5 homemade gifts from the heart

With Christmas right around the corner,

and the holiday shopping frenzy in full swing --

you might really be feeling the affects of 

buyers remorse. 

While it feels good to give to others,

a lot of us take ourselves broke in the process.

If you are looking for last minute,

inexpensive homemade gifts from the heart - 

look no further.

I have 5 ideas for you that 

not only won't break the bank,

but will show your loved ones you put

a little extra, tender love and care into their 

special gift.

Check out these D.I.Y (Do It Yourself)

Gift Ideas....

1. Fabric Wrapped Hangers

I think these are so cute and easy.

All that's needed for this simple project 

are some hangers from the Dollar Store which come

(8) to a pack, and some fabric scraps from

 a local craft store (Joanne Fabrics).

 I cut the fabric into strips and using a glue gun, 

wrap them around the hangers until they are covered.

Decorate as you please with bows and ribbons

(Dollar Store has these as well).

All my friends love them! :)

2. Homemade Sugar Scrubs

You can use products found around your home to make

these delicious homemade scrubs. Sugar scrubs

are great exfoliators for the face and body this time

of year when skin tends to dry out.

Check out these fabulous DIY scrubs

from Lipstick and Berries.

3. Scarf

Put your hands to good use and knit or crochet

something warm for your loved one this holiday.

Don't know how? 

Michael's (as well as local yarn/craft shops) offer classes 

or YouTube provides great tutorials to get you

started with basic stitches.

 A simple scarf will take you under 3 hours 

to create and makes the perfect cozy Christmas gift!

4. Crafty Paint Calendar

Came across this little project and loved the idea.
Using paint color samples from Home Depot, Lowe's, etc
you can create a customized calendar.
Place an inexpensive frame over it
 (you can find them for under $5)
and use a dry erase marker to change
the month and days. 

5. Baking

Sometimes the best gifts are the ones that can be consumed!
 Head over to Trader Joe's for
some gingerbread mix and bake some fresh
gingerbread for friends and family!
Presentation is everything...so all it takes
are some adorable little tins to present something
freshly baked in that makes all the difference.
I found these cute ones for $1 at Christmas Tree Shop!
Gingerbread not your thing?
How about these adorable melting snowmen cookies
I made last night?

Hope I've given you some good ideas...
feel free to share your own! 

xo,

DIY Project #1: Fabric Hangers

So you know those awful ugly plastic hangers you have hanging in your closet

(don't play dumb, YOU know the ONES)

in an array of colors (I'm talking green, yellow, blue)

 that just set an OCD eye into a tizzy?

Yeah, those had to GO!

Buh-bye.

I started researching D.I.Y (Do It Yourself)  projects on Pinterest,

found this one on repurposing hangers 

by giving them a facelift

and beautifying them and -VOILA-

my D.I.Y project #1 was born!

Honestly, they came out so charming

and are super simple to make [!]

What you'll need:

• Hangers (I used 8 ugly plastic ones in miscellaneous colors that I wanted OUT of my closet)
• 3-4 Fabric Patterns (I went to Joanne's for fabric and had a field day choosing from their selection. 1/2 yd will cover about 3-4 hangers) The fabrics I chose ranged from 4.99/7.99 per yd, so 1/2 yd will range from $2.50- 4.00 - NOT BAD! Try to choose a variety of patterns from the same color palette or color theme. My room is teal with pink accents - very Shabby Chic so I chose 2 teal patterns, a pink polka dot pattern, and a antique rose pattern. :)
• Ribbon (Optional) I went with a teal roll for $3.99
• Bows (Optional) I bought a small pack of mini pink bows for $1.99
• Glue Gun (you can use doubled sided tape, but I highly recommend a glue gun - so much easier! I bought a small pink one for $2.99 and a 10 pack of glue sticks for $1.99)

Materials: Hangers, Fabric, Glue Gun, Ribbons, Bows 

 Instructions:

1. Clear a workspace so you can lay out all your materials. Plug in the glue gun so it heats while you are doing this. 
2. Cut your fabric into long strips, about 1.5-2" in width.
3. Glue the top of the fabric strip to the hanger (doesn't matter where you start) and begin wrapping fabric tightly. Do this until the entire hanger is covered - showing no plastic beneath. You will most likely go through 2-3 strips to do this, depending on the length of your strips. Tip: If you wrap in a horizontal fashion, you will cover more area and get more out of your fabric!
4. Finish with a satin ribbon (color of your choice) if you wish. I also added some pink bows on top of a few of the ribbons. Be as decorative as you want. You can also mix up the ribbon colors and add whatever accents strike your fancy! 

* 8 Lovely New Repurposed Hangers for Your Gorgeous Wardrobe *

There you go fancy pants!

Hope you enjoy this little crafting session as much as I did. 

Feel free to post your photos - 

I love seeing everyone's ideas !

Side Note: Is this not the cutest, sweetest crafting assistant you've ever seen?

Sleeping on the job, but at least she ironed the creases out!

Now on to D.I.Y Project #2 - Hmmm...

BTW, what are you checking off your list? ;)

xo,

Rach

P.S I highly recommend working in your p.j's with some tea and honey!

Just throwin' it out there...

P.P.S Did I mention these make great gifts too?

My roommate has been talking about the black, white, and red
Baroque style theme she is going to be doing in her new bedroom,
so I made her these!
Perfect gift for a birthday, housewarming, or 'I'm thinking of you' gift-
just pair it with a good book, a candle, a picture frame, etc
and it's something homemade and from the heart <3 br="" nbsp="">