 Vogue V8869 Men's Fedora What thoughts come to mind for Father's Day gift giving? Do you send or give only cards? Perhaps you shop for the perfect gift and still come away with less than what you wished to give him. Want to know a secret? Men adore handmade gifts from the heart.
Ask a few male friends or family members and they will most likely tell you given the choice heartfelt and handmade trumps store bought signs and mugs that read, "Greatest Dad". Maybe your little ones want to give that sign or mug to send the message they love their Dad and, they still can with a handmade gift from the heart.
A great example is the Men's Fedora Hat by Vogue (left). Toss out the thoughts that you could never sew this hat pattern! With only three pieces, lining and interfacing this is one gift idea to make in a few short hours. My husband gave me a great idea for the fabric with the suggestion of wool shirts and coats from the thrift store! Is there an old coat, tweed jacket, or wool shirt (make sure it's not in use anymore!) that could use new life? Upcycle into this amazingly easy to sew Fedora for Father's Day.
From Your Hands and Heart . . .Bring his new Fedora together with a hand knit tie! Knit ties seem to never go out of fashion and many men like to wear them for the versatility provided. I made the Black Wool Knit Tie (Right) based on a favorite tie of my husband. It takes minimal yarn and is perfect for learning decrease and increase in knitting. Knit Picks offers a free pattern or Custom Order a Knit Tie from Day Dreams. | |  Click for pattern page A clever idea is the useful tool belt or apron. Patterns are not actually a necessity to make a tool belt/apron, but they are handy for beginners in upcycle sewing. An old pair of jeans or two, a little time and you have a terrific gift that will keep giving! * Place your Special Gift Orders Today!
|  MacGyverisms - Book Planters For the Dad who loves his gardening, this is a great gift idea that your little ones can help make!
Planters can be found in just about any form. Step out of the box and into the creative lanes. Look around your garage, basement, thrift shops and backyard for unique planter ideas. It's upcycling at it's finest!
|  Grampa deserves time too! |  Personally, I am a huge fan of the gift of time. Hold off on the "Honey Do" list for a day and let Dad and his little ones choose how they spend the day together.
|  The internet holds thousands of craft ideas for making gifts, including the page at Red Ted Art. With more than 40 links to handmade gift tutorials, there is bound to be something you and the kids can create for Dad that is sure to fill his heart with love and pride.
Dads adore handmade from the heart; they're kind of cool like that. As you plan, search and create the gift for the perfect man in your life, I wish each of you success, joy and inspiration today and always!
Sher
| | "How do I love Thee? Let me count the ways."
I don't think Elizabeth Barrett Browning intended her beautiful poem she wrote in 1850 to be used in connection with a blog post 163 years later, but if it fits...well, you know the rest.
On the subject of way back, I'm digging into the archives (but not more than a few months!) to pull some terrific DIY gift ideas you can make your Valentine. Don't have a Valentine? Sure you do! YOU! | My FavesBelow are my favorite gift posts from 2012. There are gifts for men only, youth, women, and children. I think you will find something for everyone in these. The post on uses for essential oils is particularly suitable for Valentine's Day as it's always nice to treat someone to complete relaxation or treat yourself to a relaxing environment. Be sure to bookmark your favorite posts so you can find quickly when it's time to get started!  Valentine Cards are always special to give and receive but really, where do they end up? Why not make a card that is a gift as well? In fact, it's not really a card, but says the same that most cards will.
| Garden Starter Kits are not only green (really, pardon the pun!) but work double duty. They provide herbs, beauty in flowers or sustenance while giving back to our environment. In this link there are several choices of free seed cards & envelopes you can download to a PDF, then save to JPEG or Word for printing. |  Soft Conversation Cookies
Do you remember getting those neat little candy hearts from someone special? And if it said, "You're Hot" suddenly you were floating on the clouds. Why not share that feeling in a warm way with a batch of these soft conversation sugar cookies!
 | allrecipes.com_recipe-tools_print_recipe.pdf | | File Size: | 205 kb | | File Type: | pdf |
Download File
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Now, this is not my personal recipe, however it is just as good. There is one ingredient I put in mine to make them extra soft and thick.
Write on the cookies with decorating tips or a tooth pick dipped into the frosting, all those neat little sayings that are on the hard candies. Wrap up a few and give to your Valentines. Kids can make these for gifts as well.
|  Love You. Give yourself a Valentine - better yet, why not every day? Give yourself the gift of love. Try any of these gifts to yourself:o Essential Oils & Warming Bagso Plants for spring or seeds to plant o Movie & Spa Day o Lunch or Dinner with Your Best Friend or a Dinner Party! o Get that New Book You Have Been Wanting to Read (while you are at it, a new book mark!)
There is no sin in being single; many prefer it that way. This does not mean those of us who normally won't recognize the holiday of love, can't start now. No matter how you plan to spend Valentine's Day, it's never fun to be without a way to celebrate it. Make it cardless and think green (or red? or what ever color you choose!). Gift yourself, a neighbor, friend, co-worker, partner or spouse. If you have children, get them in on the scheming and planning of a DIY I<3 U Day!
Wishing you much success and inspiration today and always,
Sher
"He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk."
| I'm back with the bonus post that I promised - number seven of the series, Doodles & Dreams, My Gifts to You. I'm fairly excited over this post as it's filled with terrific ideas from sites I have found across the web and a few of my own favorites of Day Dreams. Stocking stuffers. You know how important they are; not only to the traditions many of us revisit each Christmas, but to children. Their stockings and what is found inside are the reward for their efforts through out the year to be good (they do try, Mom & Dad!). Historically, stockings were the socks of the children (hence the patched socks depicted so many places) and filled with nuts, rare fruits, candies and coins. Today, stockings are embellished and quite personalized, and not just for children. Mom, Dad and even one for the family pet are hung and filled with special little gifts. I've decided to dedicate this final post of the series to making stocking stuffers. These are not expensive ideas, and much if not all of the materials can be found around your home or local thrift shop. | For Little OnesChildren about the age of 4 - 7 seem to show the strongest interest in gifts and the tradition of stockings. Here are a few suggestions for their stockings.
 Playdough
From all the recipes I've ever found and used this has to be the best I've come across. The trick seems to be the gelatin powder. Substitute a generic form for the brand name and the results are the same.
http://www.modernparentsmessykids.com/2012/05/play-dough.html
 Colored Bath CrayonsKids love to play in the bathtub so adding a little creative fun will be no worry with this simple recipe for crayon soap. I made this last season for my grandson and it was a great hit with him (Mom & Dad too!). h ttp://www.ehow.com/how_6519814_make-bath-crayons.htmlI have a few tips when making this recipe: - Use Ivory bar soap when possible. It's buoyant and rinses clean.
- Use only a little water when mixing.
- Be generous when adding food coloring. Only a drop or two does not make vibrant color.
- Not to worry about stains when mixing. It washes cleanly with hot water.
- I froze mine until ready to wrap for gifting. They also dry faster when they are frozen.
In-be-Tweeners
The kids in-between 7-12 really understand the traditions and really like the stocking stuffers. They know by this age these are the bonus gifts. This is a great age to show your In-be-Tweeners you know and appreciate their styles!
 Zipper PullsI've always like this idea of something to hold to while pulling that zipper up or down. I wonder how many zippers would have been saved with using a zipper pull? Use your imaginations on these. I came up with a few good ideas for items to make zipper pulls with. Making these is just a matter of creativity. Your materials needed are probably all around your home and in that junk drawer that still isn't cleaned out (No, I haven't done mine completely either!). Materials you may need: - Wire (I have used stripped twist ties)
- Wire Cutters (Needle Nose Pliers work well)
- Key chains/fobs
- D Rings, Key Rings or Clips
- Misc. items such as old jewelry, pony beads, toy compass, old toy figurines, mismatched game pieces, etc.
I found a terrific link to a strong tutorial on making a unique zipper pull for all ages: http://www.ucreatewithkids.com/2012/08/diy-bottle-cap-zipper-pull.html
 Button Bobby Pins
For a thoughtful and inexpensive gift, make sets of Button Bobby Pins. This is an idea for all ages of girls and young women. Here is a link to a smart tutorial I found on making these with strong tips for making the task easier! http://tipgarden.blogspot.com/2012/04/button-bobby-pins.html
 Hacky Sacks
I love hacky sacks! Admittedly I am not good at playing the game but I have made as gifts and incentive rewards many hacky sacks. Instead of re-creating the wheel on the pattern or tutorial, I found a terrific pattern at TLC that uses those stray socks left by the washing machine. A green gift!
http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/make-hacky-sack-out-of-orphan-sock.htm
 Fingerless GlovesTrendy and super easy to make! Click the picture for a tutorial on making these simple handy gloves or click HERE for the crocheted version - both designed by Day Dreams.
|  Crocheted fingerless gloves | For A Little Older & AdultsPersonalized BookmarksAgain, such a wonderful way to express how much you care about your teen or older adult style, likes and interests. Is there a favorite book, author or game character? Bookmarks have the ability to be entirely personalized. Suggestions are: - Embroider initials, author, or other item on the bookmark
- Make felted bookmarks from wool (use old sweaters)
- Download and print, then laminate (or Mod Podge) pictures of favorite things (fairies, game characters, authors, titles of books, etc.). Attach a tassel at the top.
The bookmarks I made in the past had pictures which came from an old publisher when I lived on the West Coast - Green Tiger Press, http://greentigerpress.com/. The sky is the limit when you create bookmarks. Here is a link to get you started:http://tipnut.com/make-bookmarks/  Locker Magnets (or Home, Office)
There are so many sites dedicated to making these simple little charms for home, office or the student locker, that it was tough to decide on any one link to get you started. They are super easy to make and you can use so many things from around your home to get started. Some use bottle caps with stickers inside, others make more elaborate magnets using scrap fabrics, card stock and over the top embellishments. It's your gift and you know best what the recipient will like. One tip I will offer: Look around your office or home for unused, unwanted magnets and scrap materials to make these with. Magnets can be a little pricey when you find them at craft stores, so I'd try around home first. Ask your relatives or friends if they have a few they are not using.
 Car/Air FreshenerA quick and easy project to be completely creative with! This is perfect for teens who just started driving (or those who are), lockers, homes, offices, etc. Here is how to make your own fragrant air fresheners: Materials:- Old scrap fabric or fabrics you want to upcycle (sweats, towels, blankets, etc.)
- Ribbon or string
- Thin cardboard (from cereal or other food boxes, mailers, soft drink boxes)
- Glue
- Scissors
- Marking pen
If you are not inclined to drawing, download and cut out shapes or trace shapes from an item you want or have. Trace the shape w/the marker onto the cardboard and cut out. Use the cut out to trace two of this shape onto the fabric you selected. Fold ribbon or string in half and glue ends together on cardboard cutout. Glue fabric shapes to each side of cardboard cutout. When dry, drop enough Essential Oil (they are natural and found in most stores) onto the covered shape. To refresh the customized air freshener, give a bottle of the essential oil along with several of the air fresheners you have made as a set in the stocking stuffer.
 Bath GiftsThis could be a bit more personal and most likely for the older adults, unless you are making animal or shaped sponges for children. Soap Cozies, scrubbers and other bath gifts are terrific as stocking stuffers. Make it an entire spa set with this pattern by Day Dreams and add a little essential oil to the gift. If you are handy at sewing, use old wool scraps and make soap cozies by sewing a small pocket for the soap and adding a pull string. The wool will felt naturally as it is used.
| There are dozens of ideas for stocking stuffers on the net, but I want to share one of my personal favorites. Here is a link to the Mexican Wedding Cakes similar to those my Mother made each holiday season and would wrap them in pieces of saran wrap tied with a bow. In turn I made the same for my children and this year my now adult children will carry on the tradition for their families.
Wishing you all success in inspiration this day and always,
Sher
|  Click the picture to follow to recipe
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 Okay, some like getting ties. But let's get creative and move past the ties... | I am fairly certain the man you are looking for a gift for will give a smile and appreciate with love anything you give for a gift, but. . . I'd hate to see the wince this man shows! I'll try to help you avoid that look with ten green DIY gifts he WILL appreciate, smile at and use!  1. A classic (not the tie - the socks!). Crochet or knit what is sure to be his favorite pair of comfy socks to wear around the house on those chilly days ahead. Make several pair from this excellent pattern (click pic for link). A nice feature is there are instructions for several sizes. Maybe he would like a pair of extra warm slippers? Try the house slippers pattern from Day Dreams. It's been a favorite of many (Featured on Craft Gossip!) and work up quickly. Click HERE for FREE pattern.
|  2. Speaking of cozy, whip up a set of coffee cozies for him. These can be made from your stash, or perhaps in those scraps of wool. Felt them for extra warmth and durability. Click the picture for FREE pattern.
|  3. Okay, so we have warm socks or slippers, coffee (or cocoa) cozies and what goes best with all this? Cookie Certificates! Last year I gave my husband a certificate for a full year of cookies. Each month he picks his "Cookie of the Month" (we haven't missed any yet!). Go ahead - Google what gifts men like most. Baked goods are in the top ten gifts!
|  4. We're onto something here. Warm toes, coffee or cocoa, cookies...oh yes, the flavored liqueur for a dash of extra warmth. I found a terrific link for home made liqueurs that are sure to please most palates. Click HERE for the recipes!
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|  6. If the neck roll isn't what you want to give, try a Personal Pillow. Add more comfort when it's made from an old soft sweatshirt, sweater or t-shirt. Put a small pocket on the corner for his iPod, cell phone or other accessories while he naps. There are so many ways to make pillows - this link will help you get started. Click the picture for link.
|  7. Okay, he's rested and ready to head outside now and rake leaves or scoop the snow, right? Right?? Sure he is! Make sure he's wrapped properly with what is sure to be his favorite scarf ever! An upcycled shirt scarf. Soft, warm and made with his favorite topics! Make it a full set with matching cap, ear warmer and gloves. Just click the picture for the tutorial (picture not by Day Dreams)
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|  9. Perhaps he's not the grilling type and instead likes to ride his bike year round? Here is a terrific way to make an upcycled bike bag to carry his phone, keys, snacks, etc.
Click picture for link to tutorial.
|  10. This is one very easy, cool idea for a Hat Rack. I stumbled across this link and when I figured out what it was made from, I was quite impressed! This is a must to check out. It may not be the perfect gift but I bet the receiver will certainly appreciate its value! Click HERE for link to tutorial.
| Well, there you have it. Ten gift ideas to get you started. Each green, practical, fun and useful. Women tend to give gifts "we" want to receive (Yes ladies, we do) so I tried to come up with ideas you can make or your children can make for Dad.
I hope you found ideas for gifts in this series that you can use for year round giving? Be sure to share your ideas with us that you have found for gifts that are green and DIY in our comments section or email them to me at sher@daydreemz.net. | As always, I wish you much success and inspiration each day,
Sher
Fabric Coiled Basket available for purchase at my Etsy Store.
| Have you ever noticed a current trend that makes you think, "That's not new! I've done that all my life!" I'm watching in fascination as people everywhere are jumping in with both feet to a way of life that so many people my age and older have lived with all our lives. I'm talking about upcycling, repurposing, or what ever name you want to give it, it's the hottest new trend. Bloggers, media, stores, high dollar designers - everyone seems to be wanting to get in on the action. | | I grew up with the concept of recycling. My parents survived in their childhood years on the same concept and their parents had no choice but to upcycle, recycle, reuse, repurpose for their survival. Sure, there are definitions to each of these words, but they all point to a common purpose: Make do with what you have. I never imagined my choice in frugal living would be "trendy". | | | I know...for we old rockers, it may seem sacriligious to tear apart a Sammy Hagar hoodie, but, it's worth the sacrifice to make this project for you. My husband will appreciate the awesome neck roll and pillow he will get from it!
| | Let's Get Started!You will find PDF tutorials with each pictured gift item to make. Just click on the pictures to download your tutorial. First things first: find an old hoodie you are not afraid to let go of (I have several torn and beaten hoodies that are too comfy to let go of!). It should be in the size of the person you are gifting these items to. Let's get this cut apart into the pieces as shown in the photo. You will want to cut into sections as indicated below: - Cut hood from shirt
- Cut sleeves at shoulder seam
- Cut bottom band (ribbed) from shirt
- Cut bottom half of shirt
- Cut top and sides of shirt to make square
|
Click pic for PDF of shirt prep
|  Fingerless Gloves made from the hoodie sleeves. Very fast project with terrific results!
Click pic for PDF.
|  Boot Cuffs made simple and quick. These are from the upper part of the sleeve. No one will ever guess!
Click for PDF
|  Wrist Rests are a necessary item anymore with all the computer work done. A speedy but thoughtful gift to make. Click pic for PDF.
 Head Wrap for men, women, teens and children. Keep the winter chill away in this super simple and quick head wrap. Customize with your own patches,buttons, flowers, etc. Click for PDF.
|  Neck Rolls are comforting with multiple uses: infant support, neck muscle relaxers, back muscle relaxers and more. Click pic for PDF.
That about wraps it up. Simple, quick and very thrifty gifts from one shirt. What else can you create from a hoodie? Share your ideas and you can win a free pattern from one of Day Dreams purchased pattern selections! Until next week, I wish you much inspiration and success!
Sher
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"A #2 pencil and a dream can take you anywhere." This quote by Joyce A. Meyers struck me with absolute truth. Write down your dreams, goals, plans and ideas. Draw them or doodle them. Just get them on paper! Do you write down your ideas? What about your lists of gift giving? | | It's That Time of Year . . .
You know the one - the holiday season. There are still a few months yet, but getting a jump on what you will be making or buying to give for gifts should start with writing your ideas down so your best ideas don't land behind the cabinet or refrigerator. Sometimes the holiday gift giving season can be a strong burden for budgets. Money is tight and maybe there will be fewer gifts; however, they do not have to be less meaningful. I have gifts for you as well! Meaningful to me and hopefully to you, your family and friends. The next few weeks I will be posting tutorials, patterns and ideas for giving the best kind of gift: Handmade. It has been said by many people they prefer to receive a handmade gift than store bought. Why? Because the giver took the time to think of the person before and during the process of making the gift. |  Handmade fabric coiled fruit basket. Make it special by using fabrics from favorite apparel or other home decor. | | |
. . . But I Don't Have the Time or Talent!
Yes, you do have the time to make those holiday gifts. Many of the ideas I will be sharing take only a few hours or less and require only items you either have around your home or can pick up quickly from your local thrift store.
| Featured Gifts Below are categories (not necessarily in order) that will be featured in Day Dreaming over the next six weeks. Each week will be a different pattern and tutorial to make the item. A not so surprising twist is each item will involve repurposing or upcycling materials you have around your home. - Home Decor (Pillows, Table Linens, Bath Sets)
- Apparel & Accessories
- Just for Kids (Toys, Games & More)
- Gifts for the Beloved Family Pet
|  "I do NOT like this store bought gift at all!" I wish you success & inspiration,
Sher |
Christmas is not the only time of year when it seems we are always searching for the perfect gift – Mother’s Day, Graduation, Father’s Day, and Weddings, Birthdays, or a special Thank You. How is a person to manage buying so many gifts when they are unemployed, living on one income or no wiggle room in the budget? You hate to skip an important event such as graduation or not attend the birthday of a relative because you may not have the money for a gift – right? Here are a few ideas I have used for giving gifts on an extremely tight budget; however, before I get to the ideas I will share with you a few tips on what I feel what makes the best gifts.
| . . . thoughtful. Have you ever received a gift that made you wonder what the giver was thinking when they selected it for you?
Take time to think of what you know about the person; what colors do they prefer? Do they like “trinkets” or “cutesy” things? Do they have a hobby? Are they into sports? Make your selection based on what you know of the person and give from the heart.
| Tutorial for this lovely Edible Bouquet found here:http://www.adornitscrapbook.com/Gallery/Index.cfm?pg=project&pjid=169&uid=0&un=0&searchparam=n
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. . . handmade. Handmade does not need to be expensive or time consuming. It should tell the recipient you know them and care about who they are.
You can find the easy to follow instructions to make this Tootsie-Roll Bouquet here:
http://www.blossomedge.com/2012/03/27/blue-hyacinth-candy/
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. . . useful. A useful gift is one which you can be assured you will be thought of time and time again.
Handmade gifts can be useful and well received; examples are apparel, photo or double pane frames, painted serving dishes, cloth baskets or bowls, coffee mugs and picture coasters reminding the recipient of a special time are sure to be well received.
Find instructions for this beautiful double pane frame here: http://www.finecomposition.com/beautiful-art-created-out-of-old-picture-frames/diy-picture-photo-frame-1/
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| Handmade gifts can be useful and well received; examples are apparel, photo or double pane frames, painted serving dishes, cloth baskets or bowls, coffee mugs and picture coasters reminding the recipient of a special time are sure to be well received.
Nine of the Best Gifts are
Thoughtful, Handmade & Useful & Under $10.00!
With this in mind I have posted below a few resources for gift ideas as you begin your hunt for Mother’s Day, Graduation, Father’s Day or Wedding gift giving with creativity, beauty, usefulness and thoughtfulness in mind (thoughtful of tight budgets too!). Before you dash off to a favorite craft store I would check around your house to see what you have on hand for items needed or supplies. I’ve included a recipe for homemade Mod Podge in case you don’t have the money to purchase a jar of it and I would be nuts if I didn’t remind you of the handmade gift items I have on Etsy and Face Book (wink wink!)!
1. The Gift of Time – It’s free. Make a card or special certificate and write a few lines of how you will give your time to the recipient. Make a special lunch or dinner and share it with your recipient is a good way to start your time with the person.
2. Make a hand decorated picture frame and include their favorite memory/picture. The options are endless with creating custom frames, but here is one from Martha Stewart: http://www.marthastewart.com/275133/handmade-gifts-for-mothers-day/@center/307033/spring-holidays#/270132
3. Make a decorative photo plate (or dish, mug, etc.) to commemorate the special event. A plate or lid from an old tin and a special photo, a little glue and Mod Podge, for less than $10.00 you have a unique and thoughtful gift to give for any occasion. http://www.firefliesandjellybeans.com/2009/12/grandparent-gift-idea-photo-plate.html
4. Give the gift that keeps giving – herb gardens. Though the link says it’s for Mother’s Day, I have used this idea for several occasions including a wedding gift. Hunt around your home for a pretty tin or jar, snip some of your own herbs or purchase seeds for less than $2.00, decorate a little and you will have spent less than $10.00 while giving some love!
5. For the reader a bookmark is essential and thoughtful. Consider photo bookmarks (with a favorite picture of theirs) or try your hand at cross stitching a favorite quote. Bookmarks can be made from paper clips, card stock, fabric and other items you have handy around the house. Check here for the photo bookmark tutorial: http://www.marthastewart.com/272760/photo-bookmark?center=307033&gallery=274269&slide=272760
6. Grads are tough to shop for but consider a gift of memories. For less than $10.00 you can purchase a poster sized frame, collect photos and snippets of brochures of places they (or both of you) have visited, favorite movies, artists, etc. and place them into the frame. This gift idea will be sure to start some lively conversations! http://www.diyinspired.com/travel-collage/
7. Another gift from memory lane is a “Talking Box”. This is nothing electronic, but more what you feel and remember about the person receiving this and is nearly free to make. For the tutorial, click here: http://go.tipjunkie.com/hm/1149/www.designsponge.com/2011/06/we-like-it-wild-fathers-day-talking-bouquet.html
8. Give a Tree of Life from the Arbor Day Foundation. You can have the tree(s) shipped to the recipient with a special message or have a tree planted in their honor. Again, a gift that gives a lifetime (and gives back to our environment!). Click here for more info from the Arbor Day Foundation: http://www.arborday.org/shopping/gifttrees/gifttrees.cfm
9. Feed me the gift of food. Homemade soup ingredients in a pretty jar or other container (re-purposed is best!), cookies, a special dinner or other favorite food item is always a welcome gift. Of course, remember to include the recipe printed on nice paper or card and attach to the food gift. There are absolutely dozens of sites with packaging ideas to view.
A few of my favorites are:
http://www.tipjunkie.com/jar-homemade-gifts/ 48 Gifts in a Jar
http://lickmyspoon.com/recipes/ultimate-list-of-homemade-food-gifts/ For the Culinary Artist!
http://ediblecrafts.craftgossip.com/ They have a great sense of humor when it comes to food gifts! 10.
| | Hold on...we're just about done! I mentioned leaving you with a recipe for home made Mod Podge. Check it out! Hey...before you leave today, why not send me a few of the items you have made as gifts that were less than $10.00 or post them on our Face Book page. I would really like to share them with everyone!
My best to you all,
Sher |  For the DIY Mod Podge (some will say not to do this), check here. They have a great tutorial on what it should look like in the process. http://doityourselfdivas.blogspot.com/2011/09/diy-mod-podge.html
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Well, here it is. I promised myself and my husband I would get this blog and website going today. I've been procrastinating on this for several weeks. It's an artist thing I'll try and explain.
Sewing for your family and friends is easy enough. You can always re-gift, re-purpose, tear it and start over if you make mistakes or someone doesn't like it. Do-overs are easy. Putting your carefully thought out, and well crafted designs out to the public is a bit different and a little more difficult. I've spent hours designing, critiquing, polling, questioning and driving my loving husband batty with requests of "Do you like it?" in preparation for this site and blog. Here is the scary part: once your items are out there for millions to see - whether you do over or not - once it's published that's it. No do-overs. Sure, you can change the page but you can't take back the cached pages. Eek! If this were an art gallery and I was showing my work, there would still be the fear of "what if".
Sewing and crafts have been a passion of mine for more than 30 years and I have dabbled with it over the years, both on a commercial and personal level. During the last 30 or so years I have made some wonderful gifts and apparel and some not so wonderful. Interesting note here, my formal training and degree is in Human Services and Counseling - quite the leap isn't it? I digress. Recently my husband and I were forced to cut back and make do with what we have on one income. The survivalist in me decided we would make it through this and something good would come out of our misfortune. It was Christmas and with 5 grand children and 4 adult children, and other extended family I knew gifts were going to be handmade. My creative soul was placed into action and hasn't stopped since.
In future posts, I will be sharing tips and tricks I have learned (from some amazing professional seamstress'), and I'm looking forward to making and posting my first tutorials for beginners in sewing and crocheting. New posts will also include the latest in gift and apparel ideas which I have either designed myself or from one of the many persons who share their ideas for others. Though the selection of photos is small, there isn't much I haven't made (out of need or gifts!). I'm looking forward to the various ideas and requests of "Can you make....". Those are always the most fun!
One other item I will be sharing and creating a page for soon is essential oils. The new pages will feature my essential oils and variety of therapy bags, along with creative and no cost or low cost ways to make it through the tough times. The website promotes items for sale, custom sewing and alterations, but the name is about dreams. It represents my dreams and hopefully, some of yours. If I reach one person and help make their day a little lighter, a little brighter, then Day Dreams is a success.
With that, I will close for the day. Time for stitching!
3.....2.....1.....Launch. Here it goes!
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