pour mixture into ball. Place finger over opening and turn to coat inside completely. Remove excess. Carefully blow dry coating, turning as it dries, until it stopes running and is set. Air dry completely, occasionally turning ball to avoid puddles. As the mixture dries, it will shrink and crack. When it is completely dry, use another color of Pearl-Ex mixture. This is what gives it the marbled look.
4. ANTIQUE KEEPSAKES
With artist's paint brush, white-glue the fronts of approximately 1" x 1" magazine or xerox cut-outs. Using tweezers, place these in ball. With new pencil eraser, firmly attach while removing creases and air bubbles. Brush coat of white glue to back of pictures. Let dry until glue is completely clear. Coat with Marbled Faux finish
STEP #2
ACRYLIC COATING
The Acrylic Coating changes you finish from transparent to opaque. If you use a very dark color acrylic paint-black especially-you both MIRRORIZE all the Pearl-Ex and CHANGE the Interference colors.
A White, gray or pastel acrylic gives a polished stone look. Make sure you do this step only after the finishes are completely dry. Just pour in Colored Acrylic Paint, cover opening with finger and turn ball to coat inside. Pour out excess, set with drier and air dry, turning occasionally to prevent puddles.
CAUTION: When setting glue mixture or acrylics with hair or embossing dryer, be VERY CAREFUL NOT TO OVERHEAT ORNAMENT! Also, don't place dryer right up to opening as you can burn the finish.
I thought I would share with you what Don and I use as our Holiday Decorations. Having a mixed marriage....one Jewish the other Catholic, decorating became a challenge for me! We wanted to respect each other's holiday and stay within the color theme. So everything was decorated with Blue and Silver. When we bought the tree, I really didn't want a blue and silver decorated tree. I also didn't want ornaments to go flying thanks to these crazy cats. So, having lots of Convention Pins I took the pins off the back of them and attached hooks and we decorated our tree with the wonderful creations of all our friends. We have continued to do this for the past three years. Every year I have new ornaments to put on the tree from the conventions. So ever wonder what to do with all those pins you collect? Here's a suggestion for you. A wreath decorated with these special pins also makes a very festive decoration. This truly is a stampers household not just on the holidays.
I stamp on glass ornaments but do it a bit differently. I like using the frosted balls. I stamp my image on tissue paper with permanent ink, Then using diluted glue, I adhere the image(s) to the ball. Let dry and then color the image with markers or colored pencils. Then you can do one of several things to finsih the ornament. Sometimes I pick a colored pencil and I scribble up and down the whole ball with an even color, being careful not to color over your colored in image. Next, take white acryic paint and using a stipple brush lightly stipple white paint over the overall penciled coloring you just did. Use a very light touch as if done lightly it will look like snow. Then go back when the paint is dry and lightly stipple with the diluted glue and sprinkle with crystal prisma glitter. Another method is to skip the overall coloring of the ornament and just stipple the white paint and glitter over the balls surface. One more thing I do is remove the cap from the ornament. Be sure to have a small paper cup handy to use as a stand for the ball. Now dilute some white glue so it is somewhat runny and place in a paper cup. Then pour the glue into the ball and swirl it around so that the whole inside surface is coated. Turn the ball UPSIDE down and rest it on the paper cut so that any excess glue will run back into to cup. when it has finished draining, allow to dry SLIGHTLY and then pour glitter into the opening and again shake and swirl to coat evenly. Shake out the excess glitter. Set aside to dry completely. Then adhere images onto the ball, color them with pencils or markers, and embellish as desired. Well hope this helps. My kids were ooing and aahing last year when they saw these on my tree so I am thinking of making them each a few. Watch Michaels---they have great sales on these glass ornaments.