Be Inspired

Create a Homemade Holiday Season

BY CHRISTIN DAUBERT

I SWEAR IF I HEAR SUPPLY CHAIN OR

SHIPPING DELAYS anymore this year, I’ll start twitching. I make it a personal mission to start my holiday shopping in October, regardless of the aforementioned problems. This year is no different, with one exception: I’m adding homemade gifts to the mix! I love shopping local for as many gifts as I can. Luckily around here, there is no shortage of amazing shops for us to choose from, not to mention restaurants and markets where you can grab gift cards for lucky friends and family. As for the homemade portion of my holiday presents, I’m sharing four different gifts to make and give this year.

1. This first semi-homemade gift is a Dipped Mug that you can create and have a couple extra whenever you need a last minute gift. This mug is from The Merry Thought blog and while it looks dipped, it’s actually just painted! You’ll need: white mugs; paint (make sure it’s ceramic paint); small paintbrushes; and painter’s tape.

Directions: Wipe the mugs down with rubbing alcohol then wrap the tape around (including the handle). I recommend two coats of paint for a really beautiful saturated look. Follow the instructions on your paint bottle for how long it needs to dry between coats (I recommend Martha Stewart paint from Michaels). After it’s all dried, carefully remove the tape. If it is starting to pull the paint, use a knife to separate the tape from the mug. Now you can fill it with some tea sachets or a little bag of coffee and you have a perfect gift for the caffeine lover on your gift list.

2. A Finger Knit Rope Trivet from the Flax and Twine blog. This “knitting” style is easy and is a beautiful and useful gift! I recommend watching a tutorial on YouTube for finger knitting (it makes more sense than looking at a sequence of photos, in my opinion) and you’ll be ready to go! You’ll need: 10 yards of cotton sash cord and a little bit of packing tape.

3. This next gift is my favorite to bring as a host gift during the winter months. This Holiday Stovetop Potpourri is easy to prep and have ready for seasonal gatherings or to use when you’re hosting your own event! You’ll need: a mason jar; 1/2 cup of cranberries; 4 cinnamon sticks; 1 tablespoon of whole cloves; 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg; 1 orange (sliced); and a sprig of rosemary or Christmas tree trimming.

Directions: Simmer ingredients on your stove in a pot in 3-4 cups water OR put in mason jar and store in your refrigerator until gifting.

4. This last home-made gift comes from my love of a beautiful crystals. When I saw these Crystal Knob Boxes on the Homey Oh My blog, I was giddy with inspiration. You can snag these little wooden boxes or any size wooden box at craft stores and let your creativity take over! I collect little crystals from my travels, but there are some gorgeous ones at Hot Asana Yoga Studio that would look brilliant on these boxes. You’ll need: wood boxes, white gloss spray paint, crystals; and E6000 glue.

Directions: Apply several light coats of spray paint and after it dries glue on your crystal of choice and voila! If you are making these for specific people, you can choose crystals that come with information cards and gift them together so the recipient can see why you’ve chosen that specific crystal for them. Depending on the size of the box, you can put a gift card, or an extra something inside the box.

If you choose to make any of these designs (or something else entirely), share your creative ideas with others! You never know who you’ll inspire. And no matter what you choose to buy or make this season, I hope you find the holidays to be a joyful and calm time as we go into a new year.

SP

Share your creativity on Instagram: Hashtag #SandandPineMag. Also, go to @consciouslychristin to check out Christin's work.

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