Thursday, January 20, 2011

Alternative to Trinkets and Bags


I stole this idea from my friend, Melissa, after she sent my son home w/ a similar water bottle after a sports-themed birthday party. Since I abhor the cheap trinkets you get at carnivals and the like, I very much appreciated the idea. I would much rather send a kid home with one usable gift than a bagful of junk!
Spencer had a MIZZOU-themed birthday party this year. I used the Cricut and my basketball cartridge in the Design Studio to weld together each child's name. I cut this out on a silvery-white vinyl I got for free from a scrap pile at my brother's printing company. I then added Missouri stickers with a glaze of modge podge. The modge podge didn't stick very well. I think it will rub off with a few uses and then the stickers will eventually wear off as well. I do believe the vinyl will stick, though.
I filled the water bottles with football trading cards for the boys and Webkins trading cards for the girls, little Kleenex packets, a package of dry Gatorade mix to add to their water, and candy and stretchy bandz from the pinata.
The appliques on the water bottles may not last for years to come, but I KNOW they'll last longer than a cheap plastic bag filled with plastic junk! And the kids thought they were pretty cool!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Tile Coasters




I had an afternoon to come up with a housewarming gift for someone I barely knew. I had no idea what this person's decorating style, color palette or needs were. So, I went to Cricut! Doesn't everyone love what comes from the Cricut? Here's what I came up with!
These coasters started out as plain stone tiles purchased loosely from home Depot. There was a set of 9 in the box and I paid less than $4 for the box. I made a set of 4. This will leave me with enough tiles to make a second gift at another time.
To get started, I washed my stones off as I have found that when I have worked with natural stones, as opposed to ceramic tiles, there is a lot more dust that interfere with the adhering of the vinyl. I cut my "H" at 3" from the Opposites Attract cart. After placing the vinyl, I covered it with a layer of Modge Podge. Finally, I put these clear nubbies on the bottom. The nubbies are actually designed and sold for the purpose of keeping cabinet doors from slamming. All in all, I have $5 tied up in this project.
The best part: When my hostess received her gift, she was thrilled. Their new home is much larger, and they had just bought a new table for a new sitting area, but were in need of coasters. She was thrilled. So was I.