Homemade Birthday Gifts Today

You can make some lovely stationary using food coloring.  This fun technique will make unique homemade birthday gifts for anyone who loves to write correspondence.  You can also use this technique to make book marks, greeting cards.

Here’s what you will need:

• Plain Note cards (They can be purchased at Craft stores, office supplies stores)
• Small bowls to mix up the color solution
• Straw
• Food coloring in desired colors
• Dish washing liquid
• 1/2 Cup water

Instructions

1. Mix about 1 tsp of dish washing liquid, water and ten drops or so of food coloring in a small bowl.
2. With a straw, gently blow bubbles into the bowl
3. place note card gently on bubbles
4. Carefully lift card up
5. You can repeat this process with several colors
6. Allow card to fully dry
7. Options: After card is fully dried, you can add to it.  You can draw a picture or stamp a design on it.  You can also use the same technique on the envelopes.

Technorati Tags: Birthday Gift for Her, bubble stationary, homemade birthday gifts, stationary

If you need find a Birthday Gift for Her  and you are not sure exactly what to make, try making a beautiful book mark.  This is especially a nice gift if she enjoys reading.  Pair the book mark up with a book she has been dying to read or a gift card to her favorite book store.

Here is what you need:

• A book mark form (You can find these in the bead section of a craft store)
• Thin ribbon in colors of your choice
• Silver or gold non-elastic 2 ply thread
• Small beads (about 10 to 2o)
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. Measure out 2 strands of metallic thread to the desired length.  Keep in mind they will be folded in half. (They will be tied to the book mark)

2. Tie desired beads onto thread.  Allow various amounts of space between each beads.

3. At the end of the Bookmark is a loop.   Thread two or three pieces of ribbon through the loop.

4. Pull the ribbon through to the desired length.  The center of the ribbon will be at the book mark loop.

5. You will be tying the ribbon into a knot at the loop of the book mark.  Tie the first half of the knot.

6. Take the thread with tied on beads and put the middle of each thread at the base of the ribbon knot.

7. Finish tying a knot with the ribbon.  You will be tying the metallic threads to the book  mark with the ribbon.  You may want to tie a knot in the ribbon two times.

8. Trim the ribbon and thread to the desired length.

Technorati Tags: beads, Birthday Gift for Her, Book Mark, gift for her

Bath salts are an easy homemade birthday gift for her.  It’s best if you allow a few weeks for the salts to absorb the oil, but you can use the bath salts immediately.

What You Need:

• Epsom Salt
• Essential Oils of your choice
• Decorative Jar
• Optional (Food Coloring)
• Plastic Bowl
• Wax Paper

Instructions:

1. Pour enough Epsom salt to fill your jar into a bowl
2. If using food coloring, mix in food coloring until evenly coated
3. Add drops of essential oils into the salt and mix well again.
4. Spread salt out on wax paper and allow to dry for a couple of hours
5. Fill jar with salts

Optional ideas:  Add jar of salt to a basket.  Include a candle, sachets, soaps or other bath related items.  You may also want to make several mini jars of salts using different scents.  Fill a basket with several of the different scented salts.

Technorati Tags: Bath Salts, Gifts for Her, homemade birthday gifts, homemade gifts

Here is a beautiful gift that is so easy to make.  It will look like you hand painted the gift.  You can use your imagination and create picture frames, note cards and so on.  During the holidays, you can even use this technique to create ornaments.  All items can be found at a local craft store.

Here is what you need:

• A container such a wood box, paper mache container
• Decorative paper napkins, preferably with a white background.  Use one where you can cut out a part of it such as flowers.
• White acrylic paint
• Decoupage
• Varnish spray
• 2 brushes.  One to paint the container and one to apply the decoupage

Instructions:

1. Paint your container with the white acrylic paint. Let container dry
2. Take the napkin and separate the layers.  You only want one layer of the napkin with the design printed on it.
3. Cut out the part of the design that you want on the container.  If you have a white napkin, you will not have to worry about cutting out the exact shape.
4. Brush on decoupage onto the area of the container where you wish to place the cut out.
5. Very gently place cut out onto decoupage area of container.  Lightly tap into place and tap out air bubbles
6. Brush over cut out design with more decoupage.  This will also help to brush out air bubbles.
7. After applying all cut outs in desired, allow container to dry.
8. Cover container with varnish following manufacturer’s instruction.

Technorati Tags: Birthday Gift for Her, Decoupage, Napkins

A great homemade birthday gift during the chilly months is Hot Cocoa Mix.  It is a very simple gift to make.  You can give it with 2 mugs, mini-marshmallows, and possibly a tin of cookies.  Throw in a great DVD or a gift card from a movie rental store and you have a wonderful cozy gift.

What you need:

• Bell Jar, ceramic canister or other decorative container with a lid that has a great seal to hold the cocoa mix.
• Ribbon (enough to tie around the container so that you can attach a note card)
• Note card to write out instructions for hot cocoa.
• 2 1/2 C powdered milk
• 2 tsp. of cornstarch
• 1 C Cocoa Powder (try Dark chocolate or other types of specialty flavors)
• 2 C  Powdered Sugar Sugar
• Optional ingredients to try: Cinnamon, cayenne pepper or shaved semi sweet chocolate

Optional Items:

• Coffee Mugs
• Gift Cards or DVD
• Tin of Cookies

Instructions:

1. Mix all dry ingredients together and put in jar / canister.
2. Write out on a note card or create a note on the computer directions for the hot cocoa.
   1. Fill cup 1/3 full of hot cocoa mix
   2. Pour in a small amount of  boiling water
   3. Stir until smooth
   4. Fill the rest of the cup with the boiling water
   5. Top off with marshmallows, whip cream or any topping desired
   6. Enjoy!
3. Punch a hole in the upper left hand corner of the note card
4. Wrap ribbon around the top of the container and tie note card to the jar.
5. Other Ideas: Place jar in a basket with coffee mugs, cookies, DVD or other similar goodies.

Technorati Tags: Gift in a Jar, Hot Chocolate