DIY Wrapping

I like to wrap gifts, but chances are if you get a gift from me there will be an element of garbage on it, just to make it look good. That's right- I said garbage!
I make bows (using Jessica's "How about Orange" Tutorial) This year I forewent the used Frito bags and just went with newspaper. The "ribbon" is also from the same batch of newspaper.
NEWSPAPER-

DUCT TAPE-

Now that there are so many different patterns to Duct tape, why wouldn't one find a use for it for wrapping. I wrapped my cousins' boys (whom I lovingly refer to as Huey, Louie and Dewey) with duct tape as the ribbon and a bow made from same said duct tape!
GIFT BAGS-

Sometimes it just calls for a gift bag. I bought these plain Kraft paper bags at Staples, and just apply a stamp to them and  a bow!
PHOTO TAGS-

This year I found these cool photo frame gift tags at the Dollar Tree, so I perused my family's facebook pages for pics and printed them out in Black and white! There are some really good old pics in there!

REBLOG: Homemade Vanilla For Gifts

Rebloged from November 26, 2010- I explore my craft yet chef side and make some home made vanilla for Christmas, as well as homemade vanilla sugar! 

 

I got 7 bottles of home made vanilla out of a 5th of bourbon! I got my small bottles today. So scratch 6 gifts off my list (Yes I have 7 bottles... you think I ain't keeping one?). I am giving these, along with a quart jar of vanilla sugar for gifts this year. Thanks so much to Abbie for this gift idea from her blog

Of course, as always I party with the best:

DIY Gift- Chalkboard Mug

Need a quick DIY gift to give? How about a Chalkboard mug?

1-take a plain white mug- You can build  Green points by buying one at a thrift store or just take one out of the cupboard!

2- wrap with painters' tape, leaving a white square

3- Next take a can of Chalkboard Spray Paint, and slowly spray paint the white square, it may take multiple coats.

4- Let dry overnight. Remove the tape
5- Then "season" the chalkboard- (Run chalk over it using the broadside of a chalkstick.
And there you go- A mug or cup you can change the message on!

DIY GIFT TAGS

 This year, as last I made my own gift tags- the above are made out of a christmas card from my dentist... simple- just cut and punch a hole

This are made from some mini ornaments I found at Big Lots and some cut up coffee sleeve protectors from a local espresso shop. I like the "cardboardy" look.

A new Chicken? An envelope making one!

There is another chicken out there in the blogosphere... and this one is an Angry Chicken (as opposed to the Crunchy one) and this one came up with a new way to make envelopes out of magazines and scrap paper with no cutting, no templates... and she has a tutorial video on it to boot. So welcome Angry Chicken, and thanks!

Vanilla Gifts

I got 7 bottles of home made vanilla out of a 5th of bourbon! I got my small bottles today. So scratch 6 gifts off my list (Yes I have 7 bottles... you think I ain't keeping one?). I am giving these, along with a quart jar of vanilla sugar for gifts this year. Thanks so much to Abbie for this gift idea from her blog

Of course, as always I party with the best:

Christmas earrings

Earrings should be like my cousin Bertha... Big, dangly and fun. So this year, I am again making earrings for my girl cousins and friends out of christmas ornaments (Just hoping I remember who I gave them to last year so I don't make an embarrasing repeat) Easy to make - just buy some earring loops and christmas balls (preferably plastic as opposed to glass- in case of breakage) take the ornament loop out, place the earring loop on the ornament loop and it looks like something from Tiffany- the 80's singer not the jewelers.

I only attend the finest parties at:

Vanilla Holidays

What??? Vanilla Holidays??? Christmas for crackers???
Is he crazy- talking about Holidays already- hell Maude- school just started, and he is dreaming of a white Christmas... that boy is nuts!!
No Harold, I am not crazy... I have just been making christmas presents.


First I been making Vanilla extract, simply following instructions found on Abbie's Blog. and then making Vanilla Sugar. Here is how to make Vanilla Sugar:

You Need:
1-2 vanilla beans,
1 airtight jar
regular granulated sugar.

Fill the jar halfway with sugar. Cut the beans into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces and stick them into the sugar. Add sugar to cover the beans. Close the container and place it into a cool dark closet. You may wish to wrap the jar into aluminum foil ( some people say it works better). The vanilla sugar will ready for usage after 3 weeks.

Add sugar to the jar if needed. The beans will release the aroma for about two years. They are still good after that, but they will need heat to release more aroma, that means they can be used for making a custard.

Weekly Challenge Update

Spike napping

Tough couple of weeks for me on the homefront; first all the snow, and my little pug, Spike had to be put down. Still I muddled through and finished a few things!

Sharon's Independence Days Challenge Week 28

Plant something: Nope- just drolled through my seed catalogs- one of the Christmas gifts I received was a gift certificate for Raintree Nursery to purchase my Columnade apple trees!Harvest something: Snow. Yes- snow (see Cooked something new)

Manage something: Got my “outdoor” refrigerator made this week- it is a cabinet at I bought months ago at Boeing Surplus- to put veggies and fruits in.

Cook Something New: Snow Ice cream- I saw a comment Chile posted on Crunchy’s blog and had to try it- pretty good; Cheese fondue- an excellent way to use up the bits of cheese I get from the uneaten cheese form cheese platters I take to parties and such

Snow Ice Cream (Recipe from Chile in a comment post on Crunchy's blog)-

Clean snow for us was usually the freshest (top) snowfall on top of bushes and walls.

(Some sites recommend putting a big bowl outside while it's snowing to catch the snow but we didn't do that.)

So, bring in a big bowl of clean snow.

Add sugar - maybe about a cup for a gallon of snow, and some vanilla extract.

Start stirring in milk, slowly so you don't make it too liquid, until it's just the right consistency for "ice cream".

(rob's note- works well with splenda and/or Aguave Nector for the Diabetics)

Cheese Fondue:

1 clove garlic, halved

3/4 c. beer

2 c. (8 oz.) shredded Swiss cheese

1 c. (4 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese(Note- I added a few slices of pepper jack cheese froma cheese platter I brought home from a party)

1 tbsp. flour

Dash hot sauce
Rub inside of sauce pan with garlic. Add beer, heat slowly. Coat cheese with flour and add to beer. Stir constantly until cheese is melted. Stir in hot sauce. Take pan from stove and transfer to a fondue pan. Dip cubed French bread or bagels in fondue.

Work on Local Food Systems: Not really local, but split a case of Clementine oranges with my mom- that way the case doesn’t go bad on us. Usually does. We figured that would solve the problem.

Re-Cycle, Re-Use, Re-Duce, Repair or Compost something: Put the Christmas boughs in the yard waste bin, used paper clips for ornament hangers; kept all the Christmas cards and made gift tags from them for next year; Reused a candy jar that my cousin gave me a couple of years ago- filled with Cocoa mix for my other cousin along with two mugs I bought last year and never gave out. Took a case of canned dog food (as I know I don't currently have a use for it) and gave it to the Humane Society Pet food drive, as I know there is a big need right now.

Learn a skill: Nothing- Unless you count making fondue a skill. Never made ate a lot of times- in the 70's

MELINDA'S BUY SUSTAINABLY CHALLENGE: Didn’t shop for anything except groceries this week. Bought some side pork for Christmas Dinner from the butchers. Side pork is like bacon and actually come from the belly of the pig.

Beansprout's Make a Christmas Gift Challenge Last post on this one- Gave out the clock I made mom from one of her Pig Cutting boards, haven’t given her the headboard yet due to inclement weather(needed to deliver in the truck- wont fit in my little car) but I know she will love it. And I gave out the jerky and the cocoa cones and a couple of bottles of homemade brandy. Great Christmas this year- most of everything I gave was made by my own two hands!

Crunchy’s Freeze Yer Balls off Challenge: I must admit when the night spike collapsed (Christmas evening) to turning the thermostat up to 70 to keep him warm in the living room. Otherwise my ass is frozen.
Sergeant Chile’s Operation Clean Out- started putting Christmas crap away into the roughneck bins and putting back in the rafters of the garage.

Weekly Challenge Update-

Door Bough
Sharon's Independence Days Challenge Week 25

Plant something: Planted some new chives

Harvest something: No but used some garlic scapes

Manage something: Made up a container of Cocoa Mix and one of Russian Tea, (not for gifts)

Cook Something New: OK, Here goes-

KINDER TO THE PIG- BLT

4 strips of Morningstar Veggie bacon strips

3 slices of tomatoLettuce

About 1 tbsp of mayo2 slices of bread

Prepare veggie bacon per directions-Spread mayo on bread- then layer the lettuce, tomato and cooked veggiebacon.For a little zip and tang, add some Chipolte or Hot Sauce.

I also made Rachel Ray’s “Love Birds” –Chicken in Puff Pastry with Fig- I couldn’t find fig preserves so I used dried figs cut up instead

Love Birds

And I made Sugar Free Peanut Brittle


Work on Local Food Systems: Just buying local apples at the green grocer, about it

Re-Cycle, Re-Use, Re-Duce, Repair or Compost something: Got some Fir tree Boughs for free when my mom’s apartment complex cut down a bunch of trees and made Door Boughs out of them for my mom and myself; Of course threw what I didn’t use in the compost pile; recycled some printer ink cartridges and two cell phones- sent them in to PetsMart’s Charities. I got a mailer at the local petsmart and sent them in- Not only recycling but helping out homeless pets as well! TWOFER!

Learn a skill: Learned how to Clarify butter and how to make (distill) Rose Water

MELINDA'S BUY SUSTAINABLY CHALLENGE: Didn’t buy these- I made the Made some Pine Door Boughs for decorating my mom's and my doors. They cut down trees at her apartment complex, I pick the small pieces of Fir tree boughs, and voila- Instant Christmas Cheer! Of course the boughs will be composted after Christmas. Didn’t buy much of anything this week except groceries.

Beansprout's Make a Christmas Gift Challenge: Made pine door boughs from materials I “gleaned”; Finished head board

Crunchy’s Freeze Yer Balls off Challenge: Yes Crunchy my balls are officially frozen. The new programmable thermostat works great! Nice waking up to a not so cold house!

Sergeant Chile’s Operation Clean Out- Worked in garage all day Sunday- well took some time to put up Christmas tree

Weekly Challenge Update

Well the 57 day strike is over at Boeing- I will be returning to work on the 3rd- sigh I must admit I was enjoying practicing for retirement; I must say that challenges have taught me to live frugally, and more self sustaining. If you haven’t tried a challenge, I highly suggest you start! Also, beansprouts blog started a challenge which is right up my alley- A make your own Christmas gifts challenge!

Sharon's Independence Days Challenge Week 20
Plant something: Kale plants that I bought

Prep something: 3 more pumpkins roasted, pureed and froze. Roasted pumpkin seeds!

Harvest something- A few beans and some lettuce; sunflower heads from the garden for bird food- strung them up with a stick or twig stuck in the head as a perch for birds- I use to do this as a kid
Manage something: Finish putting up the new siding on the north gable

Cook Something New: Cook some of Beth’s Cat food for my cat

Work on Local Food Systems: Not really, but I did buy three more sugar pumpkins for pie/soup/pumpkin bread from my local green grocer- He lowers the price on the day after halloween!

Re-Cycle, Re-Use, Re-Duce, Repair or Compost something: Saved some of the scrap cedar shingles to use in the rocket stove or my chiminea; took the rest for burn barrel on the picket line; cut down sunflowers as their growing season is over- saved the heads for birdfood and put the stalks in the composter

Learn a skill: Nothing much except learned how to recharge Nicad batteries to reduce waste batteries for flashlights, remotes, etc. Found out the NiCad batteries are rechargeable and not much more expensive than the alkaline- great for my digi-cam or as I call it My AA Battery eater! And learned I could make a solar recharger for them! Also learned That you can use the NiCad rechargeble batteries in your solar powered lights if your batteries in them went tits up

MELINDA'S BUY SUSTAINABLY CHALLENGE: Went to St. Vincent’s and bought 2 vegetable peelers, 2 stainless steel bowls with covers and a zester. I needed a new vegetable peeler, they were $6-$14 at the grocery- ridiculous! So I bought two slightly used ones that work fine for $.49 a piece! Since there was a tag sale at St. Vinnie's I got them for $.13 each! Bought two pumpkins from the green grocer that went on sale the day after Halloween! Roasted and pureed and froze them for pie! Roasted the seeds! I Bought four kale plants at Duane’s. Except for groceries, Bought nothing else.

JENNIFER'S STOP THE LEAKS CHALLENGE: Finished the gable project- 2 more to go on the house, two more on the garage. The holes are gone! Will do/finish the house first since the garage is not heated and is an “outbuilding”.

CRUNCHY DOMESTIC GODDESS’ DITCH THE DISPOSABLES CHALLENGE: Didn’t do too well this week- went to a local creperie that opened here in Burien- they put crepes in cardboard boxes which went into my yard waste container, and no bag but I could have eaten them there- but they use chinet paper plates and plastic forks/spoons so I thought it would be better to eat them at home- at least I knew containers would get composted! And bought two pizzas this week- we needed a quick meal one night- the containers also went into yard waste bin! No coffee to go without my stainless steel commuter cup this week though so that was good!

MELINDA'S GROWING CHALLENGE: Trying to figure out why my Kale etc. is not growing. Am going to try bell Cloche’s (I made some out of 2 liter pop bottles)
Any info anyone has on Kale would be appreciated!

Beansprout's Make a Christmas Gift Challenge: Ms. Melanie has a wonderful challenge for November- I make most of my Christmas gifts, so this should be neat and easy. She didn't have a button for the challenge, at least not one I saw so I made her one! I have laready started- I made fruit infused vodka for my relatives, and will make brownies in a jar, ornaments and I am making or rather reupholstering a head board for my mom for christmas, and a turning pig shaped cutting board into a clock for her as well.