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How to Grow Gifts in Your Backyard

Apr 012010

Your Backyard Bounty Makes Great Gifts (Photo Courtesy of Technotheory)

Spring is here which means it’s time to get outside and enjoy the warmer weather. A great way to spend more time outdoors is by starting a backyard garden. Not only can a garden offer great, organic and fresh food for you and your family, but it can also be a great source of gifts for family and friends this summer. If you’re starting a garden this spring, think about planting vegetables, flowers and herbs that can be used to give great gifts your loved ones will appreciate.

Homemade Salsa

Nothing at the grocery store quite compares with fresh, homemade salsa. Grow the tomatoes fresh in your garden along with the other ingredients you need to give your friends and family members homemade salsa. Check out salsagarden.com for tips on growing your ingredients and canning your salsa.

Fresh or Dried Herbs

Cooking with fresh herbs is the best way to go. Share your backyard bounty with your friends and family members by giving them some herbs. You can either cut fresh herbs and tie stems together with twine, or you can hang your herbs upside down inside and let them dry out. Once they are dry bag them up and give them away.

Flower Bulbs

Flower bulbs make great gifts. If your backyard is full of them pull some out of the ground and package them creatively using a flower pot or other plant container. Include a short list of instructions explaining how to plant and grow the bulbs.

Fresh Cut Flowers

Just about everyone loves getting flowers. If you grow flowers in your backyard this gift will be quick and affordable. Create a bouquet from the blooms in your own backyard. Arrange them in a low cost vase and your gift is ready to go.

Ingredient and Recipe

If you’re great at growing peppers, eggplant, avocado or another vegetable, bag up several of them to give as a gift. Include a recipe where that ingredient is the star. Your loved one will appreciate the thought and care that went into your gift.

How to Make Your Own Spa Gifts

Mar 052010

Give Homemade Spa Treatments (Photo courtesy of Fing'rs)

Lots of your friends and family members probably love the idea of indulging at a spa– but few have the time or money. Now you can give them the gift of relaxation with these DIY spa gifts. With a few simple ingredients packaged creatively in jars or plastic containers from a craft store, you’ll have a great gift ready to go.

Coffee Body Scrub

Don’t toss out those coffee grounds– put them to good use. Combine two cups of coffee grounds with a half cup of raw sugar or sea salt and a few tablespoons of massage oil for a lovely coffee body scrub that will wash away the dry skin winter leaves behind.

Bath Cookies

Check out SpaIndex.com’s most requested recipe– bath cookies! You’ll bake up something great for your friends and family members to use in their next bath. The recipe is pretty easy and includes many ingredients you probably already have in your fridge or pantry including sea salt, baking soda, cornstarch, oil, and eggs. Combine the ingredients, bake for ten minutes and you’ll have a gift that looks like you picked it up in a fancy spa!

Sugar Coconut Hand Renewal

Winter does a number on our hands often leaving them dry and cracked. Whip up this recipe from Health Magazine and give it away to those who may need a little pampering. The recipe is made up of ingredients like coconut oil, sugar, and lemon juice. Make sure your gift also includes a pair of cotton gloves like these from PrettyLikeMe.com so they can let your mixture work overnight.

At-Home French Manicure

Put together your own French manicure kit that includes cuticle cream, white and pink nail polish and a fancy nail file. Give it to someone who may not have the time or money for regular manicures, but deserves to look their best.

Handmade Holidays: How to Make the Sixty Second Scarf

Nov 122009

Feel like getting crafty for Christmas, but lacking in the Martha Stewart department? You can make handmade gifts for the holidays, saving lots of money and ensuring that everything you give is from the heart. This DIY project doesn’t require much time, money or skills. If those sound like three things you don’t have a lot of then keep reading for instructions on how to make the sixty second scarf. Similar scarves sell for nearly $30 at popular stores. We found this striped version at J. Crew for $29.50. But yours will cost less than $2 and sixty seconds to make.

Step One: Hit the Fabric Store

Head to your favorite local fabric store and make a beeline to the knit section. Look for something super soft, like pima cotton or jersey. We found lots of great colors like pink, orange and lime green at the local Hobby Lobby fabric department selling for $5.99 a yard, but with a coupon we snagged it for 40% off. Have the fabric store employee cut you 3/8 of a yard. Typically this fabric is sold in 60-inch width which is perfect for a scarf.

Step Two: Head Home with Your Fabric

Since the fabric store employee took care of starting off your scarf for you, now all you have to do is complete it. Finish off the edges by pulling them. Giving the fabric a little bit of a tug will cause it to roll as it stretches. This will make the edges look more finished off without having to pull out your sewing machine.

Step Three: Wrap Up Your Gift

DIY Scarf Now that your scarf is made, wrap it up to get the gift ready to give. Your loved one will appreciate this new accessory that they’ll be able to throw on to compliment a variety of outfits since scarves are a hot must-have this winter season. Because the gift is so simple to make and affordable, consider wrapping up a collection of sixty second scarves. They’ll never know each scarf took just sixty seconds to make and cost less than $2!

Images courtesy of Alison Storm

DIY Christmas Gift: How to Make a Cake Plate

Nov 052009

Everyone is looking for ways to cut costs these days– especially now that the holidays are approaching. One way to save money on your gift-giving budget is by making some gifts yourself. Here is an easy DIY Christmas gift that would be perfect for a neighbor, mother-in-law, or friend. Using some thrift store finds you can create a one-of-a-kind Christmas gift that your friends will love.

Supplies:

Plate

Small vase or candlestick

Silicone Adhesive
Step One: Head to the Thrift Store

Head to your local thrift store for a unique plate and base that will make up your cake plate. The plate can be just about any size, shape or color. Think about the person you are giving it to and what colors and style they might like best. Look through the selection of small glasses, candlesticks and vases for a base that will work with the plate you’ve selected. At most thrift stores these pieces will cost you less than a dollar each.

Step Two: Buy Adhesive

Head to your local hardware store and pick up some silicone adhesive. This is typically used in bathrooms or kitchens to make a waterproof seal between tiles or pipes. Clear is probably the best color choice so it won’t be noticed. Choose a brand that dries in a few hours. This will probably cost about $3 or $4 and will be more than enough to finish your project.

Step Three: Wash Your Pieces

Wash your cake plate and stand. Make sure they are clean and dust-free. This will insure that the adhesive works like it should.

Step Four: Measure and Apply

Measure the center of the bottom of your plate. It’s important that your base is secured in the center so that your cake plate won’t tip over. Apply the adhesive to the side of your base that you are securing to the underside of the plate. Push the two together to remove any air pockets. Apply more adhesive around the outside edge of the base for added strength.

Step Five: Allow to Dry

Give your cake plate a few hours to dry, according to the directions of the silicone adhesive you purchased.

Step Six: Wrap and Give

Wrap up your unique cake plate and present it to the lucky person in your life. They’ll love this new addition to their kitchen and you’ll love that this one-of-a-kind Christmas gift cost less than $5 to make.

Images courtesy of Alison Storm