THE ALTERED FLEA: hostess gifts

Showing posts with label hostess gifts. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Display Your Menorah Candles in Style

You might think Chanukah is early this year. However, it's right on time, like it is every year! According to the Jewish Calendar, Chanukah is always the 25th day of Kislev, which this year coincides with this coming Saturday, December 8th.

It seems to change every year because the Jewish Calendar takes into account both the cycles of the moon and the sun. To make up the difference between the solar year, which is 365 days, and the lunar year, which is 354 days, the Jewish Calendar adds one extra "leap month" about 7 times every 19 years. I agree--that's a lot of math to calculate. Since it's been awhile since my algebra class, let's just move on to the craft project!

It's always wonderful to polish the beautiful silver menorah and dust off the colorful ceramic Chanukiot. However, have you ever thought how drab the store-bought box of candles looks sitting next to the beautiful menorahs?

Here is a crafty way to display your menorah candles in style.

In addition to a box of Chanukah candles, you will need the following supplies:

- Libbey 4" x 4" square glass votive holder
- Scrapbook Paper or Gift Wrap
- Ribbon
- Flowers
- Buttons
- Dreidel or Menorah Charm
- Tag punch or ready-made tags
- Chanukah stamps
- Ink Pad
- Mod Podge & brush
- Strong double-sided adhesive tape

Instructions:

Make a template measuring 1-1/2" wide x 13-1/2" long, creating a slight arch. The paper band must arch to accommodate the width difference between the top and bottom circumference of the glass. Wrap the template around the glass to be sure it fits, overlapping the ends.

Trace the template onto a 12" x 12" scrapbook paper, angling the template to fit the paper and cut out along your traced markings. To save paper, you can cut two sections and piece them together, adding an extra 1/2" for overlap.

Mod Podge the paper band and let dry. Using good adhesive, adhere band to the glass, gently pulling it taut, and overlap the ends.

Embellish the candle holder using ribbon, flowers, charms, die cuts and stamped images on punched out tags.

Place the candles inside the glass holder, and you have a beautiful way to display the menorah candles throughout the eight nights.

These make wonderful hostess gifts. Wrap the entire candle holder with clear cellophane. Tie with ribbon and a matching tag, and it's ready to go!

And for those of you who like to plan ahead of time, next year we will be eating latkes for Thanksgiving, as the 25th of Kislev falls the day before Turkey Day. Oy!

For those of you celebrating Chanukah, wishing you and your family a very Happy Chanukah full of beautiful light and miracles!

Sharing this holiday project at these parties:

French Country Cottage
Ginger Snap Crafts
Practically Functional

Keeping it Simple Crafts
A Bowl Full of Lemons
Sewing Barefoot
I Should be Mopping the Floor
Or So She Says

Twigg Studios
Two Yellow Birds
From my Porch to Yours
SNAP!
Jann Olson
Yesterday on Tuesday
Katherine's Corner
House of Hepworth's
Night Owl Crafting
Mine for the Making
Beyond the Picket Fence
Bloom Designs
One Artsy Mama
Answer is Chocolate
My Repurposed Life
Life as We Know It by Paula
504 Main
The Thriftiness Miss
Craftionary
Serenity Now
I Gotta Create
Crafty Scrappy Happy
Alderberry Hill
Doodles & Stitches
Shaken Together
clean and scentsible
This Gal Cooks
The Chicken Chick
Cupcakes & Crinoline
Three Mango Seeds
It's so Very Cheri
Setting for Four
barns and noodles

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Quick Thanksgiving Hostess Gift

You're so lucky that you've been invited to someone else's home for Thanksgiving. It saves you the aggravation, effort and time basting the turkey! Of course, I'm only kidding. If you're entertaining on Thursday, kudos to you!

However, if you are dining out, and need a hostess gift, here is a quick and easy project you and your children can create.

All you need is a small mason jar with a hinged lid, a package of autumn-hued candy [I used peanut m&m's], and a few embellishments such as twine, fringe, ribbons, flowers, labels and a tag.

The first step is actually the most difficult: filling the jar. So be very careful. Fill the jar to the top, avoiding the temptation to eat too much of the candy, or you'll end up with a half-empty (or half-full) jar. Not such a good gift. If you did this step correctly, you should have something that looks like this:

The rest is EASY. Embellish!
I first wrapped the jar with a piece of canvas fringe.

Then I tied twine around the fringe, using three colors of red, yellow and brown, which just happens to perfectly match the m&m's.

Topped the lid with a sunflower and a tag that I stamped with "thank you."

And you're ready to go!

Sharing my project at these parties:
The Crafty Blog Stalker
Glitter, Glue & Paint Throwback Thursday
Restoration Redoux Throwback Thursday
Mums Make Lists
The 36th Avenue Best DIY Projects
I Gotta Create
Southern Lovely
The DIY Dreamer
SNAP Creativity
Not Just a Housewife
Someday Crafts
Sugar and Dots What I Whipped Up Wed.
The Gunny Sack
Craft-O-Maniac
Young & Crafty
Ginger Snap Crafts Wow Me Wed.
Blackberry Vine
Today's Creative Blog
Vintage Wanna Bee Talent Tuesday
A Bowl Full of Lemons
Sugar Bee Crafts

Romance on a Dime TIOT
Lil Luna

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Eight Projects of Chanukah

It's time to countdown to Chanukah. My intention was to post one project every week until Chanukah begins. However, when I looked at the calendar, I realized there are only five weeks until the Festival of Lights!
I'm just going to have to work a little faster in order to create and post eight projects in just over one month. So let's get altering!

The first of my eight projects is called "Chanukah-in-a-Jar." There are many variations of recipes in a jar for delicious cookies, soups, natural scrubs, and more. In fact, I've even altered empty tennis ball cans for brownies-in-a-tennis-ball-can recipes.

For this project, I use a clear plastic pail that is 6" tall with a 4" diameter. It has a lid as well as a handle, which lends itself nicely for attaching ribbons and tags.

Gather craft supplies for embellishing the container including printed and solid scrapbook, glitter and gift wrapping paper, ribbon, punches, stamps, ink, tags, charms, metal labels, etc.

Cut a strip of cardstock 2" x 18". If using a 12" x 12" piece of paper, you will have to cut two pieces and tape them together. Then cut a coordinating piece of your gift wrap or printed paper 1-1/2" x 18" Using a dry adhesive, tape these two long pieces together. Adhere ribbon to center of strip.

Using a 2-1/2" circle punch, cut a circle with glitter paper. Punch out two smaller circles (I used a scalloped punch, too) from the solid cardstock. Stamp image on smaller circle.

Adhere long strips to pail. Also adhere ribbon in the middle of the paper, finishing at the same seam as the paper. Then adhere the circles to the pail, covering up the seams.

Using varied textures and widths, cut 6" strands of coordinating ribbon to pail handle. Cover the inset of the lid with paper with mod podge. When dry, adhere label printed on cardstock and metal label holder to lid. Tie charm to metal holder.

Stamp "Happy Hanukkah" and "To/From" images to tags.

Decoupage top of the dreidel, using 1-1/4" square punch. Punch a small hole in center of the paper square, which will fit over the dreidel stem.

Then choose the "ingredients" for your jar. I suggest an entire box of 44 menorah candles (enough candles for each night), large dreidel, matchbox, chocolate gelt and candle blessings.

For the blessings, I printed the Hebrew, transliteration and translation on both sides of a 4" x 6" cardstock, rolled it up and tied it with blue & white twine.