Tiny bubbles

Decorative soaps make great home accessories and thoughtful gifts. And it’s simple and fun to concoct a few bars from a premade base by adding fragrance, color, or even a tiny toy. Once you learn the basics, you’re sure to invent dozens of ways to personalize your creations. MORE…

I bequeath you my wreath.

Wreaths aren’t all flowers and foliage, but also statements about a person or a space. Remember the kitschy porcelain windmill you picked up in Holland last year, or that miniature gondola that reminds you of your weeks in Venice? Mementos like these make great additions to a wreath. You can make a fresh, fragrant wreath based solely on your vacation memories by including flowers you remember and souvenirs from your trip. Wreaths also make great custom-tailored gifts, incorporating elements specific the recipient’s personality. Who wouldn’t be touched by such an intricately conceived present? Along with brightening rooms and acting as natural air fresheners, wreaths imbue a sense of homey coziness throughout; even more elaborate and stylized wreaths can add a touch of elegance to an otherwise blah area. MORE…

The press is on!

Bring the paper chase home to roost. Making your own paper is fun, easy, and a delightful project for the weekends. Note that this 2torial won’t teach you to make printer-quality office paper (although you can recycle used office paper to make your own new paper)–it’ll teach you to create pages of personalized pulp upon which to pen your powerful sentiments. Why? Homemade paper lends a distinctive personal touch to any project from greeting cards to a personal note or letter. And it’s much easier than it sounds once you draw off a page or two. MORE…

“Don’t be afraid of needles!”

Think knitting is for little old ladies? Well, think again. This ancient craft has an interesting history that dates way back to the time of the Egyptians. In fact, if you want to dispel all notions of knitting as an elderly woman’s hobby, tell people about the tradition among fishing villages in many countries. Each village had its own particular stitch–because (here’s where it gets a little gruesome) it’s hard to identify drowned fishermen when they wash ashore. The stitches in their jerseys were a necessary means of identification. While people finish shuddering, you can then tell them that people in the Victorian era were obliged by law to instruct both male and female children how to knit. Finish up with a reference to former pro football star Rosey Grier (who favored both knitting and needlepoint), and you’ve transformed knitting into a time-honored, slightly exotic and powerful pastime. MORE…

• If the end piece hangs up over the side, fold it back in on itself so that you have a trapezoid which fits along the end, and crease it. Tape the end piece. Turn the box around and do the same thing with the other end.

Add a bow

Most bows purchased today have some kind of peel-and-stick adhesive on them. Pull back the waxy paper, position the bow on top, either dead center or off to one corner.

If you are not sure where to put the add-ons, hold them in place first without exposing the adhesive and have a good look. Experiment with a couple of different arrangements, then go with the one that excited you the most. Think jazzy!

Usually one way will catch your eye more than others-you’ll feel pleased and want to look at it more. Give yourself a moment to have this feeling. After all, you should create a gift that pleases yourself as well as the recipient.

Add a ribbon (nouveau style)

Again, pictures say more than words. Consult the diagrams and go to the written directions for the specifics.

Tape one end of the ribbon about one-quarter side-length in from one corner of the package. Take the other end of the ribbon and wind it under an adjacent corner (a corner directly below or across, not diagonally). Take this end over to the corner that’s diagonal from the starting corner. Finally, wrap under the remaining, unadorned corner and tape it over the top of the end you started with.

Remember to pull the ribbon as snugly as you did with the wrapping paper, to make it even and taut.

Add a ribbon (classic style)

A classic way to add ribbon is to wrap it around the middle of the package.

Cut the ribbon so that the two ends are at least twice as long as the package. With the bottom of the package face-up, slip the ribbon underneath the top side. Cross the ribbon ends on the bottom side, and turn them sharply 90 degrees. The ribbon should fold neatly against itself and hold the package together a bit. Continue with both ribbon-ends out to the two unadorned sides. Gently flip the box over and bring them together at the top. Tie a bow as snug as possible. You should have enough ribbon so that there is at least as much remaining of the two ends as the length of the loops in the bow. To make it a little fancier, cut the ribbon at a diagonal or in a swallow’s tail (inverted v-shape that leaves two skinny tails).

If you are really good, you can fold the wrapping paper as described in Step 4 and Step 5, making the creases as indicated but not using any tape. The ribbon tied in the fashion just described can hold the entire package together–with the added thrill of popping the whole thing open when the recipient pulls on one of the ends of the bow. Neat stuff!

Choosing cards, store-bought

It is always nice to include a card to commemorate the occasion of your gift-giving for at least two reasons. One, it makes your gift special, and allows you to personalize the gift. Also, especially in the case of consumables such as chocolates, the card serves as a secondary memento for the recipient. Many people love to hang onto these kinds of things, which serve to remember you and the special occasion long after they have past.

Pick up a card and envelope at your local stationery store. Thematic cards such as birthdays are often arranged together by section. Or, you could get a blank card and write something personal to the recipient. Choose this as an expression of you, or choose a card that you think the recipient would enjoy.

Choosing cards, home-made

If this person is really important to you, make your own card. The implication is that the recipient feels important since you spent extra time on them. People really do appreciate the extra effort you make when you add a card done by hand. Your effort will mean more to them than whatever the card may actually look like. Give it a try with a personal relation you most want to impress. Bonus: you’ll have a chance to exercise your creativity.

The simplest way might be to cut out a square of wrapping paper, fold it in half and write a message on the inside, then tuck it into the ribbon on the package. You could also write a short note on personal stationary.

Decorate a card from scratch, if you have a little extra time Sketch some ideas out on a piece of scratch paper. Relax. Record whatever comes up–a nature scene, an evening in the big city that you had together, an abstract design, or even a message written out with colors and smiley faces.

Try using colored pencils–they have vivid colors and are friendlier to the environment than markers. Or for techies, there is a huge range of design options with current software. Remember: Your effort will mean more to them than whatever the card may actually look like.

I’ve been framed!

Getting a little tired of using thumbtacks and masking tape to hang artwork? Get ready to give your pictures a whole new life. The right frame will enhance your artwork’s beauty (as well as the room surrounding it) and protect the work so you can enjoy it without worrying about damage. If you want professional results without spending a fortune at the frame shop, these simple steps will get you there.

When you frame a picture, you’ll usually want to prepare a mat for it (a thick paper material that borders and protects the artwork). But not all art necessarily needs matting. For artwork that has a natural border, like a museum poster, you may just want to find a frame that fits the piece. (If your art is an original work with its own border, like a photograph or print, a mat will provide extra protection by keeping the art from touching the frame’s glass.) If you do decide to mat, buy your frame first so you know the right dimensions for cutting your mat. MORE…

Don’t doom that bloom!

We’ve all seen those beautiful dried flower arrangements and wreaths, noting with dismay the high prices. You love the smell of gently fragrant dried roses and lavender, but don’t want to spend the fortune it would take to place them throughout your home. Lucky for you, this 2torial shows you how to easily dry flowers yourself.

Dried flowers are great for inclusion in wreaths, swags, or just about anything you can think of to accent from tops of presents to table settings. Drying flowers isn’t an involved process, and the results are rewarding. So don’t toss the Valentine’s bouquet your sweetheart sent you just yet–learn how to preserve it for many more months of future enjoyment. MORE…

Put all your eggs in one basket

An egg is beautiful in its simplicity, yet at the same time is like a small, rounded canvas that’s begging for decoration. But you don’t have to be Faberge to turn an egg into a work of art. There are dozens of ways to decorate eggs, and most of them are simpler than they look. Just use your imagination and have some fun, and you’ll be delighted with the results.

While decorating eggs can be fun for the whole family, there are some precautions you’ll need to take. Eggs need to be handled, cooked, and stored properly to prevent salmonellosis–a serious illness sometimes caused by the ingestion of raw or improperly cooked eggs. Discard any cracked eggs, whether they’re raw or boiled, and never leave eggs unrefrigerated for longer than 2 hours. You should also wash your hands after handling the eggs or their shells. MORE…

Get jiggy with it

Jigsaw puzzles–some people love them, and some people, well, feel like there are better things to do with their time. If you’re among the latter, then you probably haven’t made your own yet. Intrigued? The steps are simple, and the possibilities are endless.

You can use a personal photograph or artwork to create a unique present for friends and loved ones, set up a fun-filled project for your kids, or just make one for your own enjoyment. And if you’re a puzzle fanatic, get ready to take your obsession to a whole new level. MORE…

That old painting in the attic could pay the college tuition

Have you ever wondered if that abstract painting your parents bought at a tag sale 20 years ago could actually be worth something? Even if you’re not interested in selling, you might be curious about its monetary value. For insurance reasons, you may be required to determine what this possible treasure is worth. We’ll explain just how easy it can be to have pieces of art appraised. Anybody with access to the yellow pages, a telephone, a post office, or the Internet can begin the appraisal process, a process that can prove to be fun, educational, and rewarding. We’ll also explore some of the issues involved when appraising a piece of art. MORE…