Homemade Vanilla Extract Gifts Make a Thoughtful and delicious DIY Christmas PRESENT
I’ve always wanted to make my own homemade vanilla extract. I finally made my first batch early this spring. My goal was to make a large batch to keep some for myself, and to share with others for gifts at Christmas.
Vanilla extract is a thoughtful, DIY gift for nearly any recipient: friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, teachers, or holiday hostesses. After all, nearly everyone keeps vanilla extract in their pantry, right?
Looking for thoughtful Christmas gifts that won’t break the bank, but will actually be appreciated and used? These homemade gifts are perfect for hostess gifts, neighbor gifts, teacher gifts, or coworker gifts. Just the right amount of personal and practical, these DIY Christmas gifts will actually get used.
Treasure ornaments are a one-of-a-kind tree decoration made by filling empty glass ornaments with bottle-brush trees, jingle bells, sprigs of pine branches, colorful feathers, or any other pretty fillers you have on hand,
These natural dyes are food safe and work great for other natural tie dye projects!
Thank you to Nellie’s Free Range for sponsoring this post. All opinions are mine alone.
I’ve always wanted to experiment with using natural dyes to dye our hard boiled Easter eggs, but I’ve also been a little intimidated by the idea.
Over the last few years we’ve made the switch to exclusively using Nellie’s Free Range Eggs. Since their eggs come only from Certified Humane Free Range hens that live healthy, happy lives, I feel better about serving them to my family. So, it only seemed fitting that we would go the more natural route for egg dye this year.
But the big question was…can you dye brown eggs? The answer is, yes! It creates even deeper natural tones, and I’m going to show you how! Continue reading →
Thoughtful, homemade Mother’s Day gifts on a budget
I know I can’t be the only one who wracks my brain for Mother’s Day gifts every. single. year. Not only do the moms in my life all live out of state from us, but we are on a super tight budget! Today, I’m sharing some of the best ideas I’ve found for the top 20 best DIY Mother’s Day gifts on a budget.
Homemade Watercolor Tea Towel – It doesn’t get any easier than this watercolor technique! Perfect for even the youngest kids to help out with. Even better, it makes such a pretty and practical gift!
Bathtub Tray – I love this idea for a super simple DIY lucite bathtub tray! Totally waterproof, and matches any bathroom decor!
Lavender Bath Soak – Take the Bathtub Tray idea up a notch by adding a relaxing Lavender Bath Soak and presenting it in a pretty jar. Get the recipe here.
Cement Succulent Flower Pots – I’m still obsessed with these cement flower pots, and they are super easy to make! Cement doesn’t have to intimidating at all – check out this easy tutorial for creating your own!
Garden Stone – We love to make handprint garden stones as precious markers of how the kids have grown over the years!
Give her a hand – Okay, I really hope allll the husbands and kids out there are giving Mom a hand on Mother’s Day, but if you can’t be there to help, I love this simple idea for making life a little easier on Mom.
Pamper Her with this DIY Leather Pouch – This no-sew leather pouch is easy to make and totally stylish and practical! Drop in a few of your favorite pampering gifts – like yummy hand lotion, or my favorite EVER lip balm for super dry lips (if you can get past the super crazy name!).
Handwritten Heirloom Recipe Tea Towel – I absolutely love the idea of taking a handwritten heirloom recipe and putting it on a tea towel. Totally sentimental and useful. Check out how to make one here.
Book Lover’s Gift Set – If she loves to read, give her a mini vacation basket, complete with a good book, chocolates, and a DIY leather bookmark. If you don’t sew – no worries! Just use a super strong, flexible all-purpose glue. Budget tip: upcycle an old purse from the thrift store to course your leather!
Garden Gift Basket – This is attractive all on it’s own for a flower container, but I love this gift basket idea including custom garden markers and garden tools.
Potted Picking Garden Flowers – I’ve been trying to grow my own flower picking garden, so lately I’ve been loving receiving peonies, hydrangeas, lilacs and more for Mother’s Day! Truly the gift that keeps on giving.
Brunch – If you’re lucky enough to be with your mom for Mother’s Day, make her a special brunch (disclaimer: if you’re a mom yourself…schedule this for a day other than Mother’s Day so you can sleep in and get pampered by your kids!). I’m a huge fan of these Ham and Cheese brunch squares. Or, for something extra simple and a lot lighter, try these overnight Peaches ‘N Cream oats.
Sunshine in a Basket – Okay, there just might be a floral theme on this list, but I’m obsessed with this cheerful gift basket idea. This collection of candles, chamomile, citrus, herbs, and a charming potted cactus would brighten anyone’s day.
Framed photo or Photo Book – I mean, what mom wouldn’t love a photo of her kids or grandkids?
Leaf Print Fabric – Am I overdoing it on the tea towel love in this list? Didn’t think so! ???? They are such a great idea because they are inexpensive, thoughtful, and practical! I love this idea for leaf printing on fabric for more charming tea towels.
Send Flowers – I’ve often sent flowers, simply because it can be hard to give a special Mother’s Day gift from out of state. It’s not always frugal, but flowers are always a good idea! Click here to get 20% off from FTD.
Something Sweet – My mom and I both have a serious sweet tooth, so I love this cool idea for saying it with ice cream! Whip up a batch of your favorite homemade ice cream (like creamy lemon vanilla or cookie dough frozen yogurt), add a few toppings, and top it with this cool gift tag.
Handwritten Card – Trust me – you can’t go wrong with a caring, handwritten card. Let Mom and Grandma know just how much you love her, and list every. single. reason. why.
Digital Frame – Okay, so this one isn’t truly DIY…or frugal, but I’m obsessed with this digital frame because multiple family members can update it in real time, right from their phones! And, it’s so stylish and sleek compared to the digital frames of yesterday.
Last Minute Gift – If all else fails and you’ve totally blown it this Mother’s Day…well, Mom doesn’t have to know. Give her a call (or even better, show up in person), tell her how much you love her and bring a card with a gift card to buy whatever she wants. Amazon gift cards are always a good idea! Buy and print (or e-mail) one in minutes.
Simple, budget-friendly mom hacks and must-haves your grandma would be proud of.
This post is sponsored by Cascade pure essentials. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
My grandma Edith lived one of the most simply abundant lives I’ve ever witnessed. Having lived through the Great Depression, my grandma lived a life that many consider trendy and novel now. She reused. Recycled. Upcycled. Ate from her farm and garden, and prepared meals from scratch. Dried clothes outside on the line. Many of her cleaning products were homemade… and her potpourri was, too!
This past year has been all about simplifying for our family. Inspired by my Grandma Edith – I’m sharing some easy tips for bringing spring indoors with simple, budget-friendly mom hacks and must-haves.
Thank you for linking up all things DIY, design or decor.
Welcome to The Creative Circle link party – a place to share and find decor and DIY inspiration for your home!
This week’s feature focuses on my favorite room of the whole house to decorate: the boy’s room. Keep reading below to get the full tour of this beautiful makeover for small space living.
Thank you for linking up all things DIY, design or decor.
Welcome to The Creative Circle link party – a place to share and find decor and DIY inspiration for your home!
This week I’m excited to share a glimpse into the before and after of Simply Beautiful By Angela. Here is her before that so many of us can relate to! Keep scrolling for the after, and to read all about it.
This shop, DIY Industrial Cooler, has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Constellation Brands. All opinions are mine alone. The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older. #SummertimeCerveza #CollectiveBias
Today I’m sharing a summer DIY I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. I’m excited to show you how to make a DIY Industrial Cooler for less than $7.
A reminder: I’m participating in the ‘One Room Challenge’ (ORC), hosted by Linda from Calling It Home, that challenges home and design bloggers to make over a room in their house from start to finish in 6 weeks. We have decided to tackle our living room. Here’s what you missed: The Before and Vision , The Design Plans, and Tile and Personalization
I’ve been dreaming of a white wood feature wall for about a year, and it’s finally here!
I’m so excited to have my friend, Alicia Bertram ofBerties Build on a Budget, guest posting today to share Part II: Our DIY Fixer Upper Reveal – her family’s incredible story of building their dream house, and turning it into a custom home using creativity, inexpensive resources, and lots of elbow grease. To hear how they built their own home, and the crazy sacrifices they made to get out of consumer debt while they did it, please hop over to read Part Iof their story!
Last week, I sharedhow our family built our own home, nail by nail, all while making some incredible sacrifices to get out of consumer debt. This week, I’m excited to share with you the pretty part of our journey – that is, our DIY Fixer Upper reveal!
Pinterest is a girl’s best friend. Am I right!? I knew I wanted to put special touches in most of the rooms but also knew I had to keep our budget in mind at all times. The most important thing I could do in the planning of our house was to first decide how I wanted the house to FEEL. Our last house was dark, choppy but cozy. The dream I had for this space was bright, open and airy. A space that you walk in and just take a deep breath. Cool tones, light wood floors, clean crisp lines and simple.
So here’s what we did:
Entryway: Summer of 2015 we went out to my parents farm where we pulled approximately 500 square feet of barn wood off the barn. It now covers the ceiling of our exterior entryway and also our range hood. We also turned an inexpensive antiqued decoration into a light fixture!
All Photos by Licia Marie Photography
Barnwood: FREE
Decoration: Purchased 5 years ago and I think it was $10 on sale!
Part 1: Building Our Dream Home While Getting Out of Debt
I’m so excited to have my friend and fellow blogger, Alicia Bertram, guest posting today to share her family’s incredible story of building their dream home, nail by nail, from start to finish. This, all while paying off consumer debt and making some crazy decisions along the way to reach their goals!
Today’s post is a a simple trash-to-treasure thrift upcycle. When I spotted these old Party Lite ceramic houses at the thrift store, I saw potential and snapped them up. But now, I’m second guessing my plan and need your crafty/decor advice!
A DIY Marquee Letter Board is part marquee light, part letter board, 100% Instafabulous. These changeable letter signs are inexpensive and easy to make. Word to your mother.
Well, hello there! Today I’m sharing a tutorial for my latest project: a DIY Marquee Letter Board.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, MARS. All opinions are mine alone. #ScoreAtCVS #CollectiveBias
Football season is here, and with it, countless Sundays spent gathering with friends for viewing parties. I’ll admit, I’m in this sport for the socializing and snacks, but not the work of prepping treats.
Today, I’m going to show you ridiculously easy ideas for showing up with the most team spirit at your next viewing party. These game day decor ideas are so simple, even the least skilled crafter can pull them off like a pro!
The best of apple Recipes, Crafts, Activities & More!
It’s finally time for me to admit that fall is here. The cold snap of the season started this week, and while I’m mourning the short-lived Midwest summer, I am looking forward to the tastes and activities of the season.
Last week I shared my Salted Caramel Dip recipe. This week, we are excited to share with you this collection of amazing Apple themed posts from the talented and creative Social Fabric community.
You’re going to want to Pin or bookmark this post for later, so you don’t miss out on these amazing apple recipes, crafts and activities for fall!
It’ s been awhile since I’ve shared on the blog. I ran out of steam there for awhile, but I’m back with a project I’ve been planning for some time, and finally got around to: my self serve sign for the kitchen.
We’re slowly but surely making some changes to our builder grade home, like a new back splash that we love. Still, I thought the kitchen needed a little more character.
Looking for creative birthday party favors that totally rock? These goodie bag ideas will make you look like a creative super-mom, and won’t break the bank.
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