Gel Air Freshener DIY

Foodie With Family offers a recipe/tutorial for making your own gel air freshener at home. I can see some homemade gifts being made in the near future! [link]

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DIY Marbled Glassware

Got a lot of nail polish at your disposal? Ever wonder what to do with it? Use it to marble some glassware! What a great idea for yourself or for gift giving. I am going to try this one with kids as a summer craft project. The image, idea and tutorial come from Honestly..WTF. [link]

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Sponge Ball = Bath Poof (Round-up)

This sponge ball idea comes from Martha Stewart. [link] It is described as a fun activity on a hot day - which I am sure it is. But, I was thinking, wouldn't it be nice paired with a bar of handmade soap for a luxurious bath gift? Similar to a bath poof! Well, if you don't like the idea of a sponge for bathing, I found other tutorials for a bath poof:

Tip Junkie

eHow

The Make Your Own Zone

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Four Fold Envelope

These origami envelopes are made from four different papers with one fold each. You can make them in a variety of sizes. The tutorial was posted on Cut Out + Keep by Copernicus. [link] Upon seeing these, I thought it would be a great teacher gift with a little Post It Note pad inside. Or even a cute folio for a CD or DVD.

Looking for paper to get started with?
Coordinated Paper Sets

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Tea Wreath

Kojodesigns shares a tutorial for this tea wreath. What a fantastic idea. I can envision making these for teacher gifts, house warming gifts, women's ministry or bible study, and possibly as part of a raffle item based on tea - I have so many ideas swirling around in my head. Oh, and then it doesn't just have to be for tea - what about Christmas cards or photographs or recipes .... [link]

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Fold a Box

Swap-bot Weblog has a tutorial on making a folded box just in time for Valentine's Day gift giving. You can print out the template. There is another box included in the post for a matchbox type box with template. Enjoy! [link]

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Sticky Note Clip Boards

Dollar Store Crafts shares a tutorial for back to school sticky note clip boards. Not only would they be good for back to school, but for teacher gifts, goodie bags, or hostess gifts. [link]

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Terra Cotta Coasters DIY

I love this idea. Terra cotta coasters. Very simple to make and my favorite part is the idea that liquid doesn't run off and is contained in the coaster. Thanks to Joy Is At Home for this DIY decor idea. [link]

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Upgrade Your Post-it Notes DIY

Dress up your Post-it Notes for a quick and easy gift. Keep a few of these on hand for those unforseen needs. They also make great teacher gifts. Thanks to Beneath My Heart for an easy to follow tutorial. [link]

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Alcohol Ink Tiles DIY

Who knew? Alcohol inks (Ranger Adirondack Lights Alcohol Ink  ) on tiles. Just in time for gift giving season! These would make beautiful teachers gifts. Just glue a bit of cork or felt on the back and you have a trivet worthy of gift giving. I found these beauties on Artsyville. [link]


Update: we just made a few sets of these at our house for teacher gifts. We used a black paint pen to finish the edges and about 1/4 inch on the back. Then we covered the back with cork. Finally we used Finish floor wax to seal the work. It does remove the ink if you are not VERY careful. We will try a spray coat finish before the Finish the next time we make these. 

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UK Gift Delivery

Do you need to send a gift to someone in the UK? Maybe a thank you or a thinking of you gift? Serenata Hampers might have just what you are looking for. They offer beautiful gift baskets (hampers) in a range of different categories. 

Choose your gift from options that include food gifts, delicious chocolates, beautiful flowers, tasteful wines and hearty plants. The offerings are suitable for a wide variety of needs. The price range varies so no matter what your budget, you can find a suitable option. 

Last minute shoppers can rest easily in the service from Serenata Hampers. You can choose your hamper until 8pm the night before for next day delivery. The receiver will never know you thought of them and ordered at the last minute.

If you have international needs, flowers can be sent to a variety of locations around the globe, more than 150 countries. Stay in touch and show friends and family that you are thinking of them, even when physical distances separates you. You can have flowers delivered same day to most countries.

You can shop with confidence knowing that Serenata Hampers offers a 100% guarantee on all purchases. A replacement or refund will be granted without hassle. There are a variety of options for online payment, so don't hesitate.

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Like Elmer's Help Kids!

Elmer's is partnering with the Kids In Need Foundation to provide essential school supplies to students who need them the most. For every LIKE on their Facebook page, they’ll donate one Elmer's product. Plus, they'll make an additional donation for every view the video on their page. [link]

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Magnetic and Ribbon Bookmark

 A magnetic bookmark makes for a fantastic craft that kids can help create. It also makes for a wonderful gift-giving item from them. The materials needed are limited and the time it takes to create it is rather quick, so attention spans are not tested. [more]

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Perfect Printing Pouch Giveaway

Contest Ended - No Winner

Have you seen the Perfect Printing Pouch? I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this little gem. What a great invention and I am kind of kicking myself for not thinking of it myself. – Oh well! At least I have one now.

So what is it you ask? Here is what it does:

    * STOPS bleeding & smearing of wet inks

    * DRIES inks instantly in a viariety of applications from inkjet printing on vellum to over-stamping pigment inks

    * ANTI-STATIC BAG for glitter & embossing powders

    * RELEASE AGENT for polymer clay and other modeling compounds when using stamps & molds

    * DEACTIVATES stickers, sticky tapes, and other adjesives

    * Neat & tidy to use.  Design keeps hands powder-free with scant residue on work surface.

    * Environmentally-friendly.  Made in a variety of colors from recycled materials.

    * Held upright, this Perfect Printing Pouch is designed for smaller projects.

Thanks to Scraperfect, Craft Connection is giving one away for free. Here is how to enter:

First entry:

Watch a Scraperfect video on youtube.com/scraperfect and comment there about what you learned or found interesting and then leave a comment here that you did so.

To win additional entries:

• Follow Craft Connection on Facebook and leave an additional comment here.
• Follow Craft Connection on Twitter and leave an additional comment here.
• Blog about this offer and leave a comment here with your link.

A winner will be chosen using Random.org. Contest ends Thursday, December 2^nd 2010.

The Perfect Printing Pouch was provided free of charge for a review and giveaway from Scraperfect.

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Story Time for Me

 Are you looking for a creative solution for a child in your life? How about a book that can read its self to them online. Or you could choose to create a special version with their picture and name enclosed. Use the link to gain credit for two free books. [link][

 Product review & giveaway disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."]

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Glass Etching Craft

Glass etching is a simple craft as long as you follow a few cautionary rules while using the etching cream. The results make for beautiful personalized gifts that are very professional looking. Children can do this craft as well with some adult supervision as well as the adult finishing the project with the etching cream since it is hazardous. [more]

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Nontraditional Gifts in a Jar

Traditionally gifts in a jar are for baking or food items. This craft is a take on that tradition but using objects instead. A collection if you will. [more]

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Teacher's Reward Magnets

These magnets were created from glass rocks, teacher's reward stickers, magnets and Uhu glue. These were a part of a larger project that will be featured here soon.


The Uhu glue, glass beads and magnets were provided free of charge from Saunders.

Uhu glue can be found at http://www.gluewithuhu.com/

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One Free Photo Hot Book Per Month

We have teamed up with select partners to sponsor one free photo book per month per customer. Yes, even the shipping and handling are free!
Don't worry, the advertisements will NOT be on the same pages as your photos. All advertisements will be on removable full-page inserts. We are very, very selective with our partners and will not include anything that is offensive. In fact, we may include offers and brands that are valuable to you. We also take your privacy very seriously and will not share any individual data with third parties. You will always have the option to pay for your books and we will not include any advertising.
All offers from HotPrints Ltd are subject to change at any time without notification.
Offer for one free book per month is limited to postal addresses in the United Kingdom, United States and Canada. Not available for any other regions. more...

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Easy Kids Craft

This easy craft makes for great gift giving. We used it for Valentine's Day for Preschool teachers but it could easily be adapted to any holiday or gift giving need. I am thinking Christmas trees or Easter eggs would lend themselves nicely to this project. Child made gifts make for specialized one of a kind gift giving sure to be treasured. The overall cost is inexpensive if you make multiple pieces for teachers, coaches, and grandparents. more...

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