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

Unique Gift Wrap Idea - Pyramid Gift Box!

How-Tuesday: Make a Pyramid Gift Box

Story by  luckandtape

Published on Dec 06, 2011 in Watch

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(Music by Tobias Gebb & Trio West, Eric Beug, and I’m From Barcelona)

We think that gift wrap should be just as interesting and heartfelt as the object within. (And rectangular gift boxes are pretty boring.) In this gift wrap how-to we’ll craft a pyramid gift box that’s sure to impress the most jaded recipient. Best of all, it doubles as an ornament!

Materials:

• Paper or cardboard for your pyramid
• Markers or colored pencils
• Ribbon
• Tape
• Decorative elements: stickers, washi tape, ribbons, bows, etc.

Directions:
1. Draw a triangle using this guide.
2. Cut out triangle and score folds.
3. Fold pyramid.
4. Use markers or colored pencils and color/decorate the sides.
5. Cut a piece of ribbon and knot it to make a loop for hanging.
6. Tape loop onto point of one of the sides. Then fold together with gift inside and tape shut.
7. Decorate pyramid with stickers, washi tape, ribbons, bows, or anything else you can think of!

http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2011/how-tuesday-make-a-pyramid-gift-box/

UpCycled Gift Wrap Ideas

How-Tuesday: Upcycled Gift Wrap

Story by  virginiakraljevic

Published on Dec 13, 2011 in Make

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(Music by I’m From Barcelona)

Last week we showed you how to package your gifts in new and fun geometric shapes. For this week’s How-Tuesday, we’re returning to a traditional style of gift wrapping, but with a modern, upcycled twist. All of the materials you’ll need for this how-to are readily available around the house, so if you’re in a pinch and need to wrap a gift quickly, give this method a try!

Decorative Wrapping Paper

Materials:

• Paper shopping bag
• Scissors
• Masking tape
• Wine bottle cork (rubber cork preferred)
• Utility knife (please note that using a utility knife in this project is not advised for children).
• Ink pad, household paint, or correction fluid

Directions:

• To make a homemade rubber stamp, take one end of your cork and make slight incisions with your utility knife around its edge. For a star/snowflake-like pattern, cut 3 to 4 triangle shapes on the edges of your stamp. Remove excess rubber/cork from your design so your pattern is raised a bit from the rest of the cork.
• Lay your paper shopping bag flat and cut as big a rectangle as you can out of one side. Remove shopping handle if there is one.
• Place the clean side of your paper up (the side without any logos) and decorate with your rubber stamp and ink pad. Let dry.
• After the paper is fully dry, place the newly decorated surface face-down.
• Place gift box upside down on top of your paper. Make sure there is enough paper to cover the box — this can be done by pulling two sides of the paper over the box to meet in the middle. You want a little excess paper in the center to assure that your box is entirely covered. Tape the center down with a piece of masking tape.*
• You’ve essentially created a paper tunnel around your gift box. The flaps of paper on either end of your box should not be too long. You can gauge what is an appropriate length by folding one side down to meet the bottom — it should almost reach the bottom, but never should be longer (this makes it very difficult to wrap). Cut excess paper until you have desired length.
• Take one side and fold the top part of your flap down, push the corners in to meet the box and crease the newly formed triangle-shaped flaps to a crisp fold. Fold these triangle flaps in and crease again, creating one triangle shape. Fold up and tape down flap. Repeat on the other side of your gift.

*For a more decorative tape effect, cut your masking tape strips 2 to 3 inches  in length. With your scissors, you can slightly fold each end in half and snip the end off at an angle toward you (it will look like you are cutting off a triangle). Open up ends carefully and repeat to the other side of your piece of tape.

Foil Topper

Materials:

• Foil
• Scissors
• Stapler

Directions:

• Rip off 6″ of foil from the roll and cut into 2″ strips lengthwise.
• Fold each piece in half lengthwise and smooth flat with your fingers to create 1″ strips.
• Cut each strip into thirds and place over one another into a star-like pattern. Staple the center to hold in place.
• To fringe the ends of each piece with your scissors, cut each flap into little slivers. Fluff up for a fun bow effect or leave flat for snowflake/star shape. Add a little loop of tape to the bottom of your topper and adhere to your gift box. Voila!

http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2011/how-tuesday-upcycled-gift-wrap/

How to Make Confetti Bombs - Get Ready to Party!

How-Tuesday: Confetti Bomb

Story by  luckandtape

Published on Dec 20, 2011 in Watch

Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve shown you how to package gifts in pyramidal fashion and how to upcycle regular materials around the house for a more traditional rectangular look. But what about those bottles of wine, champagne or sparkling cider for your holiday party hosts? Is there a creative way to wrap those? Of course there is!

Materials:

• Bottle
• Plastic wrap
• Tissue paper
• Confetti or glitter
• Masking tape
• Ribbon or tie (we used tie from KNOT & BOW)

Directions:

1. Wrap bottle in tissue paper.
2. Lay out long rectangle of plastic wrap.
3. Sprinkle glitter or confetti on 1/2 of the sheet.
4. Lay the bottle down and tape one side of the sheet to the bottle.
5. Tightly roll the bottle in the plastic wrap, tape the end down.
6. Tie a bow around neck of bottle.

http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2011/how-tuesday-confetti-bomb/?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