DIY Hand Stenciled Tea Towels

- - Family, Host, Housewarming, Wedding

As I browsed the Internet one day, I came across a set of tea towels for sale on a website. One towel said, “You Wash” and the other said “I’ll Dry.”

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Need to come up with a gift for a large number of people? Hand stenciled tea towels are easy and affordable to make in large quantities.

That’s exactly how my husband and I divide and conquer in the kitchen after dinner, and the tea towels reminded me of the great partnership we enjoy in our marriage. I also thought they would make great gifts for couples, family members, hostesses, and new homeowners.

I wanted to buy the kitchen towels so badly but they were very expensive – almost $40! Sheesh!

So I decided to make my own and ordered a pair of custom stencils from Etsy.com. I picked out the stencil font I wanted to use for the words, and for less than $20 received a pair of 6×6 inch “You Wash” and “I’ll Dry” reusable plastic stencils in the mail.

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Money Stash | Hollow Book Safe With Secret Compartment

- - $20 or Less, Birthday, Christmas, Congratulations, Gifts for Him, Going Away, Graduation, Housewarming, Kids, Money

It’s so much fun to give a gift inside a gift!

money-stash-hollow-book-safe-giftHollow Books Safes look like ordinary hard cover books until you open them. Surprise! The book contains a secret compartment where you can place a small-sized item, such as CASH!

I call this gift the Money Stash. They’ll enjoy the money and they can use the book to hide any valuables or secret possessions in plain sight!

(Ahem. It’s also great for hiding a stash of candy you don’t want anyone else to eat.)

You can create your own or puchase a Hollow Book Safe from Amazon.com or Etsy.com. Some of them even come with keys!

If you’re into DIY, I’ve created step-by-step instructions for making your own Hollow Book Safe.

HOW TO MAKE A HOLLOW BOOK SAFE

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Humourous Birthday T-Shirt for Gramps

- - $20 or Less, Birthday

I couldn’t have asked for a better father-in-law, a quiet, kind man with a fierce love for his family. Including his in-laws.

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This t-shirt is guaranteed to get laughs!

Gramps was never big on celebrating for himself but that didn’t keep us from always looking for that perfect gift. In later years, it was either about comfort or something humorous.

It’s difficult to find a birthday gift for an 80 year old grandfather that would make him chuckle!

Well… I did! I created a birthday t-shirt that looked like a “For Sale” sign with these words.

        80 YR. OLD  

       ONE OWNER

Needs Parts, Make Offer

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Treasure Chest Filled With Silver & Gold

- - Birthday, Christmas, Kids, Money

Ahoy, matey! Did you ever wish for your very own treasure chest?

treasure-chest-full-of-coins-thoughtful-gift-ideaAs a kid, I remember the classic Walt Disney’s Treasure Island movie about pirates searching for treasure chests filled with gold. I later took my kids to see Hook staring Robin Williams.

My all time favorite pirate though would be the Pirates of the Caribbean movies with Jack Sparrow played by Johnny Depp.

I never fell in love with a prince in a Disney movie but I would have become available for Jack Sparrow. Don’t tell my husband!

Kids love fantasizing about treasure chests filled with silver and gold. It’s a fantasy that you can easily make come true! Continue Reading

S’mores Kit for Camping

- - $20 or Less, Birthday, Christmas, Food & Drinks, Gift Baskets, Gifts for Him, Kids

It’s funny how your birthday plans change as you grow older. Instead of a fun night out on the town, this year I wanted to celebrate my birthday by going camping outdoors with my husband and son.

smores-kit-camping-thoughtful-giftWe’ve only taken my son camping once before and I was excited to continue want I wanted to become a family tradition.

When my boss heard about my big plans to go camping during my birthday weekend, it inspired her birthday gift to me.

She gave me a S’mores Kit for Camping which included an 8-piece marshmallow roasting fork set, a box of graham crackers, a package of Hershey’s milk chocolates, and a bag of marshmallows.

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“Play Money” Creative Play-Doh Money Gift

- - Birthday, Christmas, Congratulations, Graduation, Kids, Money

Kids and adults of all ages will love being surprised with a Play-Doh Money Gift!

cash-money-creative-play-doh-money-giftIt’s one of the must fun and creative money gifts you can give but it’s also very simple to create.

I’ve saved you one step already by creating a free Play- Doh printable consisting of two-inch tags that say: “Everyone deserves some play money!” and  “Thought you could use some extra dough!”

Or feel free to come up with your own tags using play-on-words!

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Bird Feeder & People Feeder | Unique Gift

- - Birthday, Food & Drinks, Host, Housewarming

For a birthday gift, I received a beautiful mosiac glass bird feeder. It was too pretty to let the birds poop on it so I made a decision to turn it into something else – a people feeder!

bird-feeder-people-feeder-thoughtful-gift-ideaWe love having celebrations at our house for birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, Christmas, and all the holidays in between. Food and games are the center of our family celebrations.

On the kitchen table, I placed my decorative bird feeder filled with peanut and plain M&Ms. My family and friends loved the idea of nibbling from the “people feeder.”

Because the bird feeder aka people feeder was such a hit, I decided to give something similar as a gift.

I purchased a beautiful bird feeder and a giant bag of M&Ms and called my gift “Birds of a Feather Flock Together” since it’s perfect to use for get-togethers with family and friends.

It’s also a thoughtful twist for a unique housewarming gift. It can be used immediately for a delicious snack and a fun conversation piece!

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Money Robe | A Silver Lining

- - Birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, Gifts for Him, Money

In our family, we always give money of the age of the birthday gal or guy.

money-robe-dollar-bills-silver-lining-thoughtful-gift-idea

No one will ever guess that their new house robe comes lined with cash!

When my brother turned 59, I was stumped to come up with a creative way to surprise him with his birthday money of $59.

I recently visited him and noticed his house robe needed to be replaced. So I purchased a green (and blue) robe to go with the money theme.

At first, I thought I would place the money in a pocket. Boring! Then it came to me, why not line the inside of the robe with 59 one dollar bills? Now that’s fun!

I laid out the open robe, spread out the dollar bills in even rows, and taped them in place. (Even though the tape worked, I would suggest using safety pins to make sure the bills stay put.)

I folded up the robe and tied the belt. A money robe! You could not see any of the bills since I had placed them below the waistline. Continue Reading

A Minion Laughs | Get Well Gift

- - Get Well

I hate that six-letter word. Cancer.

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Laughter is the best medicine.

It never comes alone. It always brings its ugly friends – Fear, Anxiety, and Pain.

We can’t help but ask God, “Why??”

When someone we care about finds out they have cancer or some other major health issue, we may struggle to find the right words to say or the right thing to do that might provide comfort and hope to their situation.

I’ve found that one of the best things you can do for someone who is sick or ill is to make them laugh. Laughter is the best medicine, and it’s completely natural with no nasty side effects!

When Queen Darlene finished her radiation treatments for breast cancer, I gave her a gift to celebrate. What thoughtful gift did I get her? I gave her a kids toy. But not just any toy – a Despicable Me Minion Stuart Laughing Action Figure.

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Retirement Gifts with a Twist

- - Retirement

Retirement is the next frontier for Baby Boomers! Did you know the Baby Boomer generation will be turning 65 at a rate of 8,000 per day? That’s a lot of retirement gifts to think about!

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Create a joyful card for Retirement!

Rocking chair gifts are out. Let’s get more creative than that.

Many Baby Boomers retire only to become bored and return to work part-time. Others start new businesses while some take trips and enjoy their hobbies of art, golf, fishing, or penning a novel.

HOBBY GIFTS

A retirement gift related to their hobby is perfect.

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Pair a flashlight with this card for a Play on Words gift idea.

If they like to paint, purchase several different size canvases with the message to “Paint Your Art Out.”

Golf balls are certainly prized gifts. Personalize them with the word “RETIRED!” Continue Reading