Gift Ideas | Keeping Life Creative

Made For Mom {a Creative Gift Guide}

2013

madeformombadge

With Mother’s Day a couple of short weeks away, the blogging world is buzzing with uber cute ideas, and I’m excited to be linking up with several women as we invite you to join our creative journey to find some great ideas for gifts to give the moms on your list.

And while you’re at it, create a list to give your loved ones of the things you would enjoy for yourself! There are plenty of freebies and coupon codes to pick up along the way! I have two ideas to share before you hop onto the next destination.

If You Give a Mom a Muffin {FREE Printable Poem}

if you give a mouse a cookie felties Are you familiar with the adorable “If You Give a” children’s books by Laura Numeroff? If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is the best known–about a boy who gives a mouse a cookie, and then the series of requests that follow, all cycling back to the mouse wanting another cookie.

As the mom of four little ones (ages 7, 5, 3, and 1), motherhood can sometimes feel so similar in that I often start a task, and then get sidetracked because I need to do 14 other tasks, and then eventually I end up coming full circle back to that original task. And some days it feels like all I do is run around doing little things here and there but never actually accomplishing anything. Can you relate?

Beth Brubaker wrote a hilarious poem, If You Give a Mom a Muffin, and I created a FREE printable of this poem that’s a simple and popular gift idea to attach to a package of muffin mix and share with the moms in your life.

You can read the poem and download the FREE printable here.

Printable Recipe Binder Categories

My second creative gift idea is one that stemmed as a solution to an unorganized mess of recipes I’d collected from Pinterest and favorite cooking blogs.

The recipe binder is super simple, cute, and functional! It’s practical for bringing more order to your own kitchen, as well as making a great gift for mom, grandma, even a college student, newlywed, or anyone who eats, really.

This set of category printables was created from my very popular “felties” and includes the following pages for creating a recipe binder and organizing your recipes:

Cover Page, Appetizers & Snacks, Asian, Baking, Beverages, Breakfast, Breads, Desserts, Grilling, Holiday, Meat, Mexican, One-dish Meals, Pizza & Pasta, Salads, Seafood, Side Dishes & Veggies, Soup & Stew

Until May 13th, you can use code MadeForMoms to take 50% off these printables.

To continue on the blog hop, please visit each site listed below to see a special deal they are offering. There is such a diversity of creative things any mother would love to receive in honor of Mother’s Day.

Note: If you joined this blog hop somewhere along the way, please start at Lain’s site so you don’t miss a thing!

Next up on the blog hop is Diane, sharing another creative gift idea for Moms in your life.

Happy Mother’s Day to all Moms everywhere !

Filed Under: Creative Solutions, Gift Ideas

A Treat for My Peeps

2013

Up for a last-minute project?

Lyddie chick2

emmy chick

Filed Under: Crafting with Kids, Creative Kids, Creative Solutions, Freebie, Gift Ideas

We Go Together Like. . .

2013

4 Comments

When I was a kid, we made our own Valentines. My mom would get out a big box of construction paper and scissors, glitter, paper doilies, and glue, and we’d sit at the kitchen table and assemble heart-shaped cards for my classmates. I loved the creative project and the time with my mom. But as I got a bit older (2nd or 3rd grade?) I started to be embarrassed by my homemade Valentines when I realized my friends were all giving the “cool” store-bought tear-at-the-perforation Looney Tunes, Transformers, and Smurfs cards.

I know I’m beginning to creap on that possibly too-cool-for-homemade-Valentines-and-crafting-with-mom stage. But this one includes a little treat, so I think we might be good for at least one more year.

I have a little treat for YOU too! To make these Valentines, you’ll need:

We Go Together {FREE} printable
cookies
red cardstock
paper CD sleeves
twine
paper doilies
scissors
tape

Download and print the {FREE} We Go Together printable. (This is my favorite project printing paper, but card stock works too.)
Trim the printable using scissors or a paper cutter.
Cut or punch hearts from the red cardstock.
Write a message on the back of each CD sleeve, if desired.

Place a cookie or two inside each paper CD sleeve. Depending on your cookies, you may want to line the CD sleeve with an additional doily to absorb any oil.
Seal the CD sleeve with a kiss (or washi tape or a sticker!)

Tie everything together with twine, or use a gluestick to attach the doily, cardstock heart, and We Go Together card to the cookie-filled sleeve.

Give to friends or neighbors, tuck in a lunchbox or briefcase, etc.

Like it?

LOVE it? (Want some more of it?)

These additional cards can be found as a digital download in my store.

Originally posted February 2, 2012.

Filed Under: Crafting with Kids, Creative Kids, Freebie, Gift Ideas

DIY Magnet Board Figures

2012

8 Comments

Possibly my favorite way to use the story set graphics is to turn them into magnet board sets. Flannel boards are fun, but magnetic surfaces are usually more plentiful. My kids usually like to be wherever I am, so “playing” with magnets on the fridge while I make dinner is a pretty common sight.

{The creation story images can be downloaded for free}

To make the magnet board story sets, I start by printing my graphics on heavy paper. My favorite, favorite paper when printing heavily colored images is Epson Presentation Matte Paper. It’s more expensive than cardstock, but I think it’s 1000% worth it if you’re going to make the effort to make reuseable story sets because the color prints out vibrant and true-to-screen–versus soaking up and dulling the ink like regular cardstock does.

Laminate the printed images for durability.

Cut around the images, and place a magnet on the back.

Stick to any magnetic surface! Fridge, metal cookie sheet, magnetic board, etc.

Which do you prefer–flannel board, or magnet board?

Filed Under: Crafty, Creative Kids, Creative Solutions, Gift Ideas, Tutorial

DIY Felt Story Figures

2012

15 Comments

Here’s the first in the series of tutorials on creating your own story pieces for flannel or magnet boards. Besides being super fun for your kids, I think these custom flannel board pieces would make an adorable gift for a favorite school or church teacher, children’s librarian, babysitter, etc. Maybe wrapped up with a coordinating book?

To make felt story pieces, you’ll need:

Image(s) you love!!
Color printer
T-shirt transfer paper
Iron
Felt sheet(s)
Scissors

1. Print your image(s) on t-shirt transfer paper. There are a couple of different kinds–I used the one that’s recommended for white or light fabric.

The transfer paper package will give some tips on printer settings, but one tip that’s really important: if your image has numbers or letters you’ll need to flip (or mirror image) your picture BEFORE you print because when you iron your image onto the felt, it will be opposite of what it looks like on the printed paper.

Check your printer properties–often you can check a box that allows you to print “mirror image.”

2. Iron your fabric or felt to release wrinkles or moisture.

Fun Fact: Our iron gets used more often for craft projects than actually ironing clothes! Am I alone here?!

3. Place the printed iron-on transfer face down on your felt.

Press with a hot iron for about 20 seconds, moving around. (Check the transfer paper’s package for exact temperature settings, as it may depend on the kind you buy and the fabric you use.)

4. Allow to cool completely, then peel off the transfer paper backing in a swift, smooth motion.

Look at the copyright and you can see what I mean about the mirror image . . .

5. Cut around the images.

6. Stick to a flannel or felt board, and play!

If you try this tutorial, I’d LOVE for you to e-mail or post pictures on Facebook!! Let’s inspire each other!

Linked to: I Can Teach My Child, No Time For Flashcards, Kids Co-op,

Filed Under: Crafty, Creative Kids, Creative Solutions, Fabric and Felt, Gift Ideas, Homeschool, My Designs, Reading Fun, Tutorial