Today, I decided I’d work on the ‘Kinz gifts. Everyone is going to get the same thing, because honestly – this is taking a lot of time! But I’m going to customize each one, so even though they’re the same, they’re different!  What am I talking about? Pictures! And picture frames. This is what you need: Paper shapes, small jewels, wooden craft sticks, cardboard or cardstock, craft glue, picture of your friends   What you do: Glue the wooden craft sticks into a rectangular shape. Glue a piece of cardboard or cardstock on three sides on the back (leave the top open). When the glue is dry, decorate the front of the frame with the paper shapes (I used flowers) and jewels. You can add all sorts of other stuff, if you like (buttons, glitter – whatever you think looks awesome). When that glue is dry, slip a picture of your friends into your frame. You can also add ribbon to the back, if you want your friends to hang this up. Otherwise, you can add a cardboard triangle to the back to help it stand up.

                Welcome to my crafty workshop! Today, I’m working on my mom’s gift. She loves being crafty – I guess that’s where I get it from! Mom’s desk is ALWAYS messy, so I thought I could make her a desk set to help organize some of her stuff. Here’s how I did it:   What you need: scrapbooking paper (three different patterns or colors works well – make sure they look good together), scissors, ruler, pencil, shoe box top, paper towel tube, small square box, paper cup, long rectangular box, double-sided tape, craft glue, stickers (optional) What you do: Cover the shoe box top in scrapbook paper. You don’t really need to do the bottom, but make sure you cover each side and the inside of the box top. Measure the paper so it’s large enough to fit around the outside of each of your containers. Cut it to fit. If you’re covering something like a drinking cup, you might find it easier to cover with strips, as opposed to larger pieces of paper. Strips work better since the cup is curved. Glue your paper in place. Add stickers, if you like. Make … Read more →

OK, so the bookmark is almost done (just a few more finishing touches) and I thought of another gift to make – this one is going to be for my cousin Emmy. Emmy is an artist, so she’s always lugging around sketchbooks and pencils and stuff. I’ve decided to make her a tote bag.  Here’s how!   What you need: Canvas tote bag, needle, thread, felt or fabric scraps, pencil, scissors What you do: Draw a design on the bag. You can make it as complicated or as simple as you like. Arrange your fabric scraps in the design; cut them as needed. Sew the fabric scraps onto the bag. If you like, add the recipient’s name in permanent marker.