Category: Top Gift Tips and Ideas

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Gift wrapping idea of the week: How to make paper flowers from patty pans

There is no shortage of choice when it comes to patty pans/cupcake liners these days. This assortment of different coloured/patterned patty pans are ideal for layering to create these gorgeous paper flowers – beautiful gift toppers. 


Why we love them:
  • These flowers act like a fancy bow on a present and are the finishing touch on a beautifully wrapped gift. 
  • They are inexpensive and easy to make. Don’t worry about having a few different colours in your cupboard – you’ll always use them for patty cakes and muffins. 
  • You can have fun playing around with different colour combinations, but they look great set against plain brown kraft wrapping paper (which is inexpensive and an essential in every wrapping cupboard). 


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Handmade gift of the week: How to reuse tin cans

I have a collection of baby formula tins in my cupboard that I have kept, hoping there is something useful I can do with them. They’re great quality tins with gold plastic lids, but they aren’t airtight, so I can’t store food in them. They also have branding on them, so I always planned to paint them, but wasn’t sure what colour or design to use, until now…



Why we love them:

  • These colours look great together. White and gold look great for interiors, whilst the turquoise tones are bright and fresh for outside. 
  • Stripes are a timeless pattern, and conveniently already marked on the tins! You could also use tape to ensure neat, clean lines. 
  • You could apply this technique to any type of tin can – large or small. 
  • I would also use these as storage tins for pens, stationery, sewing acessories such as cotton reels and other haberdashery. 

Where would you use these pretty tins in your home? 
We’d love your thoughts – please comment below…
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Gifts for the one you love + 20% OFF STOREWIDE

Gift ideas for Scorpio
‘Poetry’ was the theme of my last book club meeting. We enjoyed reciting and discussing poems from a variety of talented and renowned authors and poets, but my favourite poem was this beautiful piece by James Carter from his book, Time–Travelling Underpants (Macmillan), which is very appropriate for Valentine’s Day:

Love You More

Do I love you
to the moon and back?
No I love you
more than that

I love you to the desert sands
the mountains, stars
the planets and

I love you to the deepest sea
and deeper still
through history

Before beyond I love you then
I love you now
I’ll love you when

The sun’s gone out
the moon’s gone home
and all the stars are fully grown

When I no longer say these words
I’ll give them to the wind, the birds
so that they will still be heard

I love you
 

   Our gift to you this Valentine’s Day is… 
 
20% OFF STOREWIDE
from now until midnight, Sunday 14/2/16.  
Use Discount Code VALENTINE in the Discount Code field when you place your order.  

This offer can’t be used in conjunction with other offers, or redeemed for cash. But please feel free to share with family and friends:)
Ashortwalk Recycled Photo Frame with chalk
1. The ‘Sentimental Gift’
Ashortwalk Recycled Photo Frame with Chalk $39.95
Slip a favourite pic in this photo frame, write a special message and you have yourself one personalised gift. Also makes a great gift for grandparents and friends.  
Heart Knit Hottie
2. The ‘Snuggly Gift’
Heart Knit Hottie $15.95
With cooler days not far away, your Valentine will love snuggling on the couch with this cosy heat pack (which can also be chilled). 
 
Kreafunk aMove Speaker
3. The ‘Romantic Gift’
Kreafunk aMove Speaker $174.95
Turn off the telly and pop on some romantic tunes with this wireless portable speaker. 
Gentlemen's Hardware Cocktail Shaker
4. The ‘Indulgent Gift’
Gentlemen’s Hardware Cocktail Shaker $29.95
Treat your Valentine to a Martini James Bond would approve of with this luxury cocktail shaker. 
I-Clip Wallet
5. The ‘Stylish Gift’
I-Clip Wallet $37.95
Big wallets are overrated. Treat your Valentine to a stylish, lightweight leather wallet designed to hold up to 12 cards.  
 

1. How to Plan a Romantic Picnic

 
If your idea of a romantic Valentine’s Day doesn’t involve bumping elbows with the couple at the next table in a restaurant you had to make a booking for three months ago, read on. Our latest blog series, Five Ways to Spoil your Valentine offers some other activities you can organise to spoil your sweetheart. The first in this series is a romantic picnic.

READ FULL POST…

2. How to Plan a Romantic Dinner

 
Don’t have a dinner reservation for Valentine’s Day? No worries. This next post in our Five Ways to Spoil your Valentine series explores how you can have a romantic and loving Valentine’s Day dinner without having to spend a huge amount of money or time trying to book a restaurant on Valentine’s Day night. Here’s what to do…

READ FULL POST…


 

3. How to Plan a Romantic Night In

Picture yourself: Relaxing on your couch with a glass of wine in hand and your favourite movie playing. Your Valentine might be giving you a foot massage, or you might simply be soaking your feet in a warm footbath, lightly fragranced with some lavender oil. Sounds pretty good doesn’t it? 
Now consider which you would prefer: The above scenario; or a meal out in a noisy, crowded restaurant (probably after struggling to find a car park)?

READ FULL POST…

 

4. How to Create a Romantic Treat for your Valentine

 
What was the last thoughtful gift you received? It doesn’t have to be anything big or expensive – it could be something as simple as some homemade biscuits. 

A friend who came over for dinner recently bought a large bunch of flowers she picked from her garden. Rather than bringing food, another friend that came for morning tea the other day bought a fresh bunch of mixed herbs from her garden. 

These guys obviously know me pretty well, because I LOVE these types of gifts. In fact, I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t want to receive gifts like these. They are thoughtful, useful and meaningful – the ultimate ‘Awesome Gift Trifecta’. 

How can you create this kind of gift experience for your Valentine? We reckon the way to anyone’s heart is through their stomach with food and/or drink. So here are some ideas of how you can personalise some simple and beautiful gifts…

READ FULL POST…
 

 

5. How to Plan a Romantic Weekend Away

 
This is the final instalment of our blog series, Five Ways to Spoil your Valentine… 
Some of the most romantic weekend getaways I’ve had with my husband have been the ones that have been organised last minute. For example, waking up in the morning and saying ‘shall we go away somewhere this weekend?’ We haven’t been quite as spontaneous since our children came along, since we now have two little people to think about. But planning a romantic weekend away doesn’t have to be hard. And if you can’t find a babysitter, you can always take the kids with you! 

READ FULL POST…

 

 

What’s your favourite way to spend Valentine’s Day? 
We’d love your thoughts – please comment below…
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PRODUCT OF THE WEEK: ‘Beef Cuts’ large canvas poster $169.95

Know your Brisket from your Flank? You’ll know your cuts of beef better than a butcher thanks to this stylish poster. 


Why we love it:

This high-quality canvas poster features muted colours that would suit just about any décor. 
This cool, retro-style Beef Cuts poster would look fantastic displayed in your kitchen or living space, and add an interesting conversation piece to your home.
This would be a fabulous piece for man cave, a cafe, restaurant, deli or shop – should you know a cafe or restaurant owner that you need to buy a gift for!

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Handmade gift of the week: How to use old handkerchiefs

I recently found my stash of hankies I had as a child. I probably would have thrown them out, had they not been in such good condition and had such gorgeous vintage-style children’s prints on them. I have been racking my brains as to what I can do with them…a child’s quilt perhaps, or maybe some patchwork scatter cushions? The fabric of some of them is pretty fine now, so I’m not sure if they’d stand the wear-and-tear of being re-purposed in a quilt of cushion. Then I saw this gorgeous vintage hankie bunting idea and I can’t wait to try it!

Image from www.pinterest.com

Why we love it:
  • This is super easy to make – you can simply tie the corners together, so I don’t need to cut up my precious hankies
  • You can make it as long as you want, depending on how many hankies you have
  • This is a gorgeous way of decorating a child’s bedroom or casual living area. Simply select patterns that suit the room you intend to use it in i.e. children’s prints for a child’s room, or pretty florals for an adult bedroom. 
  • It’s colourful, fun and would look great in any interior – contemporary or traditional. 
  • Bunting has been around forever and is a classic decorating accessory, but it’s massively on-trend at the moment. 



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Handmade card of the week: Confetti cards

Colourful confetti spots have a celebratory feel about them and are an easy way to create a fun handmade card…  


Why we love them:
  • You can easily make these types of spots yourself with different coloured paper and a hole punch. Tip: Fold the paper and punch it in several layers to create more spots. 
  • You could experiment with metallic or printed paper for different looks. Tonal colours work well for adults, and bright contrasting colours are fun for kids. 
  • You don’t have to be too precise and glue each spot – spread some glue (Pritt Stick type glue works best) on your card and sprinkle spots for a more random effect. 
  • You can add other ‘accessories’ to your card for the spots to appear from – we love the envelope used on the card above. 

Check out our other handmade cards here…

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Cake of the week: Sprinkle number birthday cake

There’s an infectious fun associated with sprinkles. Maybe it’s the pleasant memories of childhood birthday parties, or just the rainbow of cheerful colours. These sprinkle birthday cakes are super simple to make and would make an awesome cake for anyone, of any age. 

Image from www.buzzfeed.com

Why we love them:
  • Each of these cakes demonstrate an ’embossed’ or ‘debossed’ way of using sprinkles. The first image shows how you can ‘block out’ the area you don’t want covered with a template. The second image uses a number 2 stencil to pop sprinkles in. 
  • These colours would work well for children and adults of any age, male or female. 
  • You could experiment with the colour of the base icing. White will of course make the sprinkles stand out, but pale pink, yellow, or blue would also look good too. 
  • You can apply this decorating technique to a cake of any size or shape. 
Who would you make this cake for? 
We’d love your thoughts, please comment below…