If you need some ideas, keep reading. If you're done getting gifts keep reading anyway, what else are you doing for the next five minutes? ;)
My first project was courtesy of your favorite and mine - Pinterest. The oh so famous DIY handprint reindeer (full tutorial can be found here). Ever since our bundle of joy has entered our lives my husband and I have come to realize how crazy our parents are for her. Head over heels, proud, bursting with love, obsessed. Whatever you want to call it. So what better way to make the grandparents happy than a little ornament made by hers truly bearing her teeny, chubby little handprint? And since it's Christmas and all, might as well slap some extra paint on that and make it a reindeer. Thank you Pinterest. (You can follow me on Pinterest, just click the button at the top of the page).
My second DIY was much simpler - homemade chocolate chip cookies. But I didn't just want to simply put them in a tin and send them on their way. I wanted them to look cute and pretty. Like the Pinterest ones. F****ing Pinterest!
My last DIY project was more overwhelming. Homemade hand salve. I was not familiar with the ingredients or how to use them, but I found the simplest recipe I could and crossed my fingers. And said a prayer. And threw a penny in a fountain and made a wish. Ok, I didn't really do that last part.
I headed to Michaels excited to cultivate my inner Martha Stewart. When I got there however, I realized how not crafty I actually am. I wandered around Michaels like a lost puppy studying different kinds of paint and markers and stickers. Oh my! Do you know how many different kinds of labels and stickers they sell??? Yea, me neither but it's a lot.
I managed to find washable paint, ribbon and a piece of oak tag for the reindeer handprints fairly easily. Then I walked the whole store before stumbling onto, or rather into, the baking aisle. I picked up some mini plastic baggies in an hourglass shape and some ribbon.
And then the confusion ensued. I needed tins to hold the lotion, beeswax, coconut oil, essential oil, and sweet almond oil. The coconut and almond oil I had to get from the Vitamin Shoppe but the rest was from Michaels. I eventually found everything I needed in the candle making/bath area. Did you know Michaels sells bath salts and other random bath products?? I studied the beeswax for about five minutes before my daughter started begging for the Minnie Mouse book across the aisle.
I headed home to begin.
I knew the reindeer might be the hardest in terms of cooperation from the little one so I laid down some garbage bags and made us some garbage bag smocks. She rocked that garbage bag if I do say so myself. And they worked like a charm! No paint on our clothes or floor.
I mixed up some red and green to make brown, rubbed it on her hand and patted it down all over the oak tag before she even knew what was happening. Then I gave her the part of the oaktag we hadn't used and let her go nuts finger painting it. She had a blast and so did I! I glued some googly eyes on, painted a red nose, punched a whole, tied some ribbon and wrote my holiday message. On the back I wrote the year, and my daughter's name and age.
I mixed up some red and green to make brown, rubbed it on her hand and patted it down all over the oak tag before she even knew what was happening. Then I gave her the part of the oaktag we hadn't used and let her go nuts finger painting it. She had a blast and so did I! I glued some googly eyes on, painted a red nose, punched a whole, tied some ribbon and wrote my holiday message. On the back I wrote the year, and my daughter's name and age.
Next, I baked some cookies using the Nestle Tollhouse recipe, put them in baggies and tied them up.
But I decided they just didn't look cute enough. I tied ribbon around them and made label in MS Word to tie onto each bag.
Much better.
But I decided they just didn't look cute enough. I tied ribbon around them and made label in MS Word to tie onto each bag.
Much better.
Lastly, the hand salve. Using a double boiler I melted equal parts almond oil, coconut oil and beeswax.
This is where things got tricky. I discovered the hard way that I'm allergic to one of those oils. As the oils heated up and melted, my throat was shrinking in size.
I began coughing and wheezing so I ran and opened the windows which helped a bunch. Except I was an icicle by the time the oils had melded together.
This is where things got tricky. I discovered the hard way that I'm allergic to one of those oils. As the oils heated up and melted, my throat was shrinking in size.
I began coughing and wheezing so I ran and opened the windows which helped a bunch. Except I was an icicle by the time the oils had melded together.
I think it's the coconut oil because this has happened once before at Benihana in Hawaii. On our honeymoon. On the first night. I had to leave the restaurant and order a $31 burger from room service and my husband got his food to-go and had to eat it on the balcony alone outside because just the smell of it made my throat start acting up all over again. Romantic right??
But I would not be deterred so easily. Once melted, I took the bowl off the heat, added a vanilla and lavender essential oil and poured it into the tins I bought. Then I washed my hands, changed my clothes and got out of the house as quickly as I could while it aired out. What better way to spend a morning out then visiting Santa? So that is just what we did. (I forgot to take a picture, but they look pretty cute if I do say so myself.)
I will be delivering my goodies tomorrow so I hope everyone enjoys them! I never got to test out that salve so I hope it is silky and soothing. But I guess I'll never really know. Stupid allergies!
Doing something meaningful and thoughtful brings joy to others but really giving just feels darn good. Happy Holidays!!!!
~And that my friends, is worth a glass of champagne.~
