Weeks Update:

• Jason - work
• Jen’s Girl’s Night Out
• Jen - crafting for the holidays
• Jen got a sewing machine for her birthday
• Early Thanksgiving - Jen went overboard with the cranberry sauce

7 DIY Christmas Gifts

• Iron on transfers for tote bags or teeshirts - You can pick up the transfer paper at any office supply store or Target/Walmart. You can get a plain canvas tote bag in a lot of different sizes at a craft store such as Michael’s (look for coupons in the Sunday paper to make this project really inexpensive), Jo-ann’s or Walmart. All you need is a printer, the transfer paper and the object you’re going to be transfering the image onto. Directions will be included with the transfer paper.
• Cookie Mix in a Jar - M&M Cookies in a jar http://organizedchristmas.com/recipe-MM-cookies-in-a-jar - You will find a recipe for 1 jar and for 12 jars. They also have PDF’s available for you to download and print out the gift tags and the directions for the gift recipient to make the cookies. Organized Christmas has a ton more gift in a jar recipes if M&M’s don’t appeal to you or the receiver.
• Bath Salts - Another super simple gift you can whip up in minutes. The most basic of basic recipes is to get 2 cups of Epsom salts (available at the drug or grocery store) and add 25 drops of essential oil. Essential oils are available with the soap making supplies at the craft store. Just stir it together and put in a jar. You could print out a label or just write one out yourself. If you don’t want to add a colorant to the salt, then I’d suggest picking a scent such as Jasmine or Gardenia since those flowers are white anyhow. If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, there are some good recipes readily available just by searching the internet for “bath salt recipes.”
• Oreo Cookie Truffles - This recipe is incredibly easy and very impressive to give as a gift. Ingredients:
  • 1 pkg. (1 lb.-ish) Oreo sandwich cookies
  • 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tsp. flavoring (vanilla, mint, almond, cherry; anything that sounds good to you, or use none at all)
  • 2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) semi-sweet chocolate chips, or candy melts

  Decoration (melted white chocolate, sprinkles, raw sugar, etc.) Crush cookies to a fine crumb in a food processor. Add cream cheese and flavoring; pulse until well blended. Put mixure in a large bowl. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Roll cookie mixture from bowl into balls, about 1-inch in diameter. Place on cookie sheet. Refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes. Melt chocolate in a saucepan (do not burn). Dip balls in chocolate and place on another wax paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar or decorate as desired. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator.

• Folded Paper Toys - Visit http://thetoymaker.com/ where you can print and fold some pretty fantastic works of art into toys and more. From the website: Welcome to my odd, little world of paper toys, holiday cards, valentines, sun boxes, baskets and bags, origami and ephemera…all for you to make. My goal is to help grownups and kids spend time together making things. It is my wish to amuse and delight. Enjoy, Marilyn.
• Melt & Pour Soap - Go to your craft store and get a slab of melt and pour soap. Follow the packaged instructions for melting it, and add in your scent which will be found with the soap. Pour melted soap into soap molds which can ALSO be found with the melt and pour soap making supplies. Allow to set according to packaged instructions. Place soap bars into a cello bag and add a label. Tie off with ribbon.

Check your Michaels ad in the Sunday paper as well as register online to have coupons emailed to you. If you have a Jo-Ann’s near you, Sunday and Monday is the best day to go into the store to get the weekly coupon. These stores typically put out a 40% any one regular priced item coupon, but with Christmas weeks away, they’ve been upping the amount.

Dana Parish - She Laughs
http://danaparish.com/
http://www.myspace.com/danaparish/
Buy the album Uncrushed on iTunes

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