One of the coolest gifts I got over Christmas came in a Pizza box. I have to share pictures – because I’ve never seen anything quite like the novelty of this gift.
When I unwrapped it, I was curious because it was a “pizza” box. However, upon opening the pizza box, inside was a round gummy candy “pizza” which was made up of all kinds of sweet candy bits. Yes, it was a 9 inch in diameter Pizza all made out of candy.
How cool is that?
In the end, I had to take it to work and share with the guys.
Doing a bit of retro blogging today, as I am trying to catch up on several Crochet projects that I did and then gifted for Christmas. Since I didn’t want to reveal the “gift” until after the person received them, it only makes sense.
On December 4, 2014, my company hosted a charity event asking for “Santa’s little Elves”. Being a crafty type person, I found it hard to resist the advertised “toy building” from scratch and headed along.
As we sat down at the tables, we were greeted by piles of boxes of pre cut wooden toys. Each one was a little different. there were race cars, dinosaurs (triceratops and T-rex), and construction equipment (diggers and tractors). There were also paints, glue, and little “elf” hats. We were divided into teams by table, and told how the process worked.
Each table was to make as many toys in 2 hours as possible. The toys were to be put together, with working moving parts, painted in at least 3 colors, and set aside to dry. They would be QA’ed for several features, and the most creative and most detailed table / set of toys would win.
After racing for a couple of hours, the most any team made was 5 – but they were all single colored – and disqualified. Thus, my team with 3 – meeting all the requirements took first place. 🙂 The 3 above were our entries. The other entries are below…
In all, we ended up with some 100 toys for the kids, all of which went toward the St. Vincent De Paul charity along with a huge bunch of “secret santa” gifts under the tree. Now, if that doesn’t make your heart sing (and get into the spirit of the season, I don’t know what will.
Christmas just isn’t Christmas without holiday cards. I’ve always loved to get mail, and at the holidays, I find the beauty of Christmas cards from around the world make me smile in their color, sparkle, design, and different languages. Some are elegant, others sparkly, some are celebrating winter and snowflakes, while others show off all the traditions of the holidays. Every year, I carefully pick out or make my cards and try to get them out the first week of December. And then.. the waiting begins. I practically stand at the door every day (hurry up postman!) waiting for the colorful envelopes. After all, no other time of year does the mail from my friends and family come in droves – out weighing the bills. (Who likes bills?!?).
Once they arrive, I carefully open each one, basking in the joy of the card (it’s like a little gift in each one) and then put it on the mantle or tape it up to the walls in a lovely display. When Christmas is over, I save each card – and try to find unique creative things to do with them later. It’s a great way to Upcycle, be eco-friendly, and keep memories intact from year to year.
This year, I didn’t have much money for decorating my flat. I’d spent most of my savings on medical bills, and that meant that not only was I trying to do handmade items for Christmas (I had time – not money) for everyone, I had to find a unique way to decorate. This is what I came up with. A simple re-purposed series of Christmas cards that were a bit folksy, eco-friendly, and totally made me smile every time I saw them hanging across my mantle.
Here’s how I did it, so you can make your own Recycled Christmas Card Bunting.
Step 1: Take your circle or template and move it around on the card until you find a place you’re happy with. Depending on the card, you may be able to get two circles or ovals per card.
Step 2: Trace around the template and then cut out the shape. Repeat for each of your cards. Try to get an even number of similar theme or similar looking cards. Don’t forget that you may be able to use the inside wording from the card or back of the card may have pictures too!
Step 3: For double sided cards, match similar cards together – eg. The two snowmen on the far left came from the same card and look nice front / back. Add glue to the reverse of one of the rounds, taking note of which way is “up”.
Step 4: Attach the round to the other selection, again, being careful that they are both in the correct direction when looked at on the front and back.
Step 5: Squeeze out excess glue, wipe it off, and then weight the round with a book for a while until the glue sets. Wait for the glue to dry.
Step 6: Once the glue is dry, punch 2 holes in the top of each card.
Step 7: Thread the ribbon through the card, making a center and trying to balance the size / shape / color on each side of the bunting.
Step 8: Hang up across your mantle, on your wall, or anywhere else where you want the display.
A few other things you can do with the same technique – just punch fewer holes –
Christmas Ornaments
Mobiles to hang from ceiling
Why not make a Rectangle from a card – and hang several different size rounds down from it like raindrops from a cloud
Add some mod-podge and make necklaces
Attach some flower wire and make centerpieces for the table
What else can you think of? Share your ideas and how this turned out for you – I’d love to see it!