Thrifty Christmas: Frosty's Hat Gift Bag

I was wandering through a very famous card store and spied these adorable, felt snowman hat gift bags...and knowing that $6 was a little steep for my pocket book, I though I'd make my own! I think it came out rather cute! I found the lunch sack at Wal*Mart (you know the 5/$1 in the card section) and then I used satin ribbon, Martha Stewart punches and some glass glitter (and stamped the sentiment)...truly quick and easy...the longest time I spent on it was putting the glue down for the glitter!

Thrifty Christmas: Quick Gift Tags

One tag, two ways...well actually three, but blogger's kicking back one of my images...ANYWAY, this season I picked up ALL snowflake wrapping paper, in different colors, that seems to be my theme this year (not intentional by any means), however, this did make my tags super quick this year! I thought I'd pull out my Nestabilities labels die (this is the 3rd size) and use it, I got 12 tags from a 12X12 sheet of cardstock. I love my snowflake stamps (PSX)...it's so versatile, it can be sort of masculine, to feminine by just changing the ink color. Anyway, hope this inspires!

Recipe:

• Stamp: PSX (snowflake), CTMH (To/From)
• Inks: White Studio G, SU Heavenly Blue, Pink
• Die: Nestabilities Label
• Other: Robins Nest Dew Drop

Thrifty Christmas: Gift Wrapping, Lunch Bag Doily Topper

Ever panic at the last minute because you don't have just the right wrapping for your gift? Or you have a last minute guest at the holiday party that doesn't have anything to open, but you have the gift, just not the time to wrap (or the supplies?). Lunch bags to the rescue! You can transform an ordinary lunch bag, quickly, into a unique gift wrap that looks like it was made just for the recipient!
Below I used a doily (found at my favorite haunt, Dollar Tree, 24 doilies for $1), folded it in half and placed on a lunch bag and I topped it with one of my favorite images and a ribbon to hold the whole thing together. Cute, Simple, Quick!

Recipe for Above:

• Stamp: Rachel Ann Miller
• Ink: Tim Holtz
• Paper: SU Heavenly Blue
• Punch: Martha Stewart Lace
• Other: Doily, Lunch Sack, Ribbon, Colored Pencils, Stickles

Here's another bag, this time a gift bag with a long, oval doily, I folded the doily in half and cut a slit to allow the handles to go over it (this is a really good trick to keep peepers out of the gift bags also!) This can also be done with cardstock cut to size...however the doily is easy and quick! I hung a snowflake (12/$1 at Dollar Tree) added a few beads to it and put a tulle ribbon on it...quick, pretty and ready to go!

Thrifty Christmas: Gift Card Holder

Ok, I couldn't resist making a gift card holder with a coffee cup on it for a Starbuck's gift card. This one was easy peasy because I used my Cricut for the majority of it. I scored the cup for a little more realistic look. I also couldn't resist adding some glitter to the "steam"and of course the snowflake... It gave it that little extra something. Look below for the recipe.

Recipe:

• Box & Tag: Cricut, Tags Bags Boxes and More
• Heart: Cricut, George
• Cup: Cricut, Joys of the Season
• Snowflake: Martha Stewart Lace punch
• Glitter: Martha Stewart
• Sentiment: Studio G
• Ink: Tim Holtz

Thrifty Christmas: Gifts Under $5, Fuzzy Socks, Acetate Box

My dh got me a pair of these warm and fuzzy socks for my b-day, and I loved them so much I thought they would make a great Christmas gift! But how to wrap something as boring (but cute -n- fuzzy) as socks? How 'bout an acetate box? While they may SEE the gift, they'll still have to guess just a little...could it be socks, a scarf, mittens? Since this has a "handle" you can also hang it on the tree. Here's the tutorial for this cute acetate box : http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=374478&highlight=acetate+box+tutorial

I changed the directions slightly to fit my socks and made it 8" tall...

Recipe:

• Paper: Transparency (for acetate), cardstock from stash
• Stamp: Magnolia
• Punch: Marthat Stewart Lace
• Die: Nestabilities
• Other: Colored Pencils, Double Stick Tape, Hole Punch, Ribbon

Thrifty Christmas: Seasoned Greetings, Gifts Under $10

Here's another seasoning set ready for the Bar-B-Quetioner in your family. This time I placed 3 different seasonings in this box set and since they were a bit larger than your standard seasonings set, I left my box open and attached a couple of snowflakes and a tag that says "Seasoned" Greetings (get it? I knew you would! wink!)

Recipe:

• Paper; Kraft from my stash, Heavenly Blue by SU
• Stamp: PSX (snowflake), Just Rite (Seasoned Greetings)
• Ink: Tim Holtz Vintage Photo
• Punch: Martha Stewart Snowflake, Cricut Joys of the Seasons (snowflake) and Tags, Bags, Boxes and More (tag)
• Other: Ribbon, Button, Jute
  

Thrifty Christmas; Gift Wrap, Gift Card Holder

Here's a gift card holder that you can hang on your tree! It's an under 5 minute project, super easy and gives the recipient a little something to unwrap (that's the one thing I hate about gift cards...when you give the envelope, the recipient pretty much knows what it is...no surprise...at least this'll be a little less obvious!) So onto the tutorial...
Supplies Needed:

• Paper Trimmer
• Patterned Paper 4 3/4" X 6 1/2"
• Coordinating Paper 1" X 6 1/2"
• Double Stick Tape
• Hole Punch
• Ribbon
• Edge Punch (here I used Fiskars Treading Water punch)
• Decorative Accents (Martha Stewart Snowflake Punch & Cricut Joys of the Season Snowflake)
• Glitter (for accents)

With the edge punch, punch the 6 1/2" edge of the coordinating paper and attach with double stick tape to the top of the patterned paper (as shown).

Flip it over and put double stick tape alone one 4 3/4" edge and 1/2 of the 6 1/2" edge.

Overlapping slightly, roll the paper (like a toilet paper tube) so that the 4 3/4" meet. Press together (as shown below)...

With the seam in the middle back, squish the end together so it's slightly flat (as shown below)

Punch one hole on each side of the top (as shown) and thread ribbon through and tie knots in the ends.

Add decoration and gift card.

I added a little paper shred to cover the card

Thrifty Christmas: Personalized Crayons, Gifts under $5

Ok, I must go off to work...and with that I have no internet access (bah hum bug!)...and won't return until Monday...so my Thrifty Christmas daily postings will be on hold until then...I know, I know, I can pre-post and I have in the past, but this time I've been busy with some company, busy packing and well...just busy! BUT, before I go, I've been doing a little "blurfing" (blog surfing) and Lauren Meader came up with the CUTEST idea for personalizing crayons and a carrier (one of her timeless templates...the stocking below was using one of her timeless templates). So if you are looking for a cute idea for a child, but don't want to spend a lot of $$$$ check out her link here ( http://laurenm.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2008/11/25/a-little-gift-for-cassie/ )
And hey, have a great Thanksgiving...I'm gonna be working, BUT I'll still have some turkey and all the fixings...yummmm!!!!!! and I'll be back on Monday...and for those that are wondering WHAT I'll be working on... we'll be at a horse show, the show starts on Friday, but we go a few days early to prep the horses and well, just move in...that's a production in and of itself!

Thrifty Christmas; FREE Template Stocking Stuffer, Gift Wrap

Don't ya just love the word FREE? Me Too! Below I made this adorable stocking box with a free template from Paper Trey Ink found here ( http://www.papertreyink.com/timeless_templates_download_here.html )
This was truly an easy peasy project, took me under 15 minutes to make from start to finish. Laruen Meader did an excellent job designing this!

I decided to try unconventional Christmas colors and used some purple paper I've been saving for-evah! I also did another glittered snowflake, only in purple (of course). Wouldn't these look cute as party favors?

Supplies:

• FREE Template from Paper Trey Ink ( http://www.papertreyink.com/timeless_templates_download_here.html )
• Cardstock: Lavendar & White
• Die Cut: Cricut; Joys of the Season Large Snowflake
• Punch: Martha Stewart Snowflake
• Glitter: Martha Stewart
• Bauble: Robbins Nest
• Sentiment: Studio G
• Ribbon: Grograin

Here's a close up of my glittered snowflake.

Thrifty Christmas: Gift Wrapping

Look what I did with the little snowman pin I made yesterday...I turned him into a package decoration! I cut my shapes out on my cricut (Joys of the Season snowflakes & George heart), inked the edges and glittered them up in various glitters (the chunky glitter is mica glitter I bought off of ebay last year for another project). I stamped a little tag (using my $1 Studio G stamps), and attached a button from my stash and some cheap offray ribbon. I think they turned out so pretty and primitive!

Recipe for above snowman package decoration:

• Snowman pin made yesterday (see yesterday's post for directions)
• Red Snowflake from Martha Stewart Punch
• White Heart from Cricut using George cart
• Sentiment: Studio G
• Ink: Tim Holtz Vintage Photo
• Glitter: Making Memories (fine) and Mica (source unknown)
  

Recipe for above Snowflake Decoration:

• Snowflakes: Cut from Cricut, Joys of the Season Cart
• Glitter: Brown Martha Stewart, White Mica Glitter
• Button: From stash
• Sentiment: Studio G
• Ribbon: Offray