Gift #12: Scavenger Hunt Cards

Ben was recently invited to his friend Erik's birthday party.  We go walking with Erik and his mom, so I thought something like these cards would be perfect for our walks.


These are pretty self-explanatory, but if you must know, I got all the pictures by searching Google Images, printed on regular cardstock, and laminated the cards at the local school supply store (I think 69 cents/square foot - way cheaper than anywhere else).


Total Cost: I'm going to say $2.50, guessing on the square footage of the 16 laminated cards.

Gift #9: Made-Over Picture Frame

I'm getting really good at this business of copying ideas from other people's blogs.


You know those little L-shaped plastic picture frames where the photo slides in the side?  Lindsey at Inspiring Creations put up a tutorial for making them cutesy.  Perfect birthday gift for Ben's great-grandmother.


I used paper from my new stash and got the cute binder clip and ribbon at Wal-Mart.  Clip on a picture of said great-grandmother with Ben, and voila!


Cost:
$1.00  plastic frame
$0.48  binder clip (6 for $2.88)
$0.20  ribbon (just a bit of a $2 roll)
$0.13  4x6 photo print from costco.com
$1.81  total

Gift #5: Love Note{book}s

Another online find that I had to try: cereal box journals from The Long Thread.


A couple months ago I read about a couple who each kept a notebook by their bed and periodically wrote notes to each other in them.  It was nothing regular - just whenever they thought of it, they'd write something in the other's book, and now and then they'd open their own books and find a bunch of love notes.  I think that would be great, so I made a pair for Devin & me for Valentine's Day.


The paper was some that I'd ripped out of a fancy store-bought journal to make room for pictures in the book.  For five years that paper sat forsaken in a desk drawer, too pretty to throw away.  But now it has found a use!

I glued scrapbook paper on the inside covers (so as not to show the nutritional information of Kix).  The lettering on the front was a free font downloaded from here.  This project was fun and basically free.  Awesome.

Sending My Love

When I saw these cards at MADE (thanks Melanie for my new obsession), I had to try them.  So a set of valentine cards was born.  It is surprisingly hard to sew in the shape of a heart.  And let it be known that felt is easier to sew around than stretchy t-shirt scraps.  MUCH easier.


Cost: I used cloth scraps and cardstock from my new supply, so the only cost was $0.58 for purple and pink felt.

Making Cards / Am I Crazy?

When a gift isn't reasonable (too far away, or just not in the budget), I still like to acknowledge someone's birthday. So today I hesitantly plunged into the world of card-making. I know plenty of people make cards all the time and do just fine. But I'm just not sure I've got it in me. Anyway, this was the result of my first unguided* attempt (for my 7-year-old niece). I think it turned out alright, but what do I know?

Basically, I'm clueless here, so any help would be appreciated.

*I admit that I used a long-ago-purchased card kit, so I at least knew all the materials were approved by someone who actually knows what she's doing. Except the twine bow. That was my idea.