Christmas photo quilt

This gift idea is not as hard as it sounds. I like to sew, not love to sew. I have made a handful of quilts over my years of marriage(mostly for my husband, he loves them!) One Christmas I had decided to make a quilt for my in laws. I wanted it to be original and I was hoping for some tears from my mother in law but no luck this time. I started with picking out materials that had earth tone colors in them. From there I decided on a very simple big block quilt, nothing to hard. I cut out each block and laid them on the floor in a pattern I liked. I chose solid colors through out the quilt so I could iron on photos that I thought would mean allot to them. I choose their wedding picture, a current picture of the 2 of them, pictures of all the grandkids and old photos and new. The iron on photos were really simple. You can purchase a iron on transfer photo paper at any hobby or craft store, just follow the directions and you will have the perfect personalized quilt! Once you have the photos picked out and transfered on your paper you just iron right on to your solid blocks and sew away! I will post a picture of the quilt very soon. A gift that will stay in the family for generations!

Sarah

Baby Shower Gift Basket

I recently went to a baby shower. The mom was having her 3rd baby and had almost everything and I wanted to get something not only for baby but for mom and the rest of the family. One of my favorite gift ideas are themed baskets. On this occasion I choose to put in her basket an assortment of goodies while they were all waiting in the room and for baby to be born. I tried to think of some of the families favorite things to munch on and drink! I also put some baby food items in the basket for when she got older(remember to look at the expiration date.) I found a big sturdy basket and placed all the candies, cookies, crackers, poptarts, chips and baby items arranged so it all could be seen and picked up some tissue paper and stuffed colored tissue through out to give it some color and fun. I also got some ribbon and curled it and arranged it through out the basket and around the handle. Another gift where you can get your kids involved in picking out the items for the basket and putting it together. A fun and creative way to personalize a gift for anyone! Another gift that is memorable and unforgettable!

Sarah

A picture is worth a thousand memories

My favorite place on the web for personalizing a gift with a photo is www.snapfish.com! I have used this site numerous times for many occasions. One of my favorites was a photo book I made that I was able to personalize and add my own words to each page. This site allows you to download how ever many photos into your own account and choose a gift for any occasion and make it one of a kind. They take you step by step to make your gift and the feeling is priceless when you have finished a project. On top of being easy and fun to do the prices are not to bad. A bonus as well is everytime you purchase a gift that you made they email you with a special offer the next time you decide to make a new gift! I have used this for birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day and just because gifts! A gift that is one of a kind and priceless!

Sarah

Mother's Day Memory Box

I am always trying to think of something new and creative for Mother's Day. One year I had thought it would be nice to write my mother a note. Trying to get creative with that idea I started thinking outside the box and get the rest of my brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews involved. I had everyone write a letter or poem, something original in their own words to her. You could give ideas to your family members like; write a memory when you were a child, a funny story that happened, a rhyming poem about how great she is, thoughts about how wonderful she is! Everyone individually even the grandkids wrote something! Some were handwritten on lined paper. Some were typed. Some were small scraps of paper with a few lines on it. It was important to have everyone make it their own! Once I got everyone's letters to grandma(mom), I found a small wooden treasure box and put all the letters inside. I attached a note to the outside that said "read later, we love you." A gift for Mother's Day that was one of a kind and unforgettable!

Sarah

The Edible Candy Greeting Card!

My first gift idea is a edible candy greeting card. I have made 2 of these for different people for different occasions. I made my first one for my husband when we were dating. I can't find the picture of it but it was allot of fun and something we still talk about today(almost 12 years ago). The second one I made was for my in laws on their Anniversary. I used foam cutouts to make the people and found stickers and a bow to add a fun finish to the card. Picking out the candy was probably the funnest thing to do. I hadn't decided what exactly I was going to write on the card when I picked out the candy, I just chose different candy names that seemed to best suit my in laws. You can be serious or a little silly, especially with some of the candy names out there now. Once I picked a handful of candy I took it home and started thinking of the first sentence and from then on each sentence came pretty easy. This type of gift is also a great way to get your kids involved. They helped pick out candy and thought of a few cute things to say as well! Don't forget after you give your special someone an edible candy card to take a picture of it because it is not long before the candy is eaten! This is a personalized gift that no one can duplicate! A perfect gift card for that someone that has everything!

Sarah