Gift Ideas

I love finding unique and cost-effective gift ideas for friends and family - we have so many people to buy for and I never want to cop out and give a boring gift (though it certainly happens, trust me). Of course it's still before Christmas, so I can't be too specific, but these are some of my favorite gift ideas from the past few years.

1. Anthropologie Letter Mug - in 2 styles!

These are only $6 so they're perfect for a group of friends, teacher, co-workers, etc. You could pair them with some homemade hot chocolate mix, mulling spices, or a favorite coffee or tea.

2. I paint my own monogrammed canvases, and I promise anyone can do them. Mine aren't fancy but they're inexpensive and they're sweet gifts (I hope people think so!). Just buy a canvas, some paint (I have a ton already but it's also really cheap from craft stores), and then make a stencil for the initial. At Michael's, I found blank stencil paper in the stencil/paint section, so I print a letter in the font and size I want to use on printer paper and just trace over it on the stencil paper with an exacto knife. It doesn't even have to be perfect because you can fix any flaws with the paint. Pick the colors you want for your background, use some stencils or draw freehand some little patterns and then paint the letter. I use Mod Podge over my finished product to make it shiny and pretty!

3. This year I am also attempting this wreath. I have the supplies, though not the exact ones because I can't find "poly mesh" ribbon (I just bought really wide, wired ribbon), and I need to try one this week...some gifts might change if they don't work out! Ha! We'll see how this goes...

4. Night-in-a-Box. My friend first told me about this idea - Date Night in a Box. A bottle of wine, a gift card to a restaurant, you get the idea. I changed it a little bit and am doing a Game Night in a Box, complete with a board game, boxed wine (in a box - get it?), and I'm still trying to decide on a 3rd item to add. Maybe wine glasses? A cute popcorn or snack bowl? Anyway, I think these are fun gifts with several items and whatever theme you choose.

5. My friend also came up with this idea, and I'm sorry I'm stealing it and making it public!! But it's such a good idea! She's getting these little piggy banks from Pier 1 for her nieces and nephew and is going to fill them with "fun" money, like $2 bills. Did you see the price tag on the piggy banks? $2.50!

6. Marshmallow Shooters. This might have been the busiest booth at the Nutcracker Market but I thought the $25 price tag was too steep. On second thought, they are a cute idea and you can bag some little marshmallows with them, so I bought 2 from Amazon.com for my little brother and step-brother. Perfect toy for a 12 and 14 year old to torment their sisters and dogs with, in my opinion.

7. Homemade goodies. I usually make some treats to give out to co-workers because it's way easier and cost-effective than finding something to buy. I get cute bags or containers from the Container Store to wrap them. My favorite to make is my mom's "Midnight Fudge" (named so because she was always making it at midnight before her annual cookie exchange). It's incredibly easy and just takes a few ingredients, along with a little bit of finesse to get it so it tastes just like hers. I also make sand tarts, candy cane cookies, and my very own peppermint bark! It might not be exactly like Williams-Sonoma's but it also doesn't cost almost $30 for a box. This recipe is similar to the one I use - I just buy the blocks of white chocolate or almond bark. It can be melted in a bowl in the microwave, so no double boiler necessary. They even sell pre-crushed up peppermints in the baking section at the grocery store, so I use those. Easy, easy, easy.

I'll have to do a special Christmas baking post when I get to that point - I can't even wrap my head around baking right now. I still have shopping, wrapping and crafting to do!