Sweet, Simple and Budget-Friendly Gifts for Children

Story by mycakies

Published on Nov 19, 2012 in Shop

Photo by sugarSCOUT

Rubyellen Bratcher is a homeschooling, crafting, blogging mama of four. She spends her days trying to manage all the happy chaos that ensues in her home. You can visit Rubyellen at her blog, Cakies, and see how she tries to capture the chaotic beauty and fun of having four little ones.

I have four little girls who are pretty close in age, so I am used to having a plethora of toys everywhere, all the time. Life is just plain messy (and wonderful) with kids, and we try to be intentional in the gifts we give our children. This helps make our chaotic lives a bit simpler with four little ones (and their things) everywhere. One of the biggest things I have learned is that children really don’t need a lot of toys. I find that their favorites aren’t the fancy ones with batteries, but ones that really encourage their creativity.

[1. Circus folk paper doll by kissabug; 2. Hand carved "Winter Street" stampsby talktothesun; 3. Miss Sunshine tote bag by misakomimoko; 4. Flip topsby TheLittlestLearners; 5. Mouse softies by krakracraft; 6. Old McDonald finger puppet set by WeeKnit; 7. Gnome baby by warmsugar; 8. Waldorf wooden carsby Imaginationkids; 9. Vintage duck pull toy by CLEOandBLANCHE; 10. Wooden toy camera by twigcreative.]

I love that the sellers making these wonderful toys are often other moms and dads who come up with ideas based on things that have worked well for their own families. It makes handmade gifts even more special!

[11.Plush fox by sleepyking; 12.Retro toy watch bracelet by misakomimoko; 13.Vintage doll's high chair from SweetBread; 14. Geometric rubber stamps byJulietCaesar; 15. Wooden doll kit by SophieTilleyDesigns; 16. Vintage toy pianofrom suziesvintage; 17. Vintage tin cars from nanascottagehouse; 18. Vintage Marx dollhouse from BlackEyedSusanShop.]

Vintage toys make great gifts. They can be re-used and loved over and over again while giving children the opportunity to create and imagine.

[19. Mid century tricycle from zomodern; 20. Radio Flyer push bike fromPropParadise; 21. Vintage wooden scooter from WhimzyThyme; 22. Tiny turquoise leather locket by JENBOOTHLOCKETS; 23. Vintage push kick scooter fromsugarSCOUT; 24. Wooden blocks wagon by asummerafternoon; 25. Mini fold away teepee (a splurge!) from houseinhabit.]

Other favorites in our home are toys for building and riding. And of course, kids love little hideaways. Every child must have some sort of tent. It guarantees lots of special memories!

When we give to little ones, their delight and excitement gives us a sense of joy better than any present.

What gifts will you be giving to the children in your life this year?

http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2012/sweet-and-simple-toys-for-children/?ref=fp_blog_title

Last Minute Gift Ideas you can Make!

How-Tuesday: Last-Minute Gifts

Story by  julieincharge

Published on Dec 20, 2011 in Make

Photo by minieco

The holidays are nearly here! If that sentence has left you gasping for air and double-checking the calendar, sure that I am wrong, don’t worry: there’s still plenty of time to whip up something handmade for the loved ones on your list. In today’s How-Tuesday round-up, you’ll find a collection of 25 tutorials to help you create special, personalized gifts.

Sweet Treats

Time to fire up your oven! Homemade baked goods are a holiday classic. Make somecardamom sugar cookies, handmade chocolates, or spiced pumpkin seed brittle for those with a thriving sweet tooth. Make a big batch of granola to jar up for healthy crunchy friends (see below for jar ideas).

Classy Containers

Dress up that little something-something in the finest of handmade attire. Try etching glass jars, make your own fiber baskets, or revamp an old cookie tin into a handy chalkboard container that will outlive that batch of cardamom cookies and serve as a useful item around the house.

Cups & Mugs

Once you’ve got a set of Pebeo paint pens made for glass or porcelain, the possibilities are endless (and pretty fast). Make a teacup and saucer for a coffee or tea aficionado, draw ahandwriting paper motif mug for your favorite teacher, or make customized painted glassware or a cross-stitch-inspired mug for just about anyone on your list.

Paper Gems

I love paper for many reasons — it’s incredibly versatile, affordable, easy to recycle and repurpose, and lends itself to experiments and quick projects. Make globe garlands from recycled maps for a faraway friend with a case of wanderlust. Fold up jewel-toned paper gems for a treasure chest effect. Print out and fold weekly planners for a list-making fiend, or make paper dolls for an imaginative kid.

Tools of the Trade

Why not make your artist, crafter, or designer friend a handy tool to support their practice and inspire fresh creativity? Make a recycled hanging notepad or mini matchbook sketchbook for notes and sketches. Create a custom bulletin board for a studio wall — just the thing for pinning up visual inspiration or even making a visual map of Etsy sales or contacts across the country. Using an old wool sweater, stitch up a laptop sweater cozy; you can also scale this pattern fit just about any device. For the crafty set, sew a skinny pincushion designed to nestle right up against a sewing machine, or try your hand at making a knitting mushroom, a classic knitting tool for making I-cords.

Pet Presents

Shower a pet lover with quick gifts for their furry friends. Pay tribute to a precious pup with a silhouette tote bag, or whip up a handmade leash with your choice of cotton webbing and ribbon for a stylish trip to the dog park. Cat toys are a fun and quick gift. Try making a fewpom-pom toys or a catnip stuffed mouse toy. Meow!
Happy handmade holidays to you and yours!


http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2011/how-tuesday-last-minute-gifts/?ref=fp_blog_title

Even More Gift Ideas!

Editors’ Picks: Gifts for the Finicky

Story by  TeenAngster

Published on Dec 06, 2011 in Shop

Photo by 42 Pots

When it comes to pack rats of discerning taste, I’m blessed to call many friend. However, finding a just-so gift for the impossible-to-shop-for is a formidable task. What do you get the aunt with a novelty-cow-collecting problem or the sister who insists she’ll have an aneurism if she receives another bottle of lotion? The answer is simple: blow their lotion-hating, cow-obsessed minds.Give those finicky folks something they never would have thought to want. Whether it’s an architecturally stunning tea pot or a classic signet ring, you’ll be the holiday hero.

For the Eccentric Aunt

[Clockwise from top left: Vintage Wood and Brass Bangle from The Deeps; Mating Earrings by Carrie Bilbo; Crocheted Lace Stones, Collection of Three by Monica J; Stoneware Dragon Tea Pot by 42 Pots; Hidden Messages Double Brooch byIvy Nixon Jewellery; Hand-knit Washable Wool Socks by LizSox; Ceramic Head Vase by AdrienArt]

For the Person With Everything

[Clockwise from top left: Calligraphy Address Stamp by Emilie Friday's Calligraphy;Quirky Ceramic Mouth Vase by Reshape Studio;  Hand-Dyed Silk Scarf byshoprarebird; Ceramic Stoneware Mug by Leah Sheely; Narrow Signet Ring byNeta Jewelry; Cumulonimbus Brooch by The Oak Leaves; Mittens by Sarah McNeil;Son-of-a-Bee-Sting Pencil Pack by Earmark]

More Mind-Blowers

[Clockwise from top left: Gold Female Torso by Elke Hutchens; The Gentleman's Hat by Heart Pump Arts; Circles and Bars Original Painting by flatfile; Porcelain Lightbulb Candlesticks by Eco Elements; Buddy the Elf Cat Hat by Scooter Knits;Glow-in-the-Dark Radium Soap by amandalouise; The Painted Masterpiece Ring by Art by Winona; Cat House / End Table by Modernist Cat]

 http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2011/editors-picks-gifts-for-the-finicky/?ref=fp_blog_title

More Gift Ideas from Etsy Sellers

Gift Guide for the Broken Ones

Story by  lethilogica

Published on Dec 05, 2011 in Shop

Photo by Behind the Mask Studio

List of demands: that growing up be slightly less awful, that a life be constructed of more than disappointment. These are gifts for the hopelessly angry, for the malcontent, for hearts with bills to pay – they are weak salves for our sorrow, and not even funny. They’re not enough, I know.

[Clockwise from top left: Vintage chore coat from Mr. Fraser; Handmade wood sauerkraut masher from poppyspins; Vintage transistor radio from natural home;About a yard of speckled blue fabric from WolfHouse; Travellers folding binoculars from JunkyVagabond; Sawdust fired cup from Citybytheseaceramics;1960s button from SherwoodsTreasures; Traveling soap box from ajscanla] 

There’s a moment we’ve lost, historians say, when we turned away from thinking things could be improved through action and art and instead began to rely on psychic realignment — as though what’s making us unhappy is ourselves, and not the failing structures of this vicious unrelenting world.

[Clockwise from top left: Vintage olive green slouch sweater fromAdelaideHomesewn; Gas mask case from bellalulu; 1960s “Woodmen of the World” bullet pencil from ouvrier; Three vintage composition notebooks fromArtful Vintage; Handpainted polka dot mug (set of two) from YoungAlexander;Handmade fabric and wire ant from psarokokalo; Barely pickled green beansfrom smokinzucchini; Vintage brick house wool skirt from taylorplein] 

For you’re the reason I don’t torch things to the ground and don’t lie in an empty bathtub for hours and try to lift the sorrow from my skin. You make things worth fixing.

[Clockwise from top left: Meltdown Three Mile Island ashtray from PhatDog;Vintage splatter soup tureen from RACHPhotography; Viva Satire! button frommassmedia; Winter walkers boots from Rigattiere; Vintage gold plated fist pinfrom Epochbeads; Iron Gall Ink from Belly of Flea] 

So here are some things to use as you dismantle this morning, and the next, even if I don’t know what comes after, or if it will be any better, or if our hearts break because of the world we live in, or because they are our hearts.

More Posts From Su

Su Wu of I'm Revolting continues to compile a list of the things, places and misinterpreted philosophies that somehow manage to coalesce into a well-lived life. These narrative-driven collections will find you stealing out of your alternate personas' closets.

http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2011/gift-guide-for-the-broken-ones/?ref=fp_blog_title