Indoor Succulent Garden – Gift for the Non-Green Thumb

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centerpiece, chicks & hens, chicks and hens, Christmas gift, Christmas present, garden, gardening, gift, gift giving, gift idea, hostess gift, house warming gift, perennial gardening, perennials, present giving, succulent garden, succulents, Xmas gift, Xmas present

An indoor succulent garden is the perfect gift for the non-green thumb, they can even forget to water it for a while. Succulents are forgiving, adaptive plants, that vary in color and texture. This indoor garden can be a great Christmas present, house-warming gift, or centerpiece for the party’s hostess.

Before we moved, I pulled tiny three chicks out of my garden. They sat in a cup on the window sill at our interim place for two months, until I rediscovered them today and planted them.

 

Materials:
Glass dish (I used a leftover centerpiece bowl from our wedding), garden soil, succulents to transplant, river rocks (or marbles, or  gem rocks)

Directions:
Clean glass dish and pour a layer of dirt on the bottom. Depending on the type of succulent you use, remove any dried leaves and extra roots. With the chicken & hens, I trimmed the root to 1″ long. Arrange the succulents in the soil. Remember they will fill out as they grow. Carefully arrange rocks around the plants, covering the soil. Drizzle or spray plants and rocks to dampen the soil, keep damp for the next 7 days.

Succulent Suggestions:
Chicks & hens, snake plant, jade, sedums, living stone, cacti

What is your favorite succulent?

Twelfth Day of Christmas – Espresso Jar Candle

Tags

12 Days of Christmas, 12th day of Christmas, beverage, candle, candle making, Christmas cheer, Christmas decor, Christmas gift, Christmas party, Christmas present, Christmas tradition, coffee, door prizes, espresso, gift, gift giving, gift in a jar, handmade, holiday craft, holiday party, home decor, homemade, hostess gift, hot beverages, house warming, house warming gift, jar candle, jar craft, party favors, present, scented candle, twelfth day of Christmas, twelve days of Christmas

On the twelfth day of Christmas Young Wifey shared with me her Espresso Jar Candle, Gingerbread Man Ornaments, Fleece Blankets, Bottle Cap Magnets, Fleece Sphere Ornament, Button Wreath Ornament, Christmas Mouse Cat Toy, Melted Frosty Ornament, Crocheted Fan Bookmarks, Crocheted Snowflake Ornaments, Wine Glass Charms and Glass Globe Ornaments…

Today’s post is very late, due to an earlier science experiment that went wrong and resulted in a few small burns on my hand… Ouch!.. The first brand of wax dye I tried was not very good and caused the wax to bubble and splatter out of the pot, which caused me to spill the candle fragrance on the counter. I’ve made dozens of candles before and I felt like a clueless newbie. I’ll be contacting the wax dye company tomorrow.

It took a while for me to start the second batch, this time I only added fragrance. I also had gloves on this time. Also, I didn’t wait for the wax to set before photographing… once the jar cools, I’ll clean up the outside where I spilled some wax. I’ll update with a better photo once the candle is cleaned up and I have some natural light to photograph.

Espresso Jar Candle

 

These Espresso Jar Candles are so cute and easy to make. These candles make a great Christmas present, housewarming present, hostess gift, party favors of door prizes! Coffee lovers beware! Do not attempt to drink this!

How To:
Use clear drying craft glue to attach coffee beans to the inside of the jar, in a pattern you like. I covered the bottom of the sides with coffee beans and glued a few randomly up the sides. Center candle wick in middle of jar, and glue base down. Allow all glue to dry completely (it took three hours for all traces of my glue to disappear). Cut wax into small pieces and heat over medium heat until all melted. Keep still until candle is set. Tie a piece of holiday ribbon around the neck of the jar and attach a gift tag.

Approx. Cost
Airtight glass jar = $1, large block of wax = $7.50, small bag of whole coffee beans = $1, package of candle wicks = $1, craft glue = $1 a bottle, bottle of candle fragrance = $1, bottle of wax dye = $1    Such a cute gift for about $3.25 a candle

This post wraps up 2010’s 12 Days of Christmas countdown, I hope you saw a few ideas that you can use, or inspired you to create something else! Happy Holiday season everyone!!!

2009′s Christmas Countdown – On the twelfth day of Christmas Young Wifey shared with me, her chocolate Christmas fudge, chocolate bonbons, coconut clusters, cranberry almond bark, chocolate amaretto cherries, pecan turtles, raspberry chocolate truffles, gingerbread fudge, peppermint bark, dark chocolate peanut butter balls, cracked glass candy, and her peanut butter fudge recipe…

Second Day of Christmas – Wine Glass Charms

Tags

beverage, beverage charm, Christmas, Christmas Dinner, Christmas party, cocktail charm, cocktail hour, cocktail party, craft, drink charm, food, frugal, Frugality, gift, gift giving, gift ideas, handmade, handmade gift, Holiday, holiday menu, holiday season, holiday traditions, homemade, homemade gift, hostess gift, party, party favor, party favors, personalized gifts, second day of Christmas, stemware, thank you gifts, vino, wine, wine charm, wine glass

On the second day of Christmas Young Wifey shared with me her Wine Glass Charms and Glass Globe Ornaments…

Simple and elegant as a gift or party favors. Make them match your holiday decor and give them to guests to keep as party favors. Customize them with a monogram and give them as a gift to the wine lover. Create a festive set and bring them to a party as your hostess gift. Kids can help  create this simple craft.

Wine Glass Charms

How To:
Select a charm and several beads, slide on hoop in desired pattern. Make sure each wine charm is unique to help guest easily recognize their glass. Place a bead of clear drying glue under the last bead to hold them on the hoop.

Approx. Cost of Project:
package of 10 hoops = $1, assorted beads = $2-4, 2 sets of charms = $5, you can make a set of 10 for under $10!

*If you’re hosting a holiday party, hand out wine charms at the beginning as a party favor. Set up a wine charm craft station; arrange little bowls of beads, charms and hoops, then your guest can each make their own wine charm.

Unfortunately all my stemware is in our storage unit, so I couldn’t model the charms in the picture. Remember to check out my blog tomorrow to see what gift idea I’ll be sharing.

2009’s Christmas Countdown – On the twelfth day of Christmas Young Wifey shared with me, her chocolate Christmas fudgerecipe, chocolate bonbons, coconut clusters, cranberry almond bark, chocolate amaretto cherries, pecan turtles, raspberry chocolate truffles,gingerbread fudge, peppermint bark, dark chocolate peanut butter balls, cracked glass candy, and her peanut butter fudgerecipe…

Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends!
 

 

First Day of Christmas – Glass Globe Ornaments

Tags

12 Days of Christmas, children's craft, Christmas, Christmas Ornament, Christmas tradition, craft, figgy pudding, first day of Christmas, frugal, Frugality, gift, glass ornament, handmade, handmade ornament, homemade, homemade ornament, hostess gift, kid craft, Ornament, party favor, personalized gifts

On the first day of Christmas Young Wifey shared with me her Glass Globe Ornaments…

This year for my twelve days of Christmas countdown, I’m sharing homemade gift ideas. Most are simple homemade gifts that the kids can even help assemble. I feel that homemade gifts are much more thoughtful, you can customize them to the recipient’s preferences.

Last year a student made this ornament for me, I thought it was a great idea for a kid to make for a Christmas present. I originally planned to make these with Pumpkin, but he was out hunting with Hubster when I made these. I had scanned the scrapbook paper isle at the craft store, looking over the papers that were printed on both sides. I chose colors that I thought were pretty but not the traditional green and red Christmas scheme, ironically the paper I chose was named Figgy Pudding. It was a sign that it was the perfect paper choice.

Glass Globe Ornament

How To:
Cut scrapbook paper into 1/4″ strips. Cut strips into varying lengths. Curl the strips and make sure some have the front side out and some have the back side out. Remove metal top from glass globe. Carefully slip the paper curls into the globe. Secure the metal top back on the globe. Cut a short piece of ribbon, loop through the metal top and knot the top.

Approx. Cost of Project: 6 Glass Ornament Balls = $5, 2 sheets of craft paper = $2, spool of ribbon  $1
At just over $1 per ornament, you decide whether to give one, or an entire set. Bring a set to a holiday party as a hostess gift. Hand out individual ornaments as a party favor at you holiday party.

Remember to check out my blog tomorrow to see what gift idea I’ll be sharing.

2009’s Christmas Countdown – On the twelfth day of Christmas YoungWifey shared with me, her chocolate Christmas fudgerecipe, chocolate bonbons, coconut clusters, cranberry almond bark, chocolate amaretto cherries, pecan turtles, raspberry chocolate truffles, gingerbread fudge, peppermint bark, dark chocolate peanut butter balls, cracked glass candy, and her peanut butter fudge recipe…

Personalized Towels

Tags

embroidery, gift giving, gifts, hostess gift, personalized gifts

My MIL was in need of new towels and I wanted to get her a new set for Christmas. I dreaded the impersonal gift, but decided to add a personal touch by embroidering the towels for them. I got to use my friend’s Bernina Deco 330 and their new Bernina Deco 340 simultaneously! I used a white thread to match the white stripes on the towels, as well as to keep the towels neutral and add subtle class.

Personalized Towels