House warming gift

A couple of guys from our small group bible study recently got a new apartment. They invited the gang over to help break in their new place. We have a tight gift giving budget. We only set aside money for Christmas and immediate family member's birthdays. So all other unexpected gift giving occasions have to be on the cheap and are typically homemade. I baked some brownies and snicker doodles and dressed them up with some scrap ribbon and a paper covered box. I raided our pantry for some extra items to round out the gift-some microwave popcorn and a can of air freshener seemed to do the trick. A quick hand stamped card completed the gift. This gift was made up of stuff I already had at home and in my pantry. I love it when I can create something without spending money.

Crafting....

I have gone off the deep end and have become an addict to paper crafting. It could be that my hubby's gone, hopefully I'll still know how to cook a decent meal and the house won't be a complete disaster when Greg returns. My latest project (among many) is a calendar with all the family birthdays marked inside. I've made it into a little book using my newest toy the bind-it-all (which I LOVE) I'm going to give it to my new sister-in-law (actually have two new sisters-in-law.) This is going to the one who has a birthday this month.

embellishing the simple

I'm participating in an ornament exchange. I opted to make some ornaments rather than buy them. They turned out rather simple and plain to me. To make them seem more special I embellished my gift wrap. I used some remnant Christmas paper with poinsettias in the print and added a fake flower and homemade tag to dress it up. I think my gift wrap makes up for my so-so ornaments.

Frugal Gift Wrap

There is something so special about giving and receiving a beautifully wrapped gift. I love wrapping presents it makes even the most simple gifts lovelier.
With a tight gift budget I want the most of my funds going to the gift itself.
I save every scrap of gift wrap from birthdays, Christmas, and every other gift giving occasion. I have a box full of gift bags, tissue, bows, and ribbon. I often use a plain paper brown bag as wrapping paper, I love the rustic natural look and it’s so easily dressed up with pretty ribbon. The best part is that my supply of paper bags is replenished every time I go to the grocery store.