Gift Ideas Archives - Page 2 of 28

How to Build a Quick DIY Tray & Gift Box

Growing up, my parents always told me homemade gifts meant more to the recipient than a store-bought gift. If you’re like me, and enjoy making things and have a lot of wood scraps, you’ll love making many of these Quick DIY Trays and Gift Boxes!

How to Build a Quick DIY Tray & Gift Box

Several years ago I shared this tutorial, but I’m updating the post to show you an alternative base for your tray. You can use a variety of thin woods to cover the plywood for a more decorative look. Previously I used leftover Timberchic end caps. But, this past weekend I whipped up a tray for my girlfriend’s birthday using vintage rulers and I couldn’t be happier with the results.

Instead of the self-adhesive Timberchic, use wood glue to affix any thin wood to a plywood base. Then build the sides and you have yourself a beautiful gift tray (or gift box if you make your sides taller.)

Now it’s time to share the tutorial with you because this will be easy, quick, and frugal (all things I like in a good DIY project!) Let’s learn How to Build a Quick DIY Tray & Gift Box.

Question: What’s better than giving a one-of-a-kind gift? What’s better than giving a gift basket that will be useful long after the contents have been consumed? And what’s better than spending money on a gift basket?

Answer: Building your own Quick DIY Tray & Gift Box that will be used long after the contents are gone and it doesn’t have to cost you an arm or a leg when you are using scraps from your workshop! #Winning

These rustic beauties are perfect for filling with a bottle of wine or to use as the base for a cellophane-wrapped gift basket.

The tray is probably my favorite because you can use it to serve lunch on the porch (or breakfast in bed.) And who doesn’t love a good tray to corral loose items in your living room, bedroom, or kitchen?

The crate is a close second in my heart because it makes the perfect place to store toiletries for a guest. But, we all know it can also be used to organize desk supplies and much much more.

What do you need to make this Quick DIY Tray & Gift Box you ask? Well here’s the 411 on this project.

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

3/4″ or 1/2″ Plywood large enough for the base of the tray or crate
Scrap wood for your sides (I used 1 x 2 pieces for the tray and 1 x 4 for the crate)
TimberChic end caps (or pieces of 1/4 plywood slats) or scrap material
Wood glue
National Hardware door pull
Fusion Paint in Putty and/or Little Speckled Frog
Paint brush
Drill
Hand Saw (or use a Miter Saw and Table Saw)
Pencil
Ruler
1 ¼” brad nails
Nail gun or hammer
Felt pads

Optional:

Cellophane for gift baskets
Table saw for trimming base

Instructions:

Cut your plywood base to size. (My tray was 11″ x 15″ and the gift box was 4″ x 10″.)

Set your slats on top of the plywood to figure out their ideal placement.

Use a ruler or square and your pencil to mark the cut offs.

Cut the slats and return to the plywood base. If you are using the TimberChic end caps, remove the adhesive backing and place the slat on the plywood. (If using other slats, use wood glue to adhere them to the base.)

For a perfect edge, you can turn your base upside down and trim the edges on the table saw. (Not necessary, but gives you a cleaner edge.)

Line up your side material against the base and mark where to cut each piece.

Cut the sides at a 45 degree angle to create mitered edges (or simplify the project by cutting 90 degree ends). Test fit the sides to make sure you have a tight miter at each corner. Sand the sides smooth to remove any rough spots.

Paint your sides with Fusion paint (or chalk paint of your choosing.)

Wipe off immediately for a rustic look.

Run a line of wood glue along the side of your base.

Press the sides in place.

Nail brad nails through the sides and into the base to secure the sides while the glue dries.

Find the centers on the two smaller sides of your tray. Center the door pulls on the sides.

Attach the handle to the side of the tray with provided screws.

Add felt pads to the bottom of the tray to prevent scratching of surfaces.

Your tray and gift box are done! Fill them up with goodies your recipient will love.

A bottle of wine should fit nicely in the gift box:

And when the gift tray and box are empty, they will be enjoyed for years to come.

Did you like this simple gift idea? Well, there’s lots more where that came from! Here’s a gallery of other DIY Gift Ideas!

Like using vintage rulers? Check out this frame I made with more vintage rulers:

Or these scrap molding trays:

Happy gifting!

June 29, 2020/5 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

arts and craft, chalk paint, Crafts, Gift Ideas, Trash to Treasure, Upcycling

Simple Chalk-Painted Jars

Farmhouse Painted (chalk like paint) Jar Vases | Pretty Handy Girl

This is by far one of my favorite gift crafts. Grab a few recycled jars or bottles and use your favorite chalk paint to create simple chalk-painted jars!

Simple Chalk-Painted Jars

Two weeks ago I spent less than 20 minutes whipping up some really cute vases using recycled jars painted with Farmhouse Paint. Wait…What is this paint?

Well, it’s a one-step furniture paint (previously known as chalk paint.) I was sent a few jars to try. But, you can use any chalk paint you already have or make your own using this tutorial to make any color chalk paint.

The key material is recycled jars, I like to keep a fair amount on hand.

All you have to do is wash the jars well. Remove the labels and any glue residue. Here’s a great tutorial for easily removing glue from bottles.

Dry the jars thoroughly then coat with two coats of chalk paint. I’m in love with the Farmhouse paint. The colors are vibrant and you don’t need to wax after painting. Just a light sanding with fine-grit sandpaper and it gives you the same soft sheen as waxing would.

After the paint has dried, sand some areas (especially on any writing) to distress them.

Finally, add some fresh cut flowers from the yard and tie a string around the neck with a personal message.

These little vases were adorable. They were cute and they seriously took me less than half an hour to put together (20 minutes to paint and a few more minutes cutting flowers in the yard.)

In the past, I made these little chalk painted vases for teacher gifts. This year, sadly we never got to say goodbye to my sons’ teachers. For all you teachers out there, we appreciate you more than you can imagine. Especially as we do our best to homeschool our children during the COVID-19 outbreak.

What do you say? Why not whip up a little chalk-painted vase to appreciate a friend, a loved one, an essential worker, or just to brighten your day!

P.s. Did you like the chippy paint board backdrop I used? It’s not real wood, it is actually a vinyl backdrop made by my good friend Leen the Graphics Queen. It rolls up and stores neatly away. She should be selling them soon.

Pin for later!

May 25, 2020/0 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

art, arts and craft, Crafts, framing, Gift Ideas, gifts, Tutorial

Easy Pounded Flower Gift Ideas

Spring is here and there are countless flowers awakening from the cold winter slumber. When it happens you can pick some blooms and turn them into easy gift ideas. Today I’ll show you how to make easy pounded flower art.

Easy Pounded Flower Gift Ideas

The results can be used for a framed quote, a paper-wrapped vase, notecards, and much more! I’d go so far to say, the results are close to high end (and expensive) handmade pressed flower paper.

Ready to make some beautiful pounded flower paper? I am (because I could also use an activity to get a little frustration out 😉.)

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Watercolor paper (or thick paper)
Hammer
Painter’s tape
Fresh picked flowers
Scrap board
Scotch tape
Twine
Chip brush

Instructions:

First, you’ll want to collect some flowers. Smaller colorful flowers work best. But, you can collect larger ones and experiment.

Lay one sheet of paper on top of the block of wood. Arrange your flowers on top of the paper and tape down any strands that don’t cooperate. (The flowers I picked are from a money plant that grows in our woods.)

Lay a second sheet of paper on top of the flowers.

Pound the hammer around the paper until you have squished all of the flowers beneath. (This doubles as a stress relief exercise, trust me!)

Peel apart the papers and you’ll have a pulpy mess.

Remove the flowers and wipe off the excess bits and pieces with a clean chip brush.

Look at that! You got two prints that are a mirror image.

Print out a quote or type a message on coordinating paper and tear around it. Tape it onto flower paper.

Put your verse artwork into a frame for a sweet gift to your sister, your mother, or a friend.

Take the other sheet and wrap it around a can, mason jar, or vase.

Wrap some twine around the paper to hold it in place. Add water to the vase and pop some fresh flowers in it.

Quick and easy gift idea, right?! Give a vase to brighten someone’s day. The best part of this gift is it only cost a pound! (Get it? Like a British £? I know, I have a corny sense of humor. You can blame it on my Dad, it runs on his side of the family.)

Maybe I’ve also been hammering a little too much lately. Leave me a comment if you have any corny jokes to share!

Do you have any creative ideas for using this pretty flower paper? I set some up for the kids and they had a blast pounding flowers.

May 18, 2020/15 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

arts and craft, Gift Ideas, gifts, Upcycling

Don’t Pitch Glass Bottles! Cut Them in Half!

Are you a wine drinker? Nope? Well how about a beer drinker? Either way you can stop throwing away those pretty bottles and cut them to use as glasses, containers —or my favorite—flower vases!

Don’t Pitch Bottles! Cut Them in Half!

About a year ago I bought a bottle cutter off Amazon. I had grandiose plans to make vases and drinking glasses galore. Instead the glass bottle cutter sat in the box. Recently I decided to take the leap and try it out. (Especially because my yard is overflowing with flowers to share.) I figured this was a great way to upcycle wine bottles and use them as free vases for friends and neighbors. Ready to learn how to make wine bottle vases, or drinking glasses, glass containers, or votive holders?

We’ll need a few tools to make this magic happen.

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Bottle Cutter (this one comes with the file and plastic sleeve)
Paint marker
Metal file
Sandpaper (150 grit, 320 grit, 600 grit)
Safety glasses

Feel free to watch the video or keep ready to learn how to cut glass bottles easily and safely.

Instructions:

Before cutting your bottle, you’ll need to remove the label. Here’s another tutorial to easily remove labels from bottles.

Make a small mark at the bottom of your bottle. This is where you will start and stop your cut.

Adjust the glass cutting wheel to where you want to make your cut. Release the glass cutting wheel on the cutting jig. Slowly rotate the bottle until you have completed one full rotation.

Remove the bottle and check that your bottle has been scored the full way around.

Time to move into the kitchen. Make sure you are wearing those safety glasses.

Have a pot of hot water on the stove almost to boiling. Next to this have a container with ice water ready.

Dip the wine bottle into the hot water, making sure to submerge the bottle to the cut line. Hold it there for 15-20 seconds.

Then immediately immerse the bottle into the ice water. Try to separate the bottle (if it doesn’t separate on its own.)

If it won’t break, resubmerge into the hot water and then the ice water again.

Once the bottle has separated, the edges need to be filed. For even smoother edges, sand the rim with progressively finer sandpaper. I started with 150 grit and worked up to 600 grit.

Be sure to clean up your glass shavings, take care because they can cut you.

Now you can use your newly cut bottles as containers, drinking glasses, or vases!

Fill them with water and flowers to give as a gift.

Now promise me you’ll never throw away glass bottles again. They are too pretty not to re-use. Especially once you have a bottle cutter.

May 8, 2020/3 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

accessories, art, arts and craft, Build It, Crafts, Gift Ideas, Make It May, Mother's Day, Paintbrushes, painting, Painting & Antiquing Techniques, storage, Trash to Treasure, Tutorial, Upcycling, wood putty

Creative Block Desk & Art Utensil Holder

Need a quick gift using scrap wood? A Creative Block Desk & Art Utensil Holder is an easy and fun gift to make and certainly a project that you can customize to meet your needs. Best of all, the kids can help with the painting step!

Creative Block Desk & Art Utensil Holder

Mother’s Day is this coming weekend! Have you decided how to show her your appreciation and love?! I did! My mother is a professional artist. She creates amazing paintings that inspire others and brightens their homes. For Mother’s Day I wanted to brighten her studio with these art utensil holders. I call them “Creative Blocks.”

Go ahead and raid your scrap pile and join us as we make these colorful and fun Creative Block Desk & Art Utensil Holders.

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Instructions:

1. Block assembly: Select two 2×4″ scraps cut to the same length. Spread glue on one board and sandwich them together.

Clamp the wood together and drill two small holes to countersink the heads of the screws. Drive two screws into the bottom of the wood to hold the pieces together.

Use a band saw, jigsaw, or table saw to trim off the rounded edges of the wood so you have a square block of wood with straight corners.

Putty any cracks or holes. Sand until smooth.

2. Creating the mask:

If you have a craft cutter (Silhouette or Cricut) you can create a mask in vinyl easily. But, if you don’t you can use the computer to print out your words. Lay the print out on top of a strip of Painter’s Tape. Use a few pieces of tape to secure the corners.

Trace around the words with the X-acto knife (be sure to have a few fresh blades on hand.) Transfer the resulting cut-out tape onto the block of wood. Press the edges of the tape mask to secure the tape.

3. Painting the block: Paint a base color onto the block. Then use a brush and/or palette knife to dab thick paint over the block (minus the base.) Use the X-acto knife to gently peel off the tape mask. Let the paint dry thoroughly overnight.

4. Drilling Holes: After the paint has dried completely, mark the location of the utensil holes with a pencil. Put a piece of painter’s tape on the drill bit to mark the depth of your holes. Clamp the block and drill holes at each pencil mark.

Dump sawdust out of the holes.

Wrap up the blocks in gift wrap and enjoy the look of joy as your Mom opens her Creative Block Mother’s Day gift!

You know, as an artist myself, I almost loved these too much to give them away. But, my Mom is worth it. (And I can make another set if I want ;-).)

For more last-minute Mother’s Day gift ideas and many other creative projects, check out the Gift Ideas section here on the blog.

If you liked this project, you’ll love these floating picture frames using more 2×4 scrap wood.

May 5, 2020/11 Comments/by Brittany Bailey