How to Give Gifts on a Budget

My friend Rachel and I were discussing recently how expensive gift giving can be if you are on a budget. Over the years, I have learned a few tricks that have saved me a dollar or two while still being able to provide fun, unique gifts for friends and family. Giving is one of my "love languages" so it's important to me, even when times are tough. Sometimes, it's necessary to drop a pretty penny for a special occasion, but often times, you can give a thoughtful present that doesn't break the bank.

Here are my nuggets of knowledge to help you get started with giving while sticking to your budget:

Have a gift box

I would be a hopeless case if I didn’t have my gift basket. Anytime I spy the perfect gift for a particular someone, or even a generalized little goody at a great price, I purchase it and stick it in my gift basket until an event arises.  Use any good-sized basket or sturdy box to stockpile small items in advance.

Support local

I love purchasing small items from my local farmers markets to give to special people in my life. Purchasing knitted dishcloths or a jar of gourmet jam or hot sauce supports local makers and pairs beautifully with another little gem for a just-right sized gift for a friend. Christmas fairs and local shops are terrific as well, but keep your budget in mind.

Don’t forget the Big Box

A few of my favourite big-box stores, like Chapters and Winners, have terrific clearance sections. Chapters is one of my favourite sources for deliciously scented candles and honestly, I can really only afford them when they are on sale. Winners is a great place to find smaller items, like paper straws and stationary. When you find a bargain, stock up! Chances are, you have family friends in different circles that won’t realize that they are receiving the same set of cloth napkins or lovely mug as another friend.

Support charities or causes

Often, you’re asked or inclined to purchase items in support of a charity or cause. It’s the perfect opportunity to pick up a gift or two. Recently, I’ve purchased gifts for new babies in my life and my niece’s birthday from an Instagram auction in support of a baby girl and her mama that needed the extra funds. I get to donate money that I had set aside for gift-giving to support a terrific cause and still get the gifts that I needed. Double whammy!

Make it yourself

A handmade gift is my favourite gift to give or receive. I don’t often have the extra time to make something with my own hands. Once in a while, when I have a spare moment or two, I love to create a few handmade items or cards to add to my gift-giving stash.

Always be on the lookout

When I travel, I love to keep my eyes open in local stores and markets for small souvenirs that would make a great gift. By purchasing items while traveling, it satisfies my urge to shop while keeping it practical.  Another bonus: it’s an awesome way to support the local economy in the locale that you are visiting.

I hope that these tips and suggestions can help even one of you to feel less daunted by gift giving. Giving and receiving gifts is often our way of showing that we love someone, so it's important that we don't feel drained by the process. Let me know if you have any tricks that you would like to share in the comments!

Do It Yourself : Link Love on Polka Dot Soup

Ever see a cool link that you want to share? I've compiled a list of links that I've been interested in.

Ever wonder how food bloggers can create picture perfect food? Here's a trick for beautiful egg styling for food photos.

Paper garlands intrigue you? Here's a how-to for creating modern paper garland mobiles/backdrops.

Want a quick and inexpensive DIY wall art how-to? This giant geometric heart is easy and eye-catching.

I can't wait to try this one! A homemade wood stain to create that perfect grey aged wood.

Need a new spring necklace and want to make it yourself? Try this DIY bird nest necklace.

Or... is your home in need of a spring update? Check out this homemade spring wreath made from scrap fabric!

Blog Makeover Peek

As part of my Web Media course, we have an ongoing assignment of designing a website from scratch. I'm redesigning the face of Polka Dot Soup... exciting, eh? So far, we've come up with moodboards to establish the "feel" of our website. I thought that I would share a peek at the look I'm going for here on my blog. If you are interested in the sources of any of my images, let me know and I'll send you the link!

To start, I've made a moodboard illustrating various websites and blogs that I'm inspired by. Each of the following sites have elements that I'm attracted to:

I've chosen a light-hearted colour palette to work with here on the blog. There are lots of whites and neutrals with vivid pastels (is that even possible?) thrown into the mix. I wanted a fun mix that will be complimentary to both photos and text... making your daily visit to my blog even more eye-catching and fun. Take a look:

The fonts that I've chosen for my font board are not necessarily the ones that I'll use, just some that I'm inspired by. Most of them are free, so there's a good chance that I will use one or two of them. Question: did you realize that a san-serif font (the font that doesn't have little tails on the letters) is the easiest to read in section of online body text? You learn something new every day! Here's my font mood board:

I can't wait to get my site design to the next level! I have my Web-based Media class first thing tomorrow morning, so I'm sure that I'll be working on the next step soon. I'll try to share my progress as I take the next few steps of creating a new vibe for Polka Dot Soup.

Happy Thursday!

Art Nouveau

Today I thought that I'd share my process for my most recent assignment (I'm in school taking Graphic Design, if you're a new reader), which was due today. In Design History, we were assigned the task of choosing an Art Nouveau poster, print or graphic, and creating our own grayscale poster. Here's the poster that I chose, an Albert Angus Turbayn design: 

Next, using Photoshop, I turned the poster into greyscale to see the different shaded areas:

I wanted to try and find a phrase that had something to do with feathers, birds or movement. I love the phrase "birds of a feather" so I went with that. The feathers reminded me of the ocean or waves, so the cultural group that I chose to represent was a surf club. I researched several different fonts that are age appropriate to use for my lettering. Here's a look at my desk (and by desk, I mean kitchen table...) last night:

Several hours and a few hand cramps later, here's the result:

... and here it is mounted on black paper and posted in our classroom:

I found it really challenging to get back into using pencils. It's been...ugh... about seven years since I've been in a high school art class. I don't know if I've ever done a sketch at this size, either. I'm relieved to have it finished and passed in, though.

Happy Tuesday!

Wedded Bliss

Some photos from the wedding that I decorated in August are now online! Chloe O'Brien, photographer extrodinaire, has uploaded an assortment of photographs into one killer blog post. A little birdy told me that she was hoping to get some exposure on a wedding blog or two, and with shots like that, I'm sure that she will!

I had so much fun coming up with a decor concept with Janelle in preparation for the big day. Between the two of us (and lots of others!), we thrifted, crafted, DIYed, borrow and arranged a lovely assortment of wedding decor. The wedding was a casual, modern vintage affair with a photo wall, kraft paper runners, candy bar, mason jar chandelier and vintage book centrepieces. I made the boutonierres and corsages and a whole slew of banners. It was craft central around our place for a few weeks!

Colin and Janelle's wedding in Louisburg, Cape Breton was a free-for-all of vintage goodness, but don't just believe me. See for yourselves!

Happy Tuesday!

Detergent DIY

After countless pins and bookmarks, I finally took the eco-plunge. I've gone granola - well, more granola than I was before. :) Our household now uses "handmade" laundry detergent!

I'm a sucker for sales on household supplies, so I waited until my detergent supply slowly diminished and started on this new adventure. When purchasing the ingredients, don't be afraid - the initial cost is a bit expensive, but the large containers of ingredients go so far! You only need one tablespoon of the mix for each load! Crazy, eh? I found the ingredients in Sobeys - I couldn't find all of the products in Superstore, Walmart, or Shoppers. The ingredients are on the same shelves as regular laundry detergent.

The ingredients needed in my recipe are:

One box of Borax

One box of Arm + Hammer Washing Soda

Ivory, Sunlight, or Dr. Bronner's Bar Soap

The recipe? One, one, and one! One cup of Borax, one cup of washing soda, and one bar of soap. Grate the bar of soap and mix with the other ingredients. It comes together so quickly, you can easily double, triple, or quadruple the recipe. I used an antique jar that I bought this summer, and I was unsure as to how much it would hold, so I doubled the recipe. I used one bar of Ivory soap and one bar of Dr. Bronner's almond hemp soap (remember seeing it in my purse?).

I had an adorable ice cream scoop from Heidi that I wasn't using and it fits perfectly inside the jar. I just guesstimate around a tablespoon. So far, so good! There is a way to make it a liquid detergent, but I really couldn't be bothered. You would have to make a big batch, store it in a bucket, and use an old laundry detergent bottle to dispense it. So not cute. As long as you put the powder in as soon as you start filling the washer with water, there really isn't a problem.

I really like the detergent. It smells good when I put it in the water, and the clothes are scent-free when they come out - they just smell clean. Clean = good. I haven't tried the detergent on anything that was stained, but there are natural pre-treatments that you can try out there.

I'm using up the last of my jumbo-sized fabric softener box. I ordered a few dryer balls on Etsy, but they haven't arrived yet. They are in four beautiful colours, and vanilla + pomegranate scented. I'll let you know how it goes once I start using them! Once I do, I'll be using all homemade/natural cleaning products in our home (other than the occasional bottle of regular dish soap). I use Melaleuca cleaners and vinegar, baking soda, and water a lot. It's a great feeling!

Have you made any healthy changes in your home lately? Tell me about them!

Happy Wednesday!

Project: Crayon

This is a super cute project for any little people (that's children... not actual little people. I know you know what I mean.) that you need a present for. It would make a great favour at a birthday party, a cute stocking stuffer, a gift for your Sunday School class, or a just-beause present for your favourite little someone. It's inexpensive, but useful and cute. For a bigger gift, you could pair the crayons with few colouring books or a roll of art paper.

Here's what you will need:

Crayons

Silicon mould

An oven

(That's it!)

For the mould, you can use a cupcake mould or an ice cube one, as long as it's a fairly simple design. I used a star-shaped ice cube mould that I got at a yard sale a couple of years ago. See? It pays to go to yard sales!

Before you begin, peel all of the wrappers off of the crayons. It's the biggest pain in the butt part of the project, but there's no getting around it. I'd use the Crayola brand, too... they're at the dollar store (so they're cheap!), and the no-name brands are usually crap (remembering back to elementary school days). Pre-heat your oven to 250. Chop up the crayons and place in the mould, there's no need to grease them. You can mix the colours or make each shape one colour, it's up to you. Place in the oven for about 15 minutes. Check on the part way through and fill the mould up some more, those bad boys really melt down. Take out of the oven, let cool, then pop them out of the silicon mould. Done-skis!

The crayons look cute wrapped in cellophane and ribbon or nicely folded into a piece of tissue. Have some fun with the packaging - that's my favourite part. Since it's a kid-friendly present, make it as bright and cheery as possible. Your little friend will love them! The chunky size is great for toddlers hands, too.

Sorry for the dark and grainy photos, I took this photos right at night before I packaged them up to sent them in the mail. You should totally give this project a try! Let me know how it goes.

Happy Friday - have a great weekend!

Cool Stool

I'm so excited to share today's before and after with you!

My mom saw this cute, inexpensive stool at a local yard sale and knew that I would be excited to revamp it. It has terrific lines, sexy dark legs, it's in great condition, and it's super sturdy. The only problem? Not quite my style upholstery...

My first thought was to recover the stool in a funky fabric, like a chic zebra print or a mod mustard chevron pattern. I resisted - I wanted the stool to be a timeless classic. I browsed through Fabricville's selection, and found the perfect fabric for our living room...

The flowers are close to the wall colour in the living room, and the dark leaves are the same shade of grey as our sofa. Perfect! When I got to the register, the fabric was on sale, too - which was fabulous, since good quality upholstery weight fabric can be pricey.

Itching to see how it turned out? Take a peek!

The stool turned out great! It was very easy to recover - it only took about fifteen minutes with a staple gun. The stool is perfect for propping up our feet while we're relaxing with a good book in the living room, and if we have guests over, it is sturdy enough for someone to sit on without worrying. Doesn't it look cute with the black chair?

Have you completed any home projects lately? Do share!

Happy Wednesday!

From Me to You

I made a print for our apartment today that I'm happy to to be able to share with you! I made a list of reminders to help my day run smoothly... it's the "dos" instead of the "don'ts".

There are two different versions - a black and white one, and a brightly coloured rainbow one. Chose your favourite style, download the PDF, and then print on cardstock or plain paper. Pop it on your wall, your fridge, in your car, wherever. You can even give it to some special. Easy-peasy!

I hope that your Monday is extra lovely - let me know what you do with your print!

Daily Mantra - B&WDaily Mantra - Rainbow

A Little Restylin'

At Christmas time, I received a beautiful present from a relative that just wasn't my style. Isn't that an awkward feeling? It's lovely... just not my taste. Since it was sitting on a shelf in my bedroom since December, I decided that it was time for a little revamping and restyling. There isn't much that doesn't benefit from a nice fresh coat of cheery paint!

Before: a whole lotta country.

I bought a sample sized container of Behr's Asparagus back when we first moved in. I always admired the colour in one of my favourite restaurants, and I finally got around to asking for the name of the paint colour. It's the perfect shade of green - a little acidy, but not too in your face. I'd love to use it as a wall colour some day, but for now, it's "project paint". 

I painted three layers of Asparagus on the star, and voila! A whole new decoration! If I ever get around to it, I'll change the little bow to a white one, but for now, it's perfect as is.

After: a whole lot more me!

I hung it up outside of our entrance today. I love having something cute and cheerful hanging by the door, and the more inexpensive, the better. Since the star was a gift, and the paint will be used for lots of other projects, it was virtually free! Can't beat that! All I need are a few spring flowers, and I'll be set. I love outdoor projects!

Happy Thursday!

Project Restyle

I signed up to be a part of a great new project for 2011!

Elsie Flannigan and Rachel Denbow have collaborated on a 

new year's project that forms a creative group. 

Project Restyle takes currently unuseable projects 

and flips them into new and interesting pieces. 

If you've got a creative itch and want some inspiration, 

this project is a great place to start. 

Click the link to sign up and for more information.

Happy Thursday!

DIY - Monster Stuffies

I just finished making three monsters for my little monsters. They are loosely based on this tutorial. Talk about cutting it close - we're exchanging gifts and celebrating Christmas with my in-laws in a couple of hours :) I am world's worst procrastinator.

The little green monsters are a super fun gift for the little ones - it makes monsters fun and not scary. I think that the design turned out fairly well! I hope that they love them.

Happy Tuesday!

DIY - Kid's Art Journal

Aren't kids to best to make presents for? They love colour, abstract ideas, and creativity - a perfect combination for a handmade gift! This DIY is with the kiddos in mind.

An art journal is a great way to get little ones in a creative mindset. This project helps them to get their juices flowing. Give them a journal that you have made, along with crayons, pencils, or markers, whatever is best for their age group. The project is appropriate for ages two to ten, and even higher, depending on the child. The only difference is the questions or prompts that you put inside the journal. Let's get started!

To begin, gather your supplies:

• a journal of some sort - I picked up several leather bound books at a ridiculous clearance price
• markers - I love American Crafts Slick Writers and Sharpies
• scissors
• glue, double sided tape, or any other form of adhesive
• embellishment - sequins, brads, flowers, you name it
• printed scrapbooking paper or cardstock - little scraps are great for this project

I made a title page in each journal to set the tone for the book. For my niece, I made the page below so she can write her own name before she gets started.

Each journal page is a little bit different. The general style was a handwritten (printed, written, bubble letters) topic and a scrap of brightly coloured paper per page, cut into any shape: stripes, squares, frames. Here are a list of possible page topics to get you started:

• My favourite colour is...
• My favourite snack is...
• Here is my mommy...
• Here is my daddy...
• These are my siblings...
• I laugh when...
• I am .... years old
• I like to sing...
• My Sunday School teacher's name is...
• Here are my friends...
• I like to eat...
• I like to drink...
• My favourite toy is...
• I can count to...
• This is my house...
• I can say this Bible verse...
• Here is my bike...

You can change the topics for each child. My nephew loves Thomas the Tank Engine, so I made this page in his journal:

At the end of the book, the final page reads, "this is me". I thought that it would be a fun note to end on: a little self-portrait. Depending on the age, it could be detailed or an adorable stick man. 

Kids are so naturally creative, it's great to encourage their development. This project is incredibly inexpensive, and it only takes an hour to make. The parent will really appreciate the effort that you've put into their child's gift, and the kiddo will have a lot of fun, too!

Hope you enjoyed this project! Give it a shot - you can have a little creative release making the journal, too.

Happy Sunday!

DIY Wednesday

It's DIY Wednesday - stool edition!

I've had two stools (retro?! vintage?! second-hand.) for a while now. I couldn't decide what to do with them, as I love the fabric's pattern, but it's a little bit too faded. After brainstorming fabric styles (mod?! graphic?! vintage?!) and sources (Etsy?! Fabricville?! thrifted?!) I finally had a brainwave. Vinyl! I've had a meter and a half of red vinyl in my closet for almost a year... another forgotten project. Red vinyl? Sounds perfect to me!

I took the stools and the vinyl up to my mom's house over the weekend, and we tackled the project together. So easy! I recovered the stools, and Mom scrubbed down the legs and made them look shiny and pretty again. They had some rust spots, and I really didn't want to spray paint them. I don't mind a little rust - worn equals loved, right? Too much rush looks neglected. Neglected equals not loved.

The entire project took about half an hour. Since the stool tops are round and not square or rectangular, I had a little difficulty spacing out each of the creases. Hey, they have to be equal! :) The average joe might have been able to staple-gun those bad boys a lot more quickly.

Here they are:

Before

After

What a difference, eh? I can't wait to get some use out of them, instead of the stools just taking up space. The red is a nice cheery pop of colour, too. Can't beat that.

Happy Wednesday!

It's DIY Time!

What a pleasant surprise for a Tuesday! It's a brand new DIY feature :)

Today I made some pretty candle holders. I am decorating for my brother-in-law's rehearsal dinner on Friday, and I need a lot of inexpensive candle holders. I was brainstorming last night and came up with this idea, using materials I already had. Chances are, you have a variation of each of the items, too!

Here's what you need:

• tealights - preferably yummy strawberry rhubarb ones that you've been itching to use :)
• jam jars - I used the short Mason jars... I picked them up for preserves last fall
• your favourite pair of scissors
• adhesive - I used my handy Dotliner, which is basically a dispenser of little glue dots
• vellum, or any translucent paper, like wax paper, or even a scrapbooking overlay
• * You can also use a ruler, but I like to freehand all of my cuts... I like a little character *
  

Measure, or eyeball the height of your jar. Make the paper at least an inch taller than the jar. Cut along your line:


I like to put the adhesive on the paper as opposed to the jar, so it won't leave any residue for further use. So... apply the adhesive to one side of the paper or vellum:


Wrap the vellum around the jar and place your tea light inside:


Place the jars in the perfect location, light the candles, and enjoy!


If you don't want the lines of the jam jar to show at the top, use a flat bottomed glass instead. This should get rid of the shadow for you.

This is the easiest, quickest little project to do. You don't have to be crafty, and you can use them anywhere. It's cute on a shelf, or in your bathroom, too. Just make sure, as with any candles, that there's nothing above the flame that could catch on fire.

Try this DIY out! It's such a fast way to set a pretty table.

Happy Tuesday!

DIY Wednesday

Here's a brand-new feature for you: DIY Wednesdays... You all know I love a good DIY.

I made two table runners for my friend Ciela's wedding, inspired by the runner in this post. I used a ton of thrifted doilies, both white and cream. I absolutely adored the look of them! It was uber easy, just a little time consuming. Each of the doilies are randomly arranged, overlapped, and tacked together with some white thread. Easy peasy.

Here's a peek at one of the runners:


They used one of the runners on their "signing of the register" table, and the other one was used in another location at the ceremony. The doily runners' simple vintage style suited Ciela and Vince's wedding perfectly. Ciela loved them, and they fit well with their style. I love when my crafts make someone happy :)

Here are the runners all wrapped up, waiting to be taken to the bride:

What project have you been working on lately?

Happy Wednesday!

DIY Time

I have another easy-breezy DIY project for you!

Are you like me - can't throw away any boxes that are in perfect shape? I've been saving shoe boxes from the same store (so they are the same style) to use for a project. I finally got around to it, and took some pics to share with you!

To start, you need a box, or two, or three - I love uneven numbers. The same style is preferable, but not necessary.


Other materials include scissors, packing tape, a bone folder (found at any crafts store - used to make super sharp creases), and wallpaper or wrapping paper. I bought this cute roll of vintage wallpaper at a thrift store a couple of months ago and I was saving it for the perfect project. It has old-school bicycles on it, and it's nice and neutral.


I didn't take step-by-step photos, but it's pretty easy. If the lid is attached to the box, start with the lid. If not, it's even easier. Wrap it one side at a time, and secure with tape on the inside of the box. I forgot to check how long it took me, but conveniently, when I was looking at the photos, I noticed the wall clock in the background :) It took about half an hour... just because I was anal about folds and creases. It should probably take much less time.



You can use these boxes to store just about anything. They're pretty enough to use in your living room, but I can't decide between my craft room or storage closet. They both need a little organizational love :) Give this project a shot, it's so easy - you could use them to put gifts in as well!

Happy Thursday!

DIY Time

It is high time that I share this project with you! Here's my chalkboard - I'm going to do a little show and tell DIY for you... that's do-it-yourself for you non-abbreviators. :)

This chalkboard can be used in your kitchen for grocery lists or menus, by the door for reminders, in your craft space for brainstorming, or in your bedroom for love notes :) Sky's the limit - but my chalkboard is for our kitchen.

To begin, take a thrifted picture frame, the more ornate the better. Even if you tend to lean towards clean lines, I promise you'll like the finished project when you use an ornate frame. Remove the backing and glass - the glass won't be used in our project - save for the future, or discard.

frame - before

In a well ventilated area (I went outside) lay your frame on newspaper. Spray your frame, taking good care of the nooks and crannies, with spray paint, preferably a gloss or a semi-gloss. I like Krylon, which you can buy at any big box store, such as Walmart or Canadian Tire. Follow the drying time instructions on your paint, and do a good three to four coats - you want to have a nice glossy finish.

frame - after

Now, take either your frame backing or a piece of plywood cut to size. Spray or paint with chalkboard paint - don't worry if the wood isn't smooth, after a coat or two, it will be :) I didn't get to photograph this step because it was kind of yucky out, but make sure to do this outside. Chalkboard paint is super strong. This also needs three or four coats.

Reattach or nail the two pieces together. This can be hung with a picture hanging kit from the dollar store, or your frame may already have something on the back. Place on your wall and enjoy!

final product

I hope you liked this little project!

Happy Thursday!