diy light bulb terrarium

For my Dad’s birthday in November I wanted to get him something completely different. Do you ever feel like Dad’s don’t really need anything? Women like things. Dad’s though…I mean yes always the shirt, a tech gadget, golf gift, slippers.

Well, what about a light bulb terrarium? My dad works at a lighting company. All things light bulbs are what he loves. He’s not always out in the field though, spends a lot of time in his office so I figured this was the perfect gift. I Googled around for some tutorials and only found a few that I felt were really great. This is the one that I used.

Al gutted the light bulb, and if you decided to do this at home definitely do it in a shoe box or some sort of box, because one of our bulbs shattered when doing this step.

I used sand from a beach that I had and then bought some small rocks and moss at A.C. Moore.

This was a tricky project to photograph while doing, so I apologize for the lack of some photos. To insert the sand and rocks into the light bulb I made a funnel type shape out of a small piece of paper and then slowly poured each into the bulb. I poured the sand first and then the rocks.

I used a chopstick to put the moss in the light bulb and move it around into place. Here’s the final outcome.

It’s resting in a teacup here, but on my Dad’s desk it sits in a cap to a mason jar. Ya know, how the mason jar has a ring around the top, that’s what it’s in.

I became a little obsessed with terrariums and I have plans to make a large one for our living room. Dad liked it too and he did actually put it on his desk. Probably because I harassed him to take it to work and BE CAREFUL driving it.

Nothing like displaying a nice homemade craft in your office…from your 26-year-old daughter. Al and I had a joke that this is what would happen when a co-worker saw it on Dad’s desk: “That’s great, where’d you get that?” Dad: “Oh my daughter made it.” Co-worker: “Awww, what grade is she in.” Dad: “She’s 26.”

We find ways to humor ourselves. You guys should try this out though, it’s so nice and green and cheery. And you can use any jar you’d like, doesn’t have to be a light bulb!

great gift basket ideas

Gift baskets are great, fun gifts to give people. I love getting gift baskets because it’s so exciting to see all the different things that make them up. I made a few last year but none of the gifts I was getting people this year consisted of any. But, I wanted to share with you guys some great, themed gift basket suggestions anyway. Check them out below and leave a comment if you have any other gift basket suggestions!

An Italian basket:

• a package or two of gourmet pasta
• tongs
• a package of sun-dried tomatoes
• extra-virgin olive oil
• spices: oregano, basil, garlic powder
• a collection of your favorite pasta recipes hand-printed on recipe cards
• and/or a pasta cookbook

 

A gym enthusiast basket:

• towel
• water bottle
• workout magazines
• power bars
• sports drinks
• atheletic socks
• iTunes gift card (if they’re an iPod user)
  

 

A gardener:

• gardening gloves
• hand trowel
• hand rake
• a selection of different seeds
  
• a gardening book
• a subscription for a gardening magazine

 

Wine lover:

• two bottles of wine
• corkscrew
• 2 or more wine glasses
• book about wines
  
• wine tasting tickets

 

Kid-friendly:

• crayons 
• washable markers
• assorted paper
  
• coloring books
• assorted stickers
• washable paints and brushes

 

New homeowners or DIY lovers:

• screw drivers
• wrench
• hammer
• pliers
• assorted nails and screws
  
• hardware store gift card
  
• do-it-yourself book
• assorted items: light bulbs, duct tape, paint brushes, knobs and handles, etc.

 

Winter basket:

• lip balm
• moisturizer
• mittens, hat, scarf
  
• hand and foot warmers
  
• hot chocolate

 

Golf Lover:

• golf tees
• golf balls
• a baseball cap
• sunscreen
• a small towel
• golf course or driving range gift card
  

Hope these are helpful for you guys. Happy gifting!

Quick note: The host site of my blog has been having quite a few errors over the past 48 hours. I’m going to try my hardest to get the post up for tomorrow but this one caused me a lot of struggles, so we’ll see what happens!

small gifts gift guide

We probably all have situations around the holidays where we just need a small gift for someone, or a grab gift, Yankee swap gift, etc. So, I thought I’d share with you a few of my top picks for small gifts this year.

Makeup Bag: Always a good choice. Can be used to carry makeup or toiletries when traveling or at home.

Headlamp: You might laugh, but you might have no clue how handy a headlamp is. I’ve learned this over many years of camping with my future brother-in-law. The man always has one on his head and it’s brilliant. Perfect for grilling hands free if it’s dark out or looking for something in a dark attic or basement.

Tervis Tumbler Cups: These are the best cups we own. They come in a variety of different sizes, colors, monograms and so on. You can drink cold and hot beverages in them and they even sell accessories such as a lid and a slide on handle. There are SO many to choose from. You can also find them at Bed, Bath & Beyond…and use a coupon!

Kids Crayon Tote: This is a great gift for kiddos. Perfect for traveling with or even to have in the car to keep them busy. The crayons slide into the slots and the bag can hold their paper or coloring books.

Tabletop Ping-Pong: All I have to say is I wish I had a dining table large enough for this. What a fun gift! The net clips right on to your dining table and you have an instant ping-pong table.

Reindeer Beer: How cute is this! Jazz up a regular six-pack of beer with some pipe cleaners, pom poms and googly eyes. The extra supplies will cost you less than $4 probably.

So, there they are, a few of my top picks for small gifts this year. I’m definitely going to be making some reindeer beer to bring to parties we have!

holiday gift guide 2011

Starting today I’m going to be posting a Twelve Days of Christmas series. It will last for the next twelve (week) days and each day I’ll share something related to gifts, wrapping, decorating, cooking and enjoying the holiday season. I’m really excited about it and hope to share some fun ideas and suggestions with you guys!

I’m kicking it off today with a small gift guide that I put together. Happy shopping!

For the kids in your life:

Color Me Castle: I love this. It comes blank and the kids get to color it in and use their own creativity. It also comes in a playhouse style (instead of a castle).

Construction Plate & Utensils: A fun way for kids to eat their dinner!

Mancala for Kids: Mancala is a great game for kids and adults. This one has a fun twist on it with animal shaped pieces!

For the women in your life:

Green Chevron Clutch: I’m slightly obsessed with anything and everything chevron. I love this clutch. You can find them on Etsy.com in many different colors to fit the personality of whomever you need it for.

Travel Bags: These are great for anyone really. They can be used for vacations, weekend trips or even trips to the gym. Could also be DIY’ed!

Magazine Subscriptions: Who doesn’t love a good magazine read?! Now’s the time to subscribe to magazines as they’re all offering pretty significant discounts. Find one that fits the hobby of who you’re buying for.

For the men in your life:

Texting Gloves: These are great gloves for guys because they’re a little more manly looking. I mean face it, guys need to use their iPhone’s in the dead of winter too!

Magazines Subscriptions: Again, soooo many magazine options for men too, and they’re all at great discounts now. Subscriptions are great too because it’s like getting a gift every month!

Beanbag Toss: The world’s best lawn game. And this one is a two in one. Such a great gift and could also be DIY’ed!

 

So, that’s my small gift guide for 2011. I’m also a huge supporter of small businesses and handmade items. So be sure to check out the small business in your area and also http://www.etsy.com for great gifts!

 

Please note that none of the people/stores/websites listed above know anything about me. I’m just here to share things with you that I think are great.

guest post: recycled greeting card gift boxes

My sister’s friend Cate lives out in Chicago and sent in this great project that the Chicago Children’s Museum provided instructions for. Here’s her note:

I saw this on the news – they are doing a “Holiday Ecology” program to recycle used greeting cards at the Chicago Children’s Museum. Of course I have plenty of cards that I am not super attached to and especially with the recent gift card swap (which took place at my parents house Christmas Eve!), this seems like a perfect solution for recycling and packaging a small gift.

The directions are simple:

Cut the card in half (I had a card with three pages so I didn’t have to use the signed portion – also, I think a substitute of plain cardstock for the bottom would suffice if you don’t want to include the signed page).

Then make an X on the inside of each by drawing across from corner to corner. On the page that will become the top, make a small (a few cm) box around the center of the X. Fold the edges in to meet the center (or the sides of the box around the X).

Cut the long folds of the corner so you can fold them in to meet each other and then fold the taller end over the top (I can’t better explain this, but see the picture below!).

Tape it all in place and you’ll have a top that fits perfectly over the bottom.

I hope this seems clear. It’s really simple and took me maybe 2 minutes per card. Happy recycling!

I love this! What a great way to recycle greeting cards. I will definitely be using this in the future for small gifts and gift cards. Thanks for sharing with us, Cate!

pillowcase shoe bags

I’m currently training for the Boston Marathon, which means a whole lot of running, working out and gym going. Dirty shoes gross me out, especially if they’re touching other clean things. I’ve been wanting to make a few shoe bags for a while and I found a great tutorial on Betz White’s blog that was super easy.

I found the pillow case at a thrift store for $1.99. At checkout though, it rang up at 50% off, which made me the happiest person in the world. I picked up some rope to use for the drawstring and I was able to make myself two shoe bags for a total of $2.83.

It took me about 20 minutes to complete each of them and I’m totally thrilled with the outcome. Who knew you could be so excited about shoe bags? I’m planning to make more, some larger for Al’s shoes and some out of different fabrics for some of my fancier shoes. They’re great for travel, as gifts, and even just to have and use for other items as well.

I can’t wait to make more. I’m also going to experiment with different string/ropes as the drawstring. The one I used is a bit too thick, but still works fine. Definitely a better, reusable option compared to a plastic bag!

gifts for the host

I’m sure by this point everyone is making their Christmas Eve and Christmas Day plans with family and friends. I’m so bad at remembering to bring a gift for the host, though, I’m trying to get better. I did grace my sister and her bf with great coasters last weekend at their party. Maybe I’ll add “be better at bringing host gifts” to my resolutions in 2011…

To motivate me to be better at bring along a small gift I put together this gift guide. Just small, inexpensive gifts to say thank you to those who open their homes to us at the holidays.

Lotion and Soap: This has become my most favorite hand lotion. I take it with me everywhere. It’s from The Body Shop, and paired with a bar of olive oil or lemon scented soap would be a great gift that can live on the side of the kitchen sink.

Candles: I found these at Crate and Barrel and some of the colors are on such super sale that they are basically giving them away. Place a tealight in each, stack them up and wrap tissue paper around them and you have a perfect gift for a dining table or coffee table.

Dishtowels: On sale at Williams-Sonoma, there’s a large variety of all styles of dish towels. I particularly like this set because it comes with different styles. Tie with a fun ribbon and you’re done.

Gourmet Food, Dips and Jams: I’d vote that this is the best Stonewall Kitchen dip. This one is a set with pretzels and dipping sauce, but they have tons of different varieties and styles. Anything from Stonewall Kitchen is always a great gift. And for those in the Massachusetts area they are now selling it at most Roche Bros. grocery stores.

Do you have a certain host gift that you prefer to give? As per usual, new ideas are always welcome. Happy Holidays!

Images found from: The Body Shop, Crate and Barrel, Williams-Sonoma and Stonewall Kitchen.