Faux food gifts are a fun idea that’s been floating around out there for a while. You’ve probably seen diaper cakes or sock cupcakes, but here’s a new twist! Jolene from Creative Dollar used an assortment of baby essentials to create “sushi”, which she presented all wrapped up on a plate. Hers was a baby girl gift and included hair bows; for boys, you could use more socks or other small soft goods instead. Sushi-loving moms-to-be will love this creative presentation!

Get the instructions here: http://dollarstorecrafts.com/2011/08/make-a-sushi-baby-shower-gift/

This was inspired by the fact that kids grow out of clothes so fast, and while I was going to make a shirt or dress with a heart applique, instead I decided to make this pin (and a few others) so they could be used for a longer time. This looks adorable pinned on a dress or jacket, and would even work pinned to a hair elastic for a cute hair accessory.

You just need:

• felt – old felted sweaters work well for this, or even store bought felt. (Thicker felt will be less ‘floppy’, so use that for the bottom piece, if you can.
• A pretty button
• embroidery thread/needle
• safety pin

Older kids can make these themselves, too!

Here are the instructions and a step by step photo tutorial!

These are fun and easy, and offer a ton of possibilities.. Check out these that Joanne at Ready, Set, Craft made last year

And here’s another version I made, a flower:

You can make 2 different games with this set, both a “Treasure Hunt” game like the one The Boy liked so much (explained below), and also a “Memory” game (your standard Concentration type card matching game).

The free download set includes 3 sheets of cards (60 cards in all — yup, 60 original Dot drawings! I think I’m insane.), instruction sheets, and labels perfectly sized for sticking on the top of an Altoids tin.

Little Game Box Download Set

Wanna see what you get? Click on a pic below to view larger or as a slideshow.

To play the Treasure Hunt game:
Lay squares out in a 5×5 or 6×6 grid–or whatever size you want. One player hides a dime or other small marker under one of the squares. Remaining players try to guess which square by asking questions, and all squares not matching the answer are removed from the grid. (Example: “Does it fly?” If the answer is No, then all flying things are removed from the grid. If Yes, then all things that DON’T fly are removed.) Players take turns until the marker is found. Winner gets to hide the marker for the next round.

*I have no idea of the name, but it was more complex than this… this is a simplified version suitable for small ones.

Enjoy!

PS… I did spend WAY too much time doing this, so if you like it, I’d love a blog link, a tweet, a stumbled or a facebook or whatever to this post, to share the love :)

And, in case you missed it, while I was off in London last week, we had 3 lovely tutorials last week by three lovely guest posters!

Tutorial – Make Resin Star Christmas Tree Ornaments From Kerry at www.pennydog.com A great project if you’ve been wanting to try crafting with resin!

Tutorial: Make Quick Mittens By Heather from Dollar Store Crafts I love projects that turn old sweaters into something new.. this would be great for when you accidentally shrink one, too!

Moss Terrarium Tutorial – The Gift that Keeps Giving All Year ‘Round! By Lindsay from Shrimp Salad Circus A great tutorial for making a lovely and unusual gift!

Hope you enjoy these! And do drop by the sites of our guest posters and say hi… they have many more great projects, too!

Moss Terrarium Gift Tutorial from Shrimp Salad Circus

Hola, and happy Week After Thanksgiving! I’m Lindsay from Shrimp Salad Circus, and I would like to help you out with your Christmas gifting! I have a few people on my list that are nearly impossible to shop for, and I’m willing to bet that you can all relate. That’s why I have a little tutorial to make something in just twenty minutes that will look great on Mr. or Ms. Impossible-to-Shop-For’s desk, shelf, or countertop! This is one of the quickest, easiest gifts you’ll make this holiday season, and it’s probably one of the only things your lucky somebody will receive and still have around for next December!

On an unrelated note, can I please point out how adorable my darling little Mish is?! He has officially adopted the terrarium as his own and will not leave its side!

Materials:

• glass jar
• gravel or small rocks
• activated charcoal
• potting soil
• moss
• embellishments
• large spoon
• ribbon
• spray bottle of water

1. Drop a layer of gravel or small rocks into the bottom of your jar. Make sure that you have enough to thoroughly cover the bottom because this will be the source of drainage for your little closed ecosystem.



2. Sprinkle a few scoops of activated charcoal over the gravel. This will help control the odor inside the jar.



3. Dump in a relatively thick layer of potting soil with a touch of sand mixed in. Use the back of your spoon to level the little pile out a bit.



4. Using the lid from the jar as a guideline, press firmly into the sheet of moss with the edge of your spoon to cut all the way around the circle. You want to cut just a little bit extra around the edges because you’ll be tucking it tightly into the jar. You can use any sort of moss; I just pulled mine up from a creek near the house. If you don’t have the right climate to have any growing wild, you can also find it online.



5. Push your pad of moss into the jar, and firmly press it down all over with the back of the spoon. This is really important to encourage the roots to extend into the potting soil layer to keep your moss alive long past Christmas. Using the spoon again, tuck the edges of the moss under all the way around the circumference of your jar. You want it to be a little bit spherical, with the top higher than the edges. Use a paper towel to wipe the charcoal, soil, dirt, and moisture from inside the jar. You will need to give your moss a few spritzes from a water bottle. In the future, you can spritz it once or twice a week and then replace the lid. If a great deal of condensation builds up inside the jar, leave the lid off until it evaporates a bit. Keep the jar out of direct sunlight, or it will get too hot inside and ‘cook’ your moss!

 

1. Place your little decorations atop the moss to add character. You can tailor these to your gift recipient for that extra, personal touch. I used a little set of owls and a daisy, but anything small will work! Now tie a big ribbon around the jar; add a tag with care instructions; and give it to your impossible friend or family member!

Good luck with your gifting, and please do stop by Shrimp Salad Circus for more great tutorials from jewelry to food to repurposed projector slides!