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Creating A Pleasant Surprise With Craft Ideas

Synka | Oct 20, 2009 | 0 comments

If you’re an artistic or crafter, then no doubt your new projects make perfect gifts crafts for your loved ones. Nothing shows how much you care more than sharing something close to your heart.

Whether you paint, knit, do woodwork or love doing a variety of art and craft projects, people love the uniqueness of handmade items.

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More and more people are getting into aromatherapy, and everyone wants their home to smell clean and sweet. You can make beautiful potpourri holders without spending a lot of money.

Save your empty jars or look for decorative bowls in discount stores. Many dollar stores now sell bowls made of frosted or cut glass that look quite beautiful. If you’re making the potpourri holder for a special occasion like Christmas, then you can get bowls that are already festively decorated.

Simply fill the jar with sweet potpourri, cover the top with a lace doily and secure the doily with a pretty ribbon or an attractive elastic hair band. Don’t use a floral potpourri like eucalyptus, as some people find the scent too strong.

Go for something sweet like vanilla or cinnamon. If you use a cream or ivory colored doily, these crafty gifts will have an antique feel and will look attractive in any room.

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Mulled wine is a delicious and easy to make beverage that people can enjoy when the weather gets cold. It also makes your home smell absolutely scrumptious. You can whip up a batch and pour it into wine bottles for unique, crafty gifts for the grown ups on your gift giving list.

You’ll need 1, 750 milliliter bottle of full-bodied red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz (something fruity works best), 1 cup of clear apple cider or cranberry juice, 4 tablespoons of honey, 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, 3 cinnamon sticks, 3 pieces of whole star anise, 3 whole cloves, 3 peppercorns, and a large sliced orange.

The star anise will add the flavor of licorice, the peppercorns will add a bit of spice and the rosemary will give the drink a familiar holiday taste. Slowly bring all the ingredients to just below a simmer and leave it at that heat for about 20 minutes.

Some of the alcohol will cook away, so don’t worry about it being too strong. Remove the cloves, star anise, rosemary, cloves and oranges. Once the mulled wine has cooled, pour it into sanitized wine bottles and decorate it with a homemade label that advises the receiver to heat and add a shot of brandy before serving!

Candles can be used for a number of gifts crafts that are suitable for any occasion. You can buy candles in jars very inexpensively at discount stores. Download free graphics from the internet and make individualized labels for the jars.

If you don’t have a color printer, then a copier like Kinkos can make a nice label for you. Stick the label on the jar and you’ve created a unique gift personalized for a special someone in your life.

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In these tough economic times, we all have to cut corners every way we can. Even if you’re on a strict budget, you can still give beautiful gifts to your loved ones.

Most importantly, your friends and family will appreciate the thoughtfulness of your gift.