a quick valentine gift- sour cream container

do you want to make a quick, simple, and economical valentine gift for someone special?  i think these little containers are great for valentine's day, but they would also be perfect for birthday parties, baby showers, and other special events!


here's something i threw together last week with supplies i had in the house... love that!

these little "sour cream containers" have been around in the paper craft world for awhile so i can't claim it as my own.  they are awesome little things though... i filled these containers with red, white, and pink m & m's... and it's really surprising how much these lil boogers hold.


here's how to do it...
-cut a piece of cardstock/thick scrapbook paper to 4 1/4" by 5 1/2" inches

 - put a strip of double-sided tape down one of the short ends of the paper

 - bring the short ends of the paper together to make a cylinder

 - off set the seam and pinch one of the ends closed

 - put a strip of double-sided tape on the inside edge and tape closed

 - place the taped edge in a paper crimper and roll about 3/4 of a turn

 - admire your crimped edge!

 - fill the container with goodies.  for this sample, i decided to use low calorie goodies.  wouldn't this be a perfect valentine gift for a crafty friend??

 - pinch the other side shut going the opposite direction. 

  - put a strip of double-sided tape on the inside edge and tape closed

 - crimp the edge.  it comes out perfect when you roll the crimper just enough to see the paper peeking out of the other side like in this picture.

 - admire your cute lil container! :o)

 - embellish by punching 2 lil holes

 - tie on a cute lil tag with some bakers twine and you're done!

it's the first week of the new term at work, i start a new class this week- digital video... FUN!!!, and my bike ride (hopefully 100 miles) is this weekend, so i'm pretty positive that this will be my only post this week.  


i'm planning a fun little treat for my co-workers on valentine's day so i'll post some pictures next week.


i hope you all have a wonderful valentine's day and that you feel incredibly loved!!

DIY Flat Gift Bag & A Giveaway

hi all!

i hope that you all had a fantabulous thanksgiving!

i got a chance to hang out with my fam and had a wonderful time. :o)

here's another tutorial for y'all!  these flat gift bags are perfect for little trinkets, small journals, gift tags, etc.  i hope you like it! :o)

please let me know if you have any questions.  also, please scroll down to the bottom for more details and also for a GIVEAWAY! :o) 

my printer

CIS ink system

gift tag pdf

here's my giveaway... this set of gift bags & tags, and some other fun things... it'll be a surprise for the winner. :o)  i like surprises... don't you??

to enter:

all you have to do is leave a comment below

i will randomly choose a winner on december 5 at 11:00 pm pst

$5.00 or less gift: DIY Votive Tea Light Holder

this is a great idea to add to the $5.00 or less gift list!  thanks noodlehead!
click on the source link below the picture to see her tutorial.

everyone have a wonderful, blessed, and safe thanksgiving! 
there is much to be grateful for. :o)

source: noodlehead

source: noodlehead

$5.00 or Less Gift Party

i'm so excited to share my $5.00 or less gift. 

i'm making these gifts for my co-workers.  a monogrammed mug and homemade marshmallows.

i picked up the mug at the Dollar Store and i bought the etching cream half off at Michael's. 

i cut out the N and the frame on contact paper with my Big Shot.  if you don't have a Big Shot, i think you could easily trace the letters or frames on to contact paper or and cut out with an exacto knife. 

i positioned the N and frame on the mug and made sure to smooth all the edges down so that the etching cream didn't seep under. 

i covered the N and frame with the etching cream and was careful to stay in the lines.  as i made more of these mugs i found the more etching cream i used, the better the results.  so use more than i did in this picture.  :o)  i let the etching cream sit for 5 minutes.

i followed the directions on the label... rinsed the cream off...

took off the contact paper and... voila!

i'm so in LOVE with etching cream now!  i want to etch everything now!

and then i made homemade marshmallows (recipe below), a christmas tag... and i love how it looks put together.  :o)

here is another idea for a $5.00 or less gift...

a double-sided coffee cozy!  the directions for this gift is HERE.

scroll down to add your $5.00 or less gift.

Homemade Marshmallows

2 1/2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup cold water

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

confectioners sugar for dusting

Combine gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment.

Let it stand for 30 minutes.

Combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup of water in a small heavy saucepan; place over low heat and stir until sugar has dissolved. 

Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to dissolve sugar crystals. 

Clip on candy thermometer; raise heat to high. 

Cook syrup without stirring until it reaches 244 degrees (firm ball stage).

Immediately remove pan from heat. 

With mixer on low speed, slowly and carefully pour syrup into the softened gelatin.

Increase speed to high; beat until mixture is very thick and white and has almost tripled in volume, about 15 minutes.

Add vanilla; beat to incorporate. 

Generously dust an 8x12 inch glass baking pan with confectioner's sugar.

Christmas Tags and Labels

I am ALL DONE making Christmas gifts!!! Woooohoooooo!!!!  Well... kinda.  I need to make truffles and cookies, but that'll be a cinch.  So now on to the wrapping.  I have had so much fun!  I can vouch for the fact that the perfect bow tying tutorial works!!! I had so much fun doing it that I was up until 3 last night wrapping.

So now on to the tags and labels. I used to not bother with tags.  I thought they were a waste of money and too much of a bother.  My option?  Take a Sharpie marker straight to the package or not write anything and just pass out the gifts myself.  Pathetic.... I know.  {grin}

Now that presentation matters to me I made gift tags this year.  They were really simple.  I used a stamp I already had on hand, VersaMark ink pad, embossing powder and a heat gun.

Stamp the image and apply embossing powder.  Tap off the excess.

Heat the image with the heat gun.  The powder hardens and the image is now a little raised.  I love the simple elegant look of it!

Here it is on my package.  I just wrote their names on the back.

I made labels to go with my handmade creations because sometimes people have opened up gifts and have had a confused look.  I hate putting someone through that awkward situation, so here are the labels I made.

I love the simple look and I think it makes the gift look more professionally made.

I hope that you are all enjoying the process of your Christmas preparations (wrapping, baking, decorating, etc.) and that you are able to roll into the actual holiday with a sense of joy and peacefulness.

Blessings,

Nori

Santa's Elf

I've been busy in my little workshop and having so much fun!!  Here are some partial images of what I've worked on...  I can't post too many details since they're gifts.  :o)

I should be finished with all of my projects by the end of the weekend... yahooooooo!

 

 

Your Opinion Please

Whoa! Time passes so quickly!!! I can't believe my last post was back on the 22nd.  I've been busy making Christmas gifts and I'm excited to post about them, but I'm just wondering... how do you post about a gift with the chance that the receiver might see it?  Do you just wait until after the holidays?  That's a REALLY long time and I'm not good about having to wait.

While I figure out that dilemma, I wanted to ask for your opinion.  I've been hired to package up 20 boxes of homemade fudge for a contractor to give to his clients. I've come up with two ideas and can't decide.  Will you help me? 

Here's option #1 and my favorite.  I'm just not sure if the gold embellishments make it to foofy for a contractor to giveaway. (The bow will look like the one in my second picture.)

Here is option #2 toned down.

I will be adding a label, but I'm waiting to design it based on which box I go with. 

Here is the inside. I'll be able to fit 20 pieces of fudge in this small box.  Ten on the bottom and ten on the top with this cute divider sitting in between.

I made it using Martha Stewart's Punch Around the Page... OMGoodness!!! I'm in LOVE with these punches.  You can do a TON of things with them.  Martha is just brilliant!  The best part of it is that I paid 1/2 price for them this weekend at Michaels!

This is why I think she's so brilliant.  The edges collapse on the corner punch.  If you keep one side open, line up the line on the side to the crease in your paper...

... and punch... you can make this...

Pretty coolio, right???  Oh I love it!!!  Sorry... I just had to show you that.  Now back to my candy box...

 

Please vote on which box I should use using the nifty voting tool on the left sidebar.  Thanks for your help!!!