Hey everyone!

I made this Toastie I.D card holder at a recent felt keyring workshop I was running. It's a great activity (or gift!) for kids and adults alike to get involved with so I thought I'd share it with you.

Here's how to make your own:

Hope you liked it!

P.s. If you decide to make one I'd love to see it! You can link it here or over at my blog.

I made these Rocky Road type treats today and they were surprisingly delicious (I love it when that happens!). I think I'll definitely be making some as edible Christmas gifts.

If you want to make your own, here's what you need and how to do it:


Rice cereal, milk chocolate, peanut butter and marshmallows!

1. Put 350g milk chocolate, a big handful of marshmallows and a heaped tablespoon of peanut butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of boiling water and stir until melted.



2. When the mixture is completely melted (it'll go quite thick), add in a few cups of Rice Krispies cereal and stir.


3. At this stage the mixture is at a great consistency for moulding - they'd be great made into truffley shapes in mini cake cases.

4. When you're done just leave them to cool and pop them in the fridge. That simple.


You could stack them up in a mason jar or put them in a cardboard cake box with a ribbon. Hope you enjoy these!

p.s. I'd love to see your versions!

I've been trying out a few Christmas gift ideas, one of which is this easy asymmetrical ribbon necklace. It's made up of three (gradually increasing) lengths of silk ribbon with a mixture of beads knotted at various points. There's no real pattern, I just sort of went with what I thought looked good! I finished it by backstitching the loose ends on my machine but you could leave them as they are and tie a bow at the back of your neck. Easy, affordable and versatile - my favourite!

If you'd like to make your own, here are a few action shots of the process although it is pretty self-explanatory. I particularly enjoyed all of the beady goodness. 



More pictures over at my blog!

Like me, I'm sure lots of you are always on the look out for cheerful and easy projects (which can also double up as inexpensive gifts for when you need that little something, or little something extra. Here's three reasons why I love this project: it's cheap, the possibilities are endless and it's really hard (nay, impossible) to get it wrong!

This is probably the easiest craft project in the world but I thought I'd show you how I put mine together. The best bit about this project is that you can use absolutely anything thread-able (like my vintage buttons) and if you don't like it, just take it off and start over.



More pictures on my blog!

www.somethingquitel ovely.blogspot.com

I'd been searching around for nice storage for my dorm room all summer, but hadn't really found anything I liked enough to spend my money on. I was at the charity store the other day when I spotted an unloved little number that I was itching to transform. So I snapped it up for £3!



Gah!

I spent the last couple of days giving it a little love and here's how:



This is the final result!





I'm thrilled! You can see more on my blog.

Thanks for looking - C&C welcome(:

One of those things you've always wanted to do, no? Well, now you can! Follow these three steps to make your curling tool.

To start you'll need the following things:



A (clean) old sock, some scissors and a hair elastic.

Next, take the sock and chop off the toe part:



Lastly, take the sock in both hands and keep folding it over until you've rolled it into the following donut shape:



I then sewed around the loose edge to secure the whole thing but that isn't necessary.

Et voila - you're done (:

Now to get soft, curly locks you need to put your damp hair into a pony tail on top of your head (very attractive). Then take the ends of your hair and pop them through the hole of the ring you just made. Roll the hair towards you, continuously wrapping hair around the donut as you go. Finally, secure it in a bun on top of your head (if this isn't completely clear you can YouTube a range of sock hair videos for a visual). Just sleep with the sock donut in overnight and take it out in the morning to reveal fabulous hair!

Enjoy!

Hey everyone,

It's been a long time since I posted on the jewellery board but I found a technique I thought you might enjoy and decided to share it. No sewing is necessary and all you need for this project is some nice fabric (e.g. vintage scarf) and some beads. That's it! I've seen lots of these in the shops for +£20 - this one cost me about £3.50 (and I have beads left over for at least two more necklaces). I was inspired by Tilly from Tilly and the Buttons(.com) who created this project as a guest post on a different blog. 

I made this one for a jewellery loving friend who will be leaving University this summer for a year overseas. I wanted something special she could wear and remember me by.



Here's my first attempt, as modelled by my lovely Mum.

I really like this project because it's easy to change depending on the recipient.

C&C's welcome. Hope you like!

Whilst searching the internet for some easy hand made Secret Santa gifts, I had the idea to create some lip glosses, so I visited the 99p shop (British $Store equivalent), got out my cauldron and set to work (for five minutes!).

Here's what you need:



1. Mini storage tubs
2. Cocoa
3. Petroleum jelly
4. Photo paper
5. Citronella (I love that word!) or lemon essential oil

(You'll also need a microwavable dish/mug and something to poke and stir with.)

Here's what you do:

1. Depending on the size of your storage pots, put a dollop of Petroleum jelly in a mug/dish.
2. Put it in the microwave for a couple of minutes until it's turned to liquid.
3. Sprinkle in some lovely cocoa* and stir it around until dissolved.
4. Transfer the jelly/cocoa* mixture to the storage pot.
5. Wait 10 minutes for it to set (whilst having the time of your life on clip art making a label).
6. Print your labels on photo paper and glue them to the storage pots.

* or a few drops of essential oil.

Done! 

You can play around with different ingredients/storage pots, add some menthol/mint oils for the boys, and even add some glitter for some festive sparkle if you so wish - cater to your recipients tastes. (go. crazy.)

Ta da:



C&C's please 

I received my lovely package from when_im_sixty4!



Here's everything: three sets of buttons, Rainbow Brite post-it notes, note cards, Hello Kitty stamps, a globe stress ball to represent the international swap, a drawing set which included a drawing pad, sketching pencils and a mannequin!, wall decor, a beautiful hair band, hair extension (for dressing up) a Papel picado from San Antonio and a handmade bag! Everything is amazing and beautiful. Mint wafer biscuits were also included, but erm... ate them, maybe. Anyway, close up pics!









Thank you so much, A. This has been my favourite swap by far. I hope we can keep in touch!

I received another glorious package from my lovely friend when_im_sixty4!

Want to see what's inside? Yeah, you do!



Candy buttons, Waco postcards, a Waco charm, novelty erasers *drool*, a patch from the Dr.Pepper museum (which I have to visit. I've decided) and mulling spices! I've never even seen them before. I can't wait to use them.

An amazingly cute lunch bag with bags for nibbles inside. They're completely my style and I love, love, love them.





ORIGAMI KIT!!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3



It's in a folder and it has a separate pocket for tools and papers. It also has a clippy-in ruler and lots of information sheets. It even has a contents page. Here's a sneak peak at some of the pages:





I'm planning on making 20,000 origami stars today. I'm incredibly excited. when_im_sixty4 also padded out the box with the softest yarn I've ever had my hands on. *drool*

Thank you, when_im_sixty4, everything is beautiful.