Sashes to the Merchants: annie's heart

Sashes to the Merchants: annie's heart: Hello everyone and Merry Merry Christmas! I just LOVE this season. I'm Annie from Blue Leaf Boutique . I love to make pretty things and th...

Christmas and Counting

A fellow "Sashes to the Merchants" gal, Sugar Mama is having a great Christmas Bazaar full of handmade goodies for these years Christmas Shopping Season. Looking for those friends and family members that are hard to shop for or have everything? Handmade gifts are unique one of a kind items pieces of art. How can you go wrong? Be sure to head over to her blog and check it out!

Day 18: Creative with Stamps

As we approach the holidays it always surprises me each year how much I spend on the extras. Not the gifts themselves but the wrapping paper, tape, cards, tissue paper, bags, gift tags and so much more. It really adds up.

There is an more inexpensive and creative way. It is easy and FUN to boot! I just recently fell in love with stamps. When deciding on my Etsy shop packaging I knew I wanted something beautiful but something that was cost effective and that I could do myself.

I found a small leaf stamp that with a coupon to my craft store ended up only costing me $2.00. I purchased some tissue paper and some unlined index cards. A blue ink pad also from my craft store (and also with a coupon only cost me about $3.00. So for less than ten dollars I created beautiful packaging with coordinating not cards to my customers.

This could easily be used on plain brown craft paper, paper bags, and like and you could have your own personalized wrapping paper. Those index cards could easily be turned into a gift tag with one click of a hole punch. That you could make year after year. There are thousands of stamps out there and I think a few shops on Etsy even will create custom stamps for you.

Have fun and be creative!

So far I have not needed to purchase a new ink pad and I have stamped it hundreds of times.

Day 17: Creative with Coasters

Looking for some inexpensive hostess gifts for the holidays? Or may small gifts for teachers, neighbors, and friends? My suggestion is to get creative with coasters! Everybody needs coasters but especially if you entertain or have a busy house full of kids.

All you need is some fabric swatches and some cotton or polyfil batting. I like to use 5 inch by 5 inch squares.

Place right sides of the fabric together. Place on top of same size piece of batting. Pin together and sew along the edges leaving about a 1 inch section open.

After sewing, turn right side out using the small 1 inch opening. Gently work the corners fully out using a pin or (very gently) seem ripper.

Sew closely around the seams of the coaster to close the opening and give a uniform look. If giving as a gift, I like to tie up the set with a cute coordinating ribbon.

Looking for more ideas? Check out the coaster section of my shop.

Day 16: Be Creative with Costumes

My children are still at an age where they are unaffected by trends, fashion statements and name brands. Their beautiful, unique, individual tastes are all that matter to them. How I wish it could stay this way forever. It is a lovely reminder of how to truly live.

My son loves trains. Correction: he is obsessed with trains. Last year we managed a Steam Locomotive out of card board boxes. This year he wanted to be a Bullet Train. I wasn't sure where to start. Thankfully my husband was and stepped in to manage this project.

Two card board boxes. One can of white spray paint. Three pieces of black and yellow construction paper. One small bottle of green acrylic craft paint. Duct Tape.

He was so happy and proud parading through the neighborhood on Trick or Treat night. They best thing was that many neighbors remembered his costume last year and loved this year's as well. My husband was beaming. There is nothing better than a handmade Halloween costume.

Day 15: Be Creative...Snowman Style

Its not often that you carve pumpkins and build a snowman in the same weekend. But then again this year has been full of things that don't happen often, at least not often the Northeast United States. Maybe Mother Nature is having a mood swing? Maybe creative nature needs to change it up.

So get out there and get creative in the snow. Take some pictures, paint a scene, make some snow angels..whatever you fancy!

Day 14: Be Creative...Pumpkin Edition

When was the last time you carved a pumpkin? Years ago? Never?

I have to admit this was only the second time in my life. It was so much fun. Even my hubby had a blast. The kids had a great time. The mess was not unmanageable. No knives for the kiddos but they had fun drawing faces and watching us do the carving.

Sometimes it is just so fun to get messy! And then you get to eat roasted pumpkin seeds as a healthy treat!