Handy Home Tips: Button Earring Organisers

You would be forgiven for thinking I’m obsessed with buttons are all the recent posts on handmade button gifts. It turns out that buttons are handy little things – even for organising your earrings. 

I have a small jewellery tray that I keep my earring studs in when I’m not wearing them, but I can never find the pair I want when I’m rushing to leave the house and frantically sorting through the tray. 

A handy use for spare buttons
Image from www.ezzly.hubpages.com

Why we love this button earring organiser:

  • It keeps pairs of earrings together in a large object that is easier to spot in a jewellery box
  • Everyone has spare buttons they could use for this
  • It’s a really attractive way of storing your earrings
  • It prevents earrings from getting lost, damaged, or separated from their back fastenings
  • You can store studs and drop earrings this way

Here are some other ways to use buttons:

Seven Ways to Use Buttons on Gift Cards and Tags


Do you have any great ways to reuse buttons? 
We’d love your thoughts – please comment below…

Seven Top Easter Gift Ideas

If you’re looking for some crafty activities to do with the kids this Easter weekend, or just a fun way to present your Easter treats, read on for some fun Easter gift ideas…

1. Edible Flowers
Why we love them:
  • They’re quick, easy and inexpensive to make
  • You can make them from lots of different types of sweets – lollies, chocolates and marshmallows. 
  • You could make a bunch of them to giveaway, or pop them in the garden for the kids to find on their Easter Egg Hunt. 

Image from www.spitupisthenewblack.com

Image from www.kellione.com.au

2. Gifts in plastic Easter Egg
Why we love them:
  • These plastic Easter eggs are so versatile that you can fill them with anything – not just chocolate. We love the idea of filling them with socks and other trinkets. 
  • They’re fun and brightly coloured so the kids will love finding these as much as the chocolate eggs on their Easter Egg Hunt. 
  • These eggs can also be used for big kids too! Fill them with nail polish, makeup or other pampering treats for adults. 



Image from www.allthingsgd.com 

Image from www.brit.co 


3. Easter basket for Dads
Why we love it:
  • Cause Dad’s deserve an Easter treat too!
  • Turning a baseball cap upside down and filling it with treats means that Dad has something to keep once all the treats are gone. 


Image from www.inspiredbyfamilymag.com 

4. Paint Card Easter decorations
Why we love them:
  • They’re colourful (and you can pick any number of colours)
  • They’re inexpensive
  • It’s easy to source a selection of different paint card from any hardware store
Image from www.diyreal.com

Image from www.jennicanknit.blogspot.com.au

5. Candy Cone
Why we love it:
  • It’s easy to make and looks great
  • You can fill it with any sweets you like
  • The materials you need to make one are easy to source and don’t cost much – cellophane, ribbon, sweets and an icecream cone. 
  • You can pop some marshmallows or larger sweets inside the cone to fill out out and then place smaller sweets on top.

Image from www.ohforsweetnesssake.blogspot.com.au

6. Bunny Tails
Why we love them:
  • This is a really cute way of packaging up little marshmallows as part of an Easter Egg hunt
  • They are inexpensive to make
  • Kids will love them (as long as you assure them that no bunnies were harmed in the process of making them;)

Image from www.mamamiss.com


7. Paper Strip Easter Egg
Why we love it:
  • This is a quick, easy craft activity to do with children of different ages
  • It’s inexpensive and can be a nice way to use up old paper, wrapping paper, cards, magazines and newspapers. 
  • You can use any colour theme you like – kids will have fun choosing their own colours
Image from www.pinterest.com


Do you decorate your house for Easter, or do you have a favourite Easter craft activity to do with the kids?
We’d love your thoughts – please comment below…

Handmade gift of the day: No-Cook Playdough

The special smell of home-made playdough still brings back fond childhood memories for me. Although you can now purchase Playdough in a rainbow of colours, part of the fun of homemade playdough is the anticipation and process of making it, as well as deciding what colour to make it. 

This playdough recipe is quick, inexpensive, and easy to make with the kids (especially on a rainy day when you’re looking for an indoor activity). 

This would also be a fun thing to include in a party bag (instead of heaps of lollies). Just seal a ball of it up in a zip-lock bag for the kids to take home and play with later. You could also include some cookie cutter shapes with it. 

Photo by Alex Bruda


Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of plain flour
  • 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
  • Half a cup of salt
  • 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar
  • Approx. 1.5 cups of hot water
  • Food colouring

Photo by Alex Bruda



Method:

1. Mix the flour, salt, vegetable oil and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl. 
2. Mix the flood colouring and hot water together and add the water to the flour mixture
3. Stir until the mixture comes together and forms a dough
4. Let the dough cool slightly before kneading it well. You can add more flour if required.  

This recipe was kindly shared with us by Cooinda Cottage Child Care, ACT

Check out more handmade gifts here

What’s your favourite indoor activity to do with your kids on  rainy days?

We’d love your thoughts – please share your comments below…


Handmade gift of the day: Sew Wanderlust embroideries by Teresa Lim

Do you have a favourite holiday photo you’d like to do something special with?

Teresa Lim has taken her gorgeous holiday snaps to a new level, by immortalizing them in needlework.

These intricate embroidery works were inspired by her travels around the world, and we reckon they would make a sensational handmade gift – especially for someone special that you shared your travels with. Here are some of our favourites…

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Big Ben, London
 

 

Serpentine Falls, Perth

 

Charles Bridge, Prague

 

Tokyo



View more of Teresa’s embroideries here, and check out more handmade gifts here

What’s your favourite holiday snap?

We’d love your thoughts – please comment below…



Handmade gift of the day: Knitted Wine Sleeve

A bottle of wine makes a fantastic gift, and this handmade Knitted Wine Sleeve makes it even more special.

Knitted Wine Sleeve from Etsy store, paperandparcel


Why we love it:

  • They are a great way to reuse an old jumper that may be damaged, have holes in it, etc. If you don’t have an old jumper, check out op shops and charity stores for different options.
  • They can be personalized depending on what type of ribbon you use.
  • You can add a gift tag with a personalized message
  • I don’t know many people who don’t love a bottle of wine, but you could also gift a bottle of whisky, spirits, or something non-alcoholic. 
  • The knit stretches to accommodate most sized bottles, and the length of the sleeve can be adjusted to match the height of the bottle for the perfect fit.

Check out our other handmade gift ideas here…

What’s your favourite type of wine to give as a gift?

We’d love your thoughts – please comment below…

Handmade gift of the day: Painted Oven Mitts

These cute oven mitts are a delightful gift idea for the kids to make for dad, mum, grandma, grandad, or family friends. They are perfect for any occasion as a birthday gift, Christmas gift, Mother’s Day/Father’s Day gift, or even a Thank You gift.


Why we love them:

  • They are simple to make – just grab a plain oven mitt and some fabric paint.
  • You can pick up oven mitts pretty cheaply in any discount department store.
  • You can pick your colours to suit your recipient or occasion, i.e. blue or red for a man, pink or purple for a woman and red and green for Christmas.
  • The handprints are a great design – they are personalized and capture a moment in time when the kids are a certain age. We also love date-stamping them too.
  • Tip – use contrasting coloured paint on a plain mitt to ensure your design stands out.


Check out our other handmade gift ideas here…

What is the best handmade gift you’ve ever received?
We’d love your thoughts – please comment below…

Favourite Six St Patrick’s Day Gifts

It’s St Patrick’s Day on Tuesday 17th March, so we thought we’d share some of our favourite handmade gift ideas. It’s amazing how much gift inspiration you can draw from green, gold, rainbows and all things Irish…

1. Paper Shamrocks
These would be great fun for a party or a kid’s bedroom. They’re pretty easy to make, so the kids could have fun making these too.  

They would also look great in other colours – tonal or contrasting bright colours as a simple mobile to decorate a bedroom.  

Image from www.sugarbeecrafts.com

2. Fresh flowers in green jars
Either paint your own jars, or look for green jars in op shops or discount stores. 
You could also decorate a clear glass jar with a green ribbon. Flowers with large green leaves (like these tulips) complement the ‘green’ look. 

Image from www.yesterdayontuesday.com

3. Green gift hamper
This would make a great Thank You gift or a fun present for someone whose birthday falls on St Patrick’s Day. You could also take a larger version of this hamper to work to share with your work colleagues. 

Image from www.thetoddanderinfavoritefive.com

4. Horseshoe with green ribbon
Horseshoes are considered to be lucky (just make sure they are turned this way up – so the luck stays in them!). Add some green ribbon and a personal message and they make a beautiful gift to adorn a front door. 

Image from www.theinteriorevolution.com

5. Pot of Gold
This is a classy gift for a classy recipient. The gifts you put in here obviously don’t have to be real gold, and you could have some fun being a ‘magpie’ and finding gold trinkets to pop in here. A can of gold spray paint could also be your best friend here! We LOVE the gold pegs 🙂

Image from www.persialou.com
6. Rainbow Lolly Bags
A few bags of coloured lollies, some gold coins, a glass (a clear plastic cup is better for kiddies), some cellophane, and ribbon is all that’s required to make these fun little lolly pots. These would be great fun for kids to make with/for their friends – just expect a few lollies to go missing before they make it into the glass!

Image from www.icanteachmychild.com



Which St Patrick’s Day gift idea do you like best? 
We’d love your thoughts – please comment below…

Handmade gift of the day: Spice Jars with Blackboard Paint Lids

Writing the contents on the lids of my spice jars has been life-changing.

I didn’t realize how much time I used to waste lifting up each individual jar to inspect what was inside (or read the label on the front) when I was looking for a specific ingredient.

Image from www.catsresume.blogspot.com.au
Why we love them:
  • They are easy to make – simple paint the lid with chalkboard paint and label with a chalk pen
  • You can use any size or shape of jar, depending on what you like the look of and what fits in your cupboard best. 
  • They are reusable – when an ingredient runs out, simply wash the jar and lid and refill/label with another ingredient. 
  • They’re a great way to reuse old jars that would otherwise be thrown out. 
  • You could use them anywhere in the house – not just in your pantry. Think bathroom, office, workshop, or sewing room for haberdashery supplies. 
  • You could fill them with homemade produce or homegrown herbs for as a thoughtful, cost-effective gift. 

What would you use these jars for?
We’d love your thoughts – please comment below…

Handmade gift of the day: Crumbz Aprons

Aprons make a fantastic gift for men who like to cook.

When we tried to source aprons for men, we noticed that there weren’t many men’s aprons available on the market…until we discovered the Crumbz range.

http://www.mrgift.com.au/Crumbz/crumbz-butchers-apron


We have three different types of aprons to suit the chef in your house: The Barry BBQ apron, the Butcher’s Apron and the Chef’s Apron. Check out the Crumbz range here…

http://www.mrgift.com.au/Crumbz/Barry-BBQ-apron

 
 
http://www.mrgift.com.au/Crumbz/crumbz-chef-apron



Why we love them:

  • The Crumbz range has been lovingly handmade in Healesville in Victoria’s picturesque Yarra Valley since 2009.We love supporting Australian businesses!
  • They are made from 100% Cotton fabric in stylish colours and patterns
  • The designs feature high-quality cotton straps and wrap-around waist ties
  • They are suitable for men AND women
  • They are smart and practical
  • Easy-care – simply machine wash
These aprons feature high quality cotton straps
 
The Butcher’s Apron and Barry BBQ Apron have large pockets to hold utensils

The Barry BBQ Apron features a removable towel – perfect for wiping your hands on


Aprons aren’t just for kids or Nanna – real men wear aprons too!

Check out our other handmade gift ideas here…

Who’s the chef in your house?
We’d love your thoughts – please comment below…

Handmade gift of the day: Button Bookmarks

Buttons, buttons and more buttons!

These would be the perfect little gift for people who love reading, like the girls in my bookclub. A little set of these would also make a gorgeous gift for your child’s teacher.

http://www.iheartnaptime.net/button-bookmarks/



Why we love it:

  • Men, women, children – the possibilities are endless depending on what buttons and coloured paperclips you use.
  • You can buy some really fun paperclips these days – different colours, large, small, patterned. Source something different from your local stationery shop or $2 shop.
  • Cover your own buttons in fabrics you love
  • Use other trinkets such as gumnuts or semi-precious stones for a different effect.
  • They don’t have to be used as bookmarks – organizing paperwork with these paperclips has never been so stylish!
  • Here’s a tutorial on how to make them…

 
 
 
Who would you make these Button Bookmarks for?
We’d love your thoughts – please comment below…