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| Photos by Mark Blinch Photography |
How do you add sparkle to your gift wrapping? We'd love to hear your ideas.
Happy gifting,
Ali
12.20.2011
Add Some Sparkle to Your Gifts!
12.19.2011
5 Ways to Wrap a Wine Bottle
Wrapping bottles can be tricky but there are so many creative ways to wrap wine bottles and I thought I'd share 5 beautiful ideas. These ideas are great for wrapping wine bottles or EVOO for hostess gifts or favors.
Fabric Wraps
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| Source: Reasons to Breathe (Click image to link to original source) |
Tissue Wraps
Martha Stewart has demonstrated how beautiful tissue paper wrapping can be. We all have tissue at home so this is beautiful and easy when you're in a pinch.
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| Source: Martha Stewart.com (Click image to link to original source) |
Ribbon Wrap
I think this is just stunning. It's another great find from Better Homes and Gardens. Click on the image for DIY instructions.
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| Source: Better Homes and Gardens (Click image to link to original source) |
I love cable knit sweaters so I must admit that this is one my favorites. Check out Grey Likes Weddings for DIY instructions.
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| Source: Grey Likes Weddings (Click images to link to original source) |
Ornament Detail
I love the simplicity of tying ribbon around the bottle with a beautiful ornament at the holidays. I found a beautiful photo of a bottle adorned with festive bells on apartystyle.com.
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| Source: A Party Style (Click image to link to original source)
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This is an easy and beautiful way to wrap a bottle. I created my own version using a pine cone ornament that I found at Crate and Barrel for under $1.
If the holiday look isn't what your after, look at this photo for inspiration. I found this on bhg.com. You can simply find a bottle stopper with the design of your choice for a less festive look.
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| Source: Better Homes and Gardens (Click image to link to original source) |
Do you have any other creative ideas for wrapping wine bottles. Share them with us!
Happy gifting,
Ali
12.12.2011
10 Fabulous Last Minute Hostess Gifts
I put myself up to the challenge of finding some pretty, affordable and easy hostess gifts. I limited myself to my local pharmacy and the web. This was an exercise in extreme last minute-ness! I took my son in the stroller to the pharmacy during his witching hour. You'll be pleasantly surprised at what you can find in the pharamacy these days.
So here are my 10 pics for last minute hostess gifts:
1) Cookbook - What a great gift for the hostess that likes to cook or is just learning how. Pharmacies carry a nice selection of books. They often have bestsellers at a discount.
2) Magazine subscription - This is one gift idea that you can easily order online. Just write up a nice message on a notecard and let your hostess know that they'll be receiving their monthly subscription. You can also pick up the most recent issue of the magazine, attach a bow and your notecard if you want to bring an actual gift rather than simply a card with you.
3) Music - The gift of music is great at any time of the year. You can email or print an iTunes gift card. If you prefer, you can pick up a CD at your local pharmacy. Most pharmacies sell compilation CD's and have demo stations where you can hear the music before you buy.
4) Tea - I found a great selection of gourmet teas in beautiful packaging. This is a nice, thoughtful and fairly inexpensive gift to keep your hostess warm during the holidays. Pick 2 to 3 different teas in nice tins, line them up in a row and wrap them in cellophane with some ribbon.
5) Coffee - Just like the teas, you can find some beautifully packaged gourmet coffees at the pharmacy. If you prefer, you can stop by your local coffee shop to get your hostess' favorite blend. Coffee shops tend to have late hours and pre-packaged gifts that make this another last minute winner.
6) Chocolates - I found some of the most beautifully packaged European chocolates at my local pharmacy. I like to look for chocolates with beautiful packaging. Some that you wouldn't normally splurge on for yourself. Just pile up a few and tie them with some beautiful ribbon.
7) Olive oil - I know there are a few foodies who are questioning me. I found some nice Italian EVOO packaged in a wine bottle. My pharmacy sells fresh baguettes so if you want an extra something, bring a nice bottle of Olive Oil and a baguette. Who doesn't like some fresh bread dipped in olive oil?!
8) Candy dish - I found a great tapas dish set for just under $10 at my pharmacy (in the image above). What I love about this is that you can fill it with candies, nuts, dried fruit, or even dips. You can find hummus and dips in the fridge section of many pharmacies. Whether you find a single candy dish or a set like I found, fill the bowls, wrap them in cello and you're good to go. Too lazy (or late) to clean the dish and fill it with goodies? Just toss the dish in a gift bag and you're on your way.
9) Nuts and dried fruit - You can find some great options when it comes to dried fruit and nuts. The selection of dried fruit that I found at the pharmacy was beautiful. From mangoes and figs to beautiful spiced nuts, this is sweet and savory winner.
10) Gift Cards - If you've got to get something for the hostess that has it all or is extremely picky, I'd say go with a gift card. These days you can get your pick of gift cards for most national retailers at your local pharmacy. Most were avaiable starting from $25.
Do you have any last minute hostess gift ideas?
Happy gifting,
Ali
So here are my 10 pics for last minute hostess gifts:
1) Cookbook - What a great gift for the hostess that likes to cook or is just learning how. Pharmacies carry a nice selection of books. They often have bestsellers at a discount.
2) Magazine subscription - This is one gift idea that you can easily order online. Just write up a nice message on a notecard and let your hostess know that they'll be receiving their monthly subscription. You can also pick up the most recent issue of the magazine, attach a bow and your notecard if you want to bring an actual gift rather than simply a card with you.
3) Music - The gift of music is great at any time of the year. You can email or print an iTunes gift card. If you prefer, you can pick up a CD at your local pharmacy. Most pharmacies sell compilation CD's and have demo stations where you can hear the music before you buy.
4) Tea - I found a great selection of gourmet teas in beautiful packaging. This is a nice, thoughtful and fairly inexpensive gift to keep your hostess warm during the holidays. Pick 2 to 3 different teas in nice tins, line them up in a row and wrap them in cellophane with some ribbon.
5) Coffee - Just like the teas, you can find some beautifully packaged gourmet coffees at the pharmacy. If you prefer, you can stop by your local coffee shop to get your hostess' favorite blend. Coffee shops tend to have late hours and pre-packaged gifts that make this another last minute winner.
6) Chocolates - I found some of the most beautifully packaged European chocolates at my local pharmacy. I like to look for chocolates with beautiful packaging. Some that you wouldn't normally splurge on for yourself. Just pile up a few and tie them with some beautiful ribbon.
7) Olive oil - I know there are a few foodies who are questioning me. I found some nice Italian EVOO packaged in a wine bottle. My pharmacy sells fresh baguettes so if you want an extra something, bring a nice bottle of Olive Oil and a baguette. Who doesn't like some fresh bread dipped in olive oil?!
8) Candy dish - I found a great tapas dish set for just under $10 at my pharmacy (in the image above). What I love about this is that you can fill it with candies, nuts, dried fruit, or even dips. You can find hummus and dips in the fridge section of many pharmacies. Whether you find a single candy dish or a set like I found, fill the bowls, wrap them in cello and you're good to go. Too lazy (or late) to clean the dish and fill it with goodies? Just toss the dish in a gift bag and you're on your way.
9) Nuts and dried fruit - You can find some great options when it comes to dried fruit and nuts. The selection of dried fruit that I found at the pharmacy was beautiful. From mangoes and figs to beautiful spiced nuts, this is sweet and savory winner.
10) Gift Cards - If you've got to get something for the hostess that has it all or is extremely picky, I'd say go with a gift card. These days you can get your pick of gift cards for most national retailers at your local pharmacy. Most were avaiable starting from $25.
Do you have any last minute hostess gift ideas?
Happy gifting,
Ali
11.24.2011
Dreaming of Summer: Sandbox Centerpiece
It's been a while since I've posted. I've been busy getting some stuff done in our house and working on a special gift for my mom's birthday. The important thing is that I'm back and ready to blog.
This is a post that I've had in my back pocket for a while. Ok, since August. I have to warn you that it does have a summery feel to it. I'm not trying to tease you, I just thought it would be appropriate to share a warm weather idea so that we can all dream of summer again. Plus, I didn't want to wait until next summer to share the idea.
Ok, so back to the details of this project. My fuzzin (fake cousin) and his wife, had a little baby boy named Issie. As soon as I got the call that the baby was born and that it was a boy, I started brainstorming on centerpiece ideas for the bris (religious circumcision ceremony). They only needed one centerpiece for the buffet table so it needed to be substantial.
I decided to create a sandbox centerpiece. Michael's was having their summer clearance sale and the timing couldn't be better! I found a great basket that looked like a sandbox. I spray painted wood letters and spelled out the baby's name on the side of the basket. I added a few other decorative wood details that I found at Michael's. I filled the basket with crumpled newspaper. Doing so ensured that I would only need a small amount of sand. I then lined the basket with Press n' Seal wrap to keep the sand from seeping through the cracks in the basket. Since this was going to be a centerpiece place next to food, I dediced not to use sand and opted for graham cracker crumbs instead. They're cleaner and really did end up looking like sand. I arranged some sand toys in the graham cracker crumbs and even sprinkled some on the toys to make it look a little more realistic. All in all, it was a very simple DIY centerpiece. You can create something similar for a birthday party, baby naming or summer party.
Have you planned a sandbox themed party? How have your incorporated the theme into the decor?
Happy crafting,
Ali
This is a post that I've had in my back pocket for a while. Ok, since August. I have to warn you that it does have a summery feel to it. I'm not trying to tease you, I just thought it would be appropriate to share a warm weather idea so that we can all dream of summer again. Plus, I didn't want to wait until next summer to share the idea.
Ok, so back to the details of this project. My fuzzin (fake cousin) and his wife, had a little baby boy named Issie. As soon as I got the call that the baby was born and that it was a boy, I started brainstorming on centerpiece ideas for the bris (religious circumcision ceremony). They only needed one centerpiece for the buffet table so it needed to be substantial.
I decided to create a sandbox centerpiece. Michael's was having their summer clearance sale and the timing couldn't be better! I found a great basket that looked like a sandbox. I spray painted wood letters and spelled out the baby's name on the side of the basket. I added a few other decorative wood details that I found at Michael's. I filled the basket with crumpled newspaper. Doing so ensured that I would only need a small amount of sand. I then lined the basket with Press n' Seal wrap to keep the sand from seeping through the cracks in the basket. Since this was going to be a centerpiece place next to food, I dediced not to use sand and opted for graham cracker crumbs instead. They're cleaner and really did end up looking like sand. I arranged some sand toys in the graham cracker crumbs and even sprinkled some on the toys to make it look a little more realistic. All in all, it was a very simple DIY centerpiece. You can create something similar for a birthday party, baby naming or summer party.
Have you planned a sandbox themed party? How have your incorporated the theme into the decor?
Happy crafting,
Ali
10.06.2011
Paint Can Centerpieces
My husband and I recently had a little boy, his name is Max and he is amazing! Long before the little guy was born I started thinking about the centerpieces for his bris (religious circumcision ceremony). By long before, I mean at my 14 week ultrasound when the technician told me there was a 50% chance that we were having a boy. I had a bunch of ideas but had trouble settling on one. I wanted to incorporate his name as well as the details of his birth (height, weight, time of birth). I finally landed on the idea when searching through a commercial packaging catalogue...custom paint cans!!!
We designed a label to wrap around the can. Doing so allowed us to personalize the paint cans with information about our little boy. We branded the product with his name and incorporated the birth date and time on the bar code, our names as the distributors and where Max was made! We also included his weight as the weight of the product.
We held the bris at our home and did a buffet style breakfast. So we only needed one centerpiece for the buffet table. To create impact, we piled 4 paint cans (3 as a base with one on top) and placed blue hydrangeas in the top can.
This can be used as a centerpiece for any party and would be great for an art themed party. It can be used as packaging for loot bags or for welcome gifts for a wedding (great for an artsy couple).
We learned a few things while assembling these paint cans and I'd like to share our learnings with you:
Allison
We designed a label to wrap around the can. Doing so allowed us to personalize the paint cans with information about our little boy. We branded the product with his name and incorporated the birth date and time on the bar code, our names as the distributors and where Max was made! We also included his weight as the weight of the product.
We held the bris at our home and did a buffet style breakfast. So we only needed one centerpiece for the buffet table. To create impact, we piled 4 paint cans (3 as a base with one on top) and placed blue hydrangeas in the top can.
This can be used as a centerpiece for any party and would be great for an art themed party. It can be used as packaging for loot bags or for welcome gifts for a wedding (great for an artsy couple).
We learned a few things while assembling these paint cans and I'd like to share our learnings with you:
- If you're using the paint cans as vases, make sure to test that they're water tight. The paint cans you get at craft stores are often decorative and not water tight. If they're not watertight, just slip a low vase into the paint can.
- Use a scrapbooking punch to cut the holes for the handles (we cut a little slit from the top of the hole up so that we could slide the handle through).
- When designing the label, measure where the hole is and print drafts before you take the labels to print. Make sure everything lines up correctly.
- Leave enough room on the label for a slight overlap (about 0.25 inches should be fine).
- Consider printing your labels at Costco. We managed to print 5 labels on one sheet (3' x 4') for $20, which is a fraction of the cost of the printing centers. They even did the cuts for free. Just save the file as an image and you'll be good to go.
Allison
9.16.2011
Mecidine Bottle Jelly Bean Favors
A few years back, a client asked me to create favors for her husband Matthew's 30th birthday party. Her husband is a physician with many hobbies but the medical side of him stands out the most. So, we decided to work off of that theme. I packaged jelly beans in old fashioned amber medicine bottles. I filled some bottles with blue jelly beans and others with white ones. My thought was to use a single color in each bottle so that it would look more like pills.
I created custom labels and included Matthew's birthday as the date of the prescription. Prescription instructions were also included: "take as many beans as desired until finished."
Have you used every day packaging to create unique favors or gifts?
Happy gifting,
Ali
Medicine Bottle Image: Mark Blinch Photography
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