Showing posts with label Craft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Craft. Show all posts

4/30/2014

Anniversary Gift Ideas (For Him)


Anniversary Gifts



On 1st May, Boyfriend & I will have been together for one whole year. 

I can hardly believe it. Where has this year gone? 

Because it's our first anniversary of "togetherness," I knew I wanted to get him something special. And of course, me being me, I couldn't wait to give him his gift... 

...So he's already got it. 

I think a first anniversary gift should be something memorable, or that can be turned in to a memory. When it came to deciding what to get Boyfriend, I knew exactly what to do (don't worry it's one of the ideas above!) But I thought that for those of you out there who may need a bit more help, that I'd put together a list of my top 5 gift ideas for your guy on your special day. 

1. A Jar Of Love: This is what I made for Boyfriend. The concept is simple. A jar of love is a symbol of all the things that make up your love and affection for the person that you are with. I bought a simple mason jar from a local shop, and filled it with notes of what I love about Boyfriend, inside jokes we have, memories we share....So that when he is having a shitty day, or there are times when we are away from each other, he can pull out a "love note" and read it. It's a really inexpensive, but really personal way of expressing your love, and means that he always knows he is in your heart.

2. Going Away: Planning a trip so that you and your other half can spend quality together time is a perfect way for you to celebrate your relationship. Especially if you don't see each other that much. It doesn't have to be an expensive trip. It could be a day out at a museum, a picnic, a weekend away....Tailor it to your budget. Boyfriend and I are actually doing this as our big anniversary celebration and having a staycation in Liverpool the weekend after our actual anniversary date. Time together is precious. And with a weekend away or day out, a heap of new couple-y memories can be made. 

3. Dressing Gown: Some of you might think this is a bit of an old man gift, but I believe in the power of a really cosy, good quality dressing gown. They come in all different shapes and sizes and a good one can last you years. And every time your man goes to wear it he will think of you (especially of you give it a quick spritz of your perfume beforehand.) 

4. Watch: Like the dressing gown, I think watches can be a great gift. Especially because they are an accessory that can be worn with anything. Getting a beautiful statement timepiece is wonderful. But it's even more personal if you get it engraved with a message. It could be a special date. It could be a quote. Heck it could even be a stupid made up word or phrase you share. Whatever it is, make it personal to your relationship. That way every time he put it on, he think of you and the time you share together...! 

5. Tickets: Does he love a particular band? Want to see a certain show? What better way than to make it an experience you can share together. It may not be going to see someone you've ever heard of, but by sharing something that he enjoys, you are understanding more of his world. I bought Boyfriend Brit Floyd tickets in the summer, knowing not much about Pink Floyd music and now I love them. Every time I hear a Pink Floyd song I'm taken back to being at that gig and seeing how much Boyfriend was loving being there. Those memories are priceless! 

What would you recommend as a first anniversary gift? 

4/15/2013

M is for Make Your Own...

M: Make Your Own....

Pencil Pot


Sometimes, I get a really big urge to be creative and crafty and make something to go in my house. I don't really need that much storage, as my house is quite small and I already have places to keep things, but the one thing I always seem to accumulate - more than anything - is stationary! 

I made this pencil pot years ago at uni. I was sick of having pencils lying around everywhere, and didn't want to splash out on buying a pencil case/tin, so instead I had an idea - I'll make my own! 



I found an empty chocolate box that looked like it would be the right size to fit in a substantial amount of my stationary, and got making.

I tore out pictures from a magazine to stick on the box to cover up the original packaging, and make it fit in more with my style. I was quite lucky to find pictures and textured designs that fitted together quite well to create a look that I was happy with. I used fashion images as a base, but you can easily swap this for wallpaper snippets, left over wrapping paper, or even an old newspaper....anything that's lying around redundant, that you could turn into something new....having a play around with designs is really fun!


I didn't stop at a pencil pot either! I made a make up tray out of a shoebox lid and an old perfume box, using the same idea, and finding magazine images that fitted in with the "beauty" theme. 

It's such a quick and easy craft to do, and you can use the basis of the idea for lots of things: a nail varnish holder, a memory box, a place to store odd buttons......get inventive and think of different ways you can recycle. 

This pencil pot craft would be a great activity to do with children too. It will keep them occupied, help them learn about recycling, and get their creativity and imaginations going. At the end of the activity, they'll be really proud of what they have made, and can use it to store some of their own stationary!

Ginger x