Festive Handmade Holiday Gifts

It's finally raining here in Southern California.  The heavy mist almost looks like snow!  It's as close to a white flurry as we get.   Time to fire up the logs in the fireplace, stay in our pajamas all day, sip hot cocoa, and...craft! 

Handmade holiday gifts are the best, especially those that are quick to make, inexpensive and say "Happy Holidays" in a special way. They are great for teachers, neighbors and other special people.

Today I'm going to show you how to embellish clear acrylic pails and turn them into festive holiday gifts for both Christmas and Chanukah (Hanukkah).  They can easily be adapted to any other holiday as well.

Supplies: 

Clear acrylic pails  [I found 4-1/2" pails in different colors] 

Small 2" acrylic pails 

Shredded, crinkly paper

Crafting embellishments

Holiday Treats [to fill the pails]

Christmas Pail Fillers:   Assorted holiday candies, coffee, gift card, candles and playing cards.

Embellishments:  Choose ribbons, stickers, buttons, tags, and a rubber stamp with a holiday greeting.

The How-To:  Embellish the outside of a large pail.  I adhered beaded ribbon around the top of the pail.   Line the bottom inside of the pail with shredded paper.

Stamp a festive greeting onto a tag and tie to pail with ribbons.

 

  

Cover lid with pretty paper and rhinestones. 

I recommend decoupaging the paper to the lid to resist tearing.

Add the Christmas items to the large pails.  Fill smaller pails with candies such as m&m's or jelly bellies.  You can find holiday assortments or mix and match several bags of solid m&m's.

Here is what you'll need to make the Chanukah gift pail:

Fillers:  Chocolate gelt, dreidels, candles and matches.

The How-To:  Stamp a festive greeting onto a tag and tie to pail with ribbons.

Adhere ribbon around the outside of the pail.  For this one, I used two different ribbons, one at the top and one at the bottom.  Add shredded paper to inside bottom of pail; top lid with pretty paper or a sparkly bow.

Add contents to pail.

These pails are so versatile.  They make great table favors.  You can dress them up for many occasions including New Year's, the Super Bowl, Birthdays and Anniversaries.  You're just limited by your imagination and occasion!  

You may be able to find me sharing these ideas here 

as well as these new link parties:

Creative Collection Linky Party

Marigold's Loft
Inspired Housewife
Chic California



Festive Holiday Gift Pails

With the holidays quickly approaching, especially Chanukah which begins next Saturday night, you might want a quick and inexpensive idea for handmade holiday gifts. 

 

I've got just the project for you:  Festive Holiday Gift Pails.  See more photos and the full tutorial over at The Ivy Cottage Blog where I'm a Crafty Contributor!

Find me at these incredible crafty parties:

A Link Party to Support SandyHook/Newtown United Way

A Bowl Full of Lemons
Say Not Sweet Anne
The Dedicated House
ninth street notions
sewing barefoot
Sugar and Dots
PrimpJunktion
Simply {Kierste}
From My Front Porch to Yours
Practically Functional
Ginger Snap Crafts
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I Gotta Create
A Glimpse Inside
Love & Laundry
One More Time
One Artsy Mama
It's Overflowing
Life as we Know it by Paula
Twigg Studio

Sparkle, Shimmer & Twine with Tulip Shimmer Sheets

Burlap and twine are two of my favorite "go-to" [also known as "must-have"] embellishments.  I love their natural, earthy look and texture.  However, as we all know, opposites attract.  This became evident once again when a brown paper package recently arrived on my doorstep.  I quickly opened the package to find a goldmine of Tulip's Fashion Glitter and Shimmer Transfer Sheets.

As I am participating in Tulip's Shimmer Holiday 2012 campaign, Tulip sent me a great selection of their glittery and shimmery products to try.  I decided to combine my "go to" favorites with Tulip's Fashion Glitter Shimmer Transfer Sheets and their Glam-It-Up Iron-on Glass Crystals to create a set of glass candle holders that will literally make the holidays shine!  

Here's a tutorial on this holiday DIY project.  In addition to the Shimmer Transfer Sheets and Glass Crystals, gather the following materials:  burlap, three tall glass cylinders [hello, dollar store] and baker's twine.  You will also need circle punches, a paper cutter, an iron, double-sided tape, and a hot glue gun.

First, iron the burlap so it lays flat and wrinkle-free.

Cut out three pieces of burlap, each 4" wide x 12" long.  This was a good size for my glass cylinders allowing for a one-inch overlap. 

Punch several small and large circles from the red shimmer transfer sheet.  I was pleasantly surprised by how easy the punches worked with the shimmer sheets.

Carefully position the shimmer circles, smooth side down, on your first piece of burlap.  Place a clean dishtowel [or other lightweight cloth] on top of the burlap.  Using a hot iron, press your design for approximately 40 seconds. 

When I lifted the towel, I wondered how a few of the circles ended up on the towel.  When I looked closer, I realized I had placed a few of the circles wrong side up on the burlap, so they adhered to the towel instead.  I guess that is one way you can decorate two items at once! 

After a few additional punched circles and a little more ironing,

I ended up with this design, much better for the intended project.

For the second candle holder, cut long strips from the red and gold shimmer transfer sheets.  Since I cannot cut a straight line, I used a paper cutter, which worked out perfectly.   Then iron the strips onto the burlap in the same way as above. 

 

For the third candle holder, cut small triangles to create a banner.  Place them in a curvy line.

After ironing the triangles onto the burlap, adhere twine above the triangles to create a banner. [I found that a hot glue gun worked best for this step.]

Then, using Tulip's Glam-It-Up Heat Setting Tool, adhere red Glass Crystals to the top and bottom of each triangle.  The heat-setting tool made it so easy to adhere the crystals exactly where I wanted them. 

Is it just me, or do the triangles seem to resemble reindeer?

 

Adhere the burlap strips to the cylinders using double-sided sticky tape. 

 

Then add a few embellishments:

Perhaps a bow tie

[also made from the shimmer sheets]

Or use twine to tie cinnamon sticks and holly around the burlap.

Add pillar candles, and you have a beautiful centerpiece ready to be displayed on a table or mantel just in time for the holidays.

There you have it!  Burlap and Sparkle!  Who knew? 

Thank you, Tulip, for inspiring me with your beautiful shimmer and glitter products.  For many more shimmery and glittery ideas, visit Tulip at: http://www.ilovetocreate.com/
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[All opinions expressed here are 100% my own. Find my full disclosure here.]

 You can find even more creative ideas here:

 

Attending these parties:

Navy Wifey Peters, Love & Laundry, Katherine's Corner, I Gotta Create, House of Hepworth's, The 36th Avenue, Yesterday on Tuesday, Katie's Nesting Spot, A Glimpse Inside, Beyond the Picket Fence, 12 Days of Christmas, Someday Crafts, Sugar & Dots, Vintage Wanna Bee, Cowgirl Up Link Party, Bloom Designs, Craftionary, French Country Cottage, 52 Mantels, Momnivore's Dilemma, simply kierste, The CSI Project, From My Front Porch to Yours, Whipperberry, Answer is Chocolate, Doodles & Stitches, Primp Junktion, My Simple Homelife, It's a Hodgepodge Life, My Repurposed Life, The Chicken Chick, Serenity Now, Shaken Together Life, Create, Craft, Love, Twigg Studio, Maybe Mathilda, Two Twenty-One, Serendipity & Spice, Keeping It Simple, The Gunny Sack, Brassy Apple, Our Delightful Home, Practically Functional, Primp Junktion, Or So She Says, Sewing Barefoot, ninth street notions, Skip to my Lou, The Dedicated House, Say Not Sweet Anne, A Bowl Full of Lemons, 733 Blog, Shanty 2 Chic, Inspired by Charm, No Minimalist Here, It's Overflowing with Creativity