InspireMe Crafts

Gotta Make It…with the Kids: Valentine’s “I treasure you” Treasure Box

I know I've been MIA lately, but I've been on a mission. It is time to de-clutter and organize our household before baby #2 arrives and it has been a top priority. In the meantime, the house remains a mess as I decide what gets tossed and what gets labeled and a new home. The thought of another mess from a project was just too daunting the last couple of weeks, but I did find some time to work on a Valentine's craft project with Lil Man the other day. The best part is that I went through my craft closet (a.k.a crap closet, as my husband calls it) and pulled everything out from there for the project...so in essence I was staying on track by getting rid of some "crap". J

I had leftover treasure boxes from when Lil Man needed some creative poopy training , so we started with that as our gift box to decorate. Then we found some Valentine's paper and he cut them into small pieces, applied with Mod Podge and then sealed with more Mod Podge and a little glitter mixed in. Add some XOXO's on the front and you are set to go. I thought we were done with the treasure chest when that cheesy light bulb in my head went off. I had to add "I treasure you" on the inside to make it complete. See….I told you it was cheesy! Add some chocolate and of course this gift from your child will be a hit!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Button Christmas Tree Tote

"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree:  the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other".  ~Burton Hillis

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and had plenty of yummy food and time with family and friends! Now that my lazy turkey days are coming to an end, it is time for me to break out the Christmas decorations and let the holiday season truly begin. My first Christmas craft project this season is fun, inexpensive, and festive...you can't ask for much more than that! Use this Button Christmas Tree Tote as a gift bag or bring it with you to do all your holiday shopping… or even give it to a child to use as a school bag in December. Head to the store and pick up the following for the project…

MATERIALS:

tote bag
buttons ( I used 9 small, 12 large, 1 star – silver and gold)
thread
ribbon

HOW-TO:

1. Lay out buttons to resemble Christmas tree shape next to tote bag. I used small and large as well as gold and silver buttons.
2. One by one start to sew each button on to the tote in the shape that you laid out next to the tote.
3. Continue until you are done J.
4. Tie a ribbon in a bow and sew to where the handle attaches to the tote.
5. Use your bag as a gift bag or tote it around town.

I'd love to see your finished button tote bags and variations that you come up with! Just email to inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com and we'll share your creativity.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Frankenstein Takeout Box

"Hold on, man. We don't go anywhere with "scary," "spooky," "haunted," or "forbidden" in the title". ~From Scooby-Doo

 

Our happy Frankenstein Takeout Box is easy, inexpensive, cute, and quick to make! We are going to fill them with some yummy and fun Halloween treats and give to Lil Man's pre-school teacher. Here's what you need to get started:

MATERIALS:

Green Chinese takeout boxes (found at Michaels or another craft store in the gift packaging area)
Black & White Felt
Black Permanent Marker
Wiggly Eyes
Brads
Glue & Scissors

HOW-TO:

1. Cut out black felt so that the top edge is flat and the bottom edge is in a zig-zag. Glue the black felt on the top portion of the sides for his hairline.
2. Glue two wiggly eyes on.
3. Push the brad through the takeout box to make a nose. On the inside secure the brad in place by separating the metal parts.
4. Draw a smiling face (or mean one if don't want a silly Frankenstein) and a scar above his eye with a black marker.
5. Cut out little teeth with the white felt and glue to the drawn in mouth.
6. Fill with Halloween surprises.
7. Give to someone special.

Enjoy!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Silly Monster Halloween Treat Boxes

Lil Man and I had lots of fun making these Silly Monster Treat Boxes for Halloween. Plus, every time he starts to show a hint of being afraid of monsters we just say "it's one of those silly monsters" and it seems to calm those fears before they jump out of the closet. All you need are some craft supplies you probably have laying around your house. Here is what you need for your next Halloween Craft….

MATERIALS:

Small Boxes with lids ($1 at Michaels)
Craft Paint
Craft Supplies (Wiggly eyes, felt, small pom-poms, pipe cleaners, straw, yarn, buttons, feathers, etc)
Markers, Glue, Glue Gun, Scissors

HOW-TO:

1. Paint your treat boxes your favorite colors
2. Start cutting, gluing, coloring, and get creative!
3. Fill with yummy treats
4. Give to your family and friends

Button Billy Monster

 

Triple Eye Timmy Monster

 

Pink Paulina Monster
(Lil Man's Creation)

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It….With the Kids: Handmade Gift Wrap & Gift Bag

"The manner of giving is worth more than the gift".  ~Pierre Corneille, Le Menteur

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ever get tired of going to wrap a present and having the wrapping paper at the end of its roll….just short of what you need to succesfully wrap your gift? Or how about this…you go to wrap a Birthday gift and you have 3 rolls of Christmas wrapping paper, but no birthday paper. Ahhh!!! Have no worries because after we did this handmade gift wrap for a friend, I'm not sure we'll go back to store bought wrapping paper anytime soon. This was a nice creative twist to traditional wrapping…and thoughtful J. Lil Man had a birthday party to attend and in true fashion, we devoted plenty of time to picking out just the right presents, but not enough on how we were going to wrap or bag it.

My "Ah-ha" moment came when I looked up and saw a painting by Lil Man on his painting easel that had been there for a little while. I had him add some final touches to it and voila, we had creative DIY wrapping paper. If you don't have a painting easel with a roll of white paper, but do have that leftover Christmas paper, just use the white side of the wrapping paper to paint.

Then came the next challenge. We had this large flying disc thing-a-majig and did not have a bag big enough for it and wrapping it seemed too daunting for an 8:00a.m. project. We needed a handmade gift bag…

 

To make our handmade gift bag, we took some white paper from a roll of paper, cut a piece about 6 feet long, layed it on the kitchen floor, and started coloring with markers. Lil Man drew a humpback whale (see it J), some squigles, and his favorite –circles. We folded it in half and then used a hole punch to punch holes along the sides. We grabbed some scrap ribbon and tied knots thru each hole to secure the bag. Add a couple holes at the top and a ribbon to make the gift bag handles. And once again, a creative and handmade gift bag for that special someone.

Look at Lil Man! He is so proud of his creation and ready to give it to his lil buddy. Can someone talk this kid into a haircut?!?

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Photo Magnet Bookmarks

When I posted my Magnet Bookmarks previously it only took a few moments for my biggest fan (my mom of course) to call and ask for one. Instead of using some pretty paper, I decided to use a photo of her favorite grandson (and only grandson). A simple request turned into a great gift for Grandparent's Day. I followed the same instructions outlined on the Magnet Bookmark post. However, I took it a step further to package the gift in a creative way. I went to the DollarTree and found a book. I then ripped out a page, displayed the magnet on the page, and just in case they didn't get it….added "A bookmark!". I then put it in a clear plastic sleeve to keep the photo safe. Of course I made a handful for all the grandparents and great grandparents…

You can do this very quickly so if you are scrambling for some Grandparent's Day gifts…you still have plenty of time!

Be inspired, get creative and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Flower Gift Boxes

"We should give as we would receive, cheerfully, quickly, and without hesitation; for there is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers."  ~Seneca

 

I've been making a conscientious effort to avoid buying things that I don't have an immediate use for.  Luckily, I did not follow my own rules when I came across these flower gift boxes in the shape of a purse while doing some bargain hunting at the DollarTree.  Instead of saying, "Oh, those are cute" and moving my little tush forward, I stopped,knelt down to the bottom shelf and piled every color they had into my arms.  The ideas were limitless...flower girl gifts, Mother's Day brunch table settings, random gifts, birthday gifts, teacher gifts, thank you gifts....you get the point.  But you know what happened?  I liked them so much and I was so selfish that I held on to them forever because they were just too cute.  Well, I finally came to terms that a bunch of flower gift boxes sitting on a shelf were not doing any one any good.  Mother's Day was here and my son and I needed a gift box for our Snickerdoodles....the time had come to part with my beloved boxes :).  We filled them up with some scrumptious Snickerdoodles (recipe to follow shortly), personalized them with some notes and initial tags, and delivered them personally to some well deserving moms.  And my moms never cease to amaze me because they all "get me" and my quirky obsession with adorable gift giving things and truly appreciated these little special boxes...or maybe it was all about the sugar filled cookie inside....hmmm.

The moral of the story...break the rules sometimes (but know your limits)!  Although you may not be able to find these exact boxes at the DollarTree today, there may be another gem waiting for you to overstock on.  Or even better...you could even recreate these bright colored boxes. Let me know how that goes if you give it a whirl.  I'm sure my readers are always up for a challenge. 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Personalized Flower Gift Using Plant ID Tags

"Flowers are the sweetest things God ever made, and forgot to put a soul into."  ~Henry Beecher, Life Thoughts, 1858

 

April is always a crazy month of birthdays and anniversaries and I'm usually not as organized as I would like to be when the time comes around.  I usually try to bake something, but I knew on this weekend that I just had too much on my plate to get any baking done for the special birthday girls.  However, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing because who doesn't love flowers?  I found these beautiful daisies already planted in the coordinating pots for a great price. Then I used some metal plant ID tags to write a special message to the recipient.  This was for a birthday, but it would also work well for Mother's Day or Graduations.  These Plant ID tags come with an erasable marker so I tucked the marker in the flower pot so they can re-use the tags. 

Quick, easy, beautiful, inexpensive and personalized....can't get any better than that.  :)

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Clever Gift Ideas for Christmas

“A hug is the perfect gift; one size fits all, and nobody minds if you exchange it".

 

Now's the time where you may need some ideas for those little gifts for co-workers, teachers, mail person, babysitter, etc.  Below is a list of some simple, cute, and cheesy (of course) ideas that are sure to make that special person smile. 

1.  Measuring Cups with a note that says "Wishing you joy beyond measure".  This is actually a great gift because there are so many cool new measuring cups out there (I never thought I would say that).  Whether you pick the person's favorite color or the cool new collapsible ones, the thought will surely be appreciated. 

2.  Cookies with note saying "Wishing you a wonderful Christmas from your "crummy" neighbors (co-worker, students, boss, etc)

3.  Popcorn with note saying "We just 'popped' in to wish you a Merry Christmas".  You could purchase one of those plastic tubs that look like movie popcorn bags from the DollarTree and fill it with bags of popcorn, movie gift certificates, candy, etc.

4.  Pencil & Notepad with note saying "Hope your Christmas is something to write about".

5.  Cookie Dough with note saying "Here's a little extra dough for Christmas".

6.  Basket of Bath Items with note saying "When you feel like a basket case, take a break and slow your pace". 

7.  Muffins with note saying "You're getting muffin for Christmas".

8.  Fudge with a note saying "Fudge a little on the calories and enjoy the holiday season". 

I wish I could take credit for these ideas, but I've come across them at Craft shows, the internet, and magazines so I'm not even sure who to give the props to.  I'm sure there are plenty more so if you'd like to add to the list please leave a comment for send me an email!

Be inspired, get creative and have fun!

InspireMe Crafts featured on Databazaar

Hey all!  I just thought I would share that over at the Databazaar blog you can find an interview done on InspireMe Crafts plus a couple of my projects that are being showcased.  The ideas were from my Cookie Gift Bag and my Photo Gift Tags and were tailored for Databazaar. 

So go check out the article, "Gift Giving Never Looked so Good:  Create Cookie Gift Bags and Photo Gift Tags" by Kara Soos.

Wondering where I found that adorable flower purse gift box?  I'll give you three choices

a) Michaels
b) DollarTree
c) Target

Hmmm...the choices are all so good.  But if you guessed 'b' than you are correct!  The DollarTree has several different colors available.  Once again...a great thing to stock up on to have at your fingertips when you need a quick gift. 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Decorated Tin Candle

"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared" - Buddha

My baby sister graduated from high school on Friday and it still hasn't quite sunk in.  When my hubby and I met she was only 11 and most of the time that's how I continue to visualize my sis. That is until I got her senior picture in the mail.  Holy Moly!  She looked like she was 27.  I was mixed with emotions.  I know she has to grow up, but I'm always going to remember that once shy little girl.  Maybe its just hard because it makes me realize that I too am growing up.  I've gotten married, had a son, moved to 3 different states, yet I still see myself as being 23.  I'm not sure when it will sink in that I'm just not quite that young anymore. :) 

I'm very proud of her and I know that there are many more adventures to come, but at the same time I remember some of the not so fun adventures and the hard times.  The big sis comes out in me and just wants to be there to protect her from all that junk.  But part of growing up is overcoming all that junk.  If someone had protected me from all the hardships and road bumps and provided me a free ticket, I would not be the woman I am today - far from perfect, but certainly trying to be the best I can be. I give props to my parents for that.  So many 'kids' are being coddled these days and they are not allowing their children to figure it out and learn to work hard to get what they want.  (I could go on in a whole new post about that and the effect on the work force, but I'll try to stay focused for you!).  So I guess I am just going to have to let go, let her enjoy, and just standby for when she reaches out for a helping hand or a listening ear.

I couldn't make her graduation so I sent a little "Care Package" to start college off.  I included this personalized tin candle that I made.  I found a plain tin candle at the DollarTree and used my favorite papers to decorate it. As simple as that!  No "How-To's" needed.  I loved this idea so much that I am thinking stocking stuffers for Christmas!  They could also easily be made into wedding favors, bridal shower favors and even baby shower thank you gifts!  The ideas are limitless...so let that creative side start flowing and go stock up on these tin candles!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun! 

Gotta Make It: Hugs & Kisses Candy Tin

"Hugs & Kisses"

Stop what you are doing!  Go grab your keys, a $1 and get in the car and start heading to your local DollarTree.  Oh yeah...don't forget the kids in this excitement!  The DollarTree currently has these adorable tins in different sizes and designs for $1!  You will definitely want to stock up on these.  Use them to give cookies, gifts, party favors, etc.  Again, the possibilities are endless and they will be perfect to have on hand for those last minute gifts you have to put together.  And how can you possibly go wrong when they are only $1?

I chose to fill mine with Hershey Hugs & Kisses and send it to our family friends that are in the hospital with their daughter.  I included in a note to share with their nurses and doctors that were taking such good care of their little princess. 

Hope you enjoy this quick, easy, and super affordable idea!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun! 

Gotta Make It: Cookie Gift Bag

"Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life"

When my husband and I decided to move to the opposite coast that both of our family live, we knew we would have our work cut out for us.  But luckily, we have been blessed with some very kind hearts who have quickly opened their arms to us and helped us out with our son.  My neighbor is a sweetheart and is getting her Masters in Education.  She watches my son on Thursday's for a couple hours while I go teach some ballet classes.  And she does it for FREE!  She is always offering to help and he absolutely loves it when she comes down for their play time.  She was defending her thesis tomorrow so we decided to make her a little good luck gift.  Now..as a reminder we were stuck at home with that icky bug so I had limited options.  I'll tell you my how-to and then things I would have done differently if I could have gotten out of the house.

MATERIALS:

Cellophane bag
Paper (cardstock) or scrapbook paper
Printer - optional
Ribbon
Hole punch
Yummy cookies

HOW-TO:  (click on picture to enlarge)

Notes on things to do differently or to avoid:

1.  I used photo paper because I didn't have cardstock. Cardstock would be much better. 
2. Make sure you have ink.  As you can see my black ink was a little low.
3.  Have a heavy duty hole punch!  I used a normal hand held one and it made me work!  Then I had to take an X-Acto knife to finish it off.  I think that's about it....Have fun!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Black & White Gift Packaging

" Creativity is a drug I cannot live without" - Cecil B DeMille

If you are a regular reader of this blog, then you probably know by now that I love black and white paper, ribbon, home decor, etc.  I came across this picture in a lost file (I've got to figure out how to organize my photos!) of a gift package I did for my sister-in-law's graduation.  What I love about black and white combinations is that you can throw a splash of any color to create different effects.  I decided on a bright lime green for her gift and forgot how much I love all those colors together.  I hope this helps inspire you for some quick and beautiful gift packaging...or a color combo for your next project.  Take care...

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Check It Out: Avery FREE Clipart

"I smile because you are my sister, I laugh because there is nothing you can do about it!"

I had to share some FREE Clipart that I found on the Avery website.  They have about 200 free backgrounds and images to use. They also have scrapbook paper and tags you can print at home now.  But back to the free clipart...  I got the background and the flower used on my Sister memory page from the free images that they provide.  There are some really cute clipart for babies, weddings, vacations, and just because. It was such a relief to find some modern designs and not that cheesy clipart that's available. Go check it out and have fun!  If you use some of the clipart to make cards or a memory page like I did... please share! 

Take care...

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Paper Pinwheel

"The world would be so lonely, In sunny hours or gray, Without the gift of friendship, To help us every day."  - Hilda Brett Farr

This morning was one of those where you look out your window, the sun was shining, and you immediately begin your day on the right foot.  Then you step outside and the wind just about blows you over and slams the door on you...but we'll just try and forget that part!  Then the power goes out...but we'll forget about that too.  We'll just remember the bright sun.  The beautiful weather (minus the wind) we had today just reminded me of how much I am looking forward to Spring and the end of the cold season.   With Spring on my mind, I decided to try a bright and cheery project today.  On top of this being a project where we get to use some of our favorite papers, we also get to categorize it in our Dollar Diva section...and that's always bright and cheery on your wallet. 

A while back, I saw this idea for a paper pinwheel in a PaperCrafts Magazine and I've been meaning to try it to see if it was easy or a little more difficult.  Luckily it was quick and easy so I had to share.  Then I went a step further and made a little Paper Pinwheel Bouquet with most of the supplies from the DollarTree.  Let's get started...

MATERIALS:

Favorite papers (I used scrapbook paper that had patterns or colors on both sides)
Wooden Skewers
Brads/Beads
Glass Vase
Ribbon
Styrofoam square
Embellishments
Ink pad
Scissors, glue (strong and quick finishing like Krazy Glue)

HOW-TO:
Pinwheel-
1.  Cut patterned paper to 4.5" square
2.  Using a ruler measure to find the exact center of your paper square.
3.  From corner cut 2.5" towards middle point.  Repeat on all the corners (see figure diagram below)
4.  Ink all the edges with inkpad
5.  Fold corners one at a time to the middle and attach using fast drying glue (see diagram)
6.  Once all 4 corners are adhered add embellishments.  For center piece I used brad, glass marble, and jewelery bead.
7.  Attach the wooden skewer (DollarTree) to back of pinwheel with glue.  I used the glue gun for this one.
8.  Let Dry

Vase-
1. Cut patterned paper to size.  Insert on the inside of vase (DollarTree).
2.  Cut styrofoam (DollarTree) to size and insert into the vase.
3.  Decorate outside of vase with ribbon and embellishments if you desire.
4.  Insert pinwheels and arrange
5.  Add glass decorative marbles (DollarTree) to the top to hide styrofoam.
6.  Voila!  All done.

There are so many uses for this project I don't even know where to begin.  They are cute enough just to add some spring decor to your house, they would be cute at a baby shower or kid's party, a baby announcement, a party favor, and the ideas could just keep going.  So get creative with what you could use this project for!  Enjoy the sun...if you are lucky enough to have some right now!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Animal Valentine Tags

"I'll love you 'til the day after forever"

I didn't really make any  New Years Resolutions, but if I did, I would say that learning new things would be one of mine.  I've been trying to learn Adobe Photoshop whenever I have a 2 minute break from my son..which isn't that often, so it has definitely been a slow learning curve for me.  These witty (and silly) Valentine's tags are one of my first Photoshop projects that I am proud enough to show and share!  They are about 2in X 2in.  I simply cut them out and glued them to some cardstock.  They would be adorable solo with a little note on the back or you can make chocolate lollipops like I did and attach the Valentine tag with ribbon to it. 

The chocolate lollipops are so easy and inexpensive to make.  Go to your craft store and grab a lollipop mold ($1), some chocolate ($2), some lollipop sticks ($2 for tons), and some lollipop bags ($2 for 15).  All the stuff is grouped together at the store so it will be a quick stop if you have a squirmy kiddo with you like I usually do!  Then all you do is follow the directions which is melt the chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute, stir, put in mold, add the stick, put in fridge, chill, take out, put in bag, add ribbon....and Voila!  You are done.  Phew...

If you really like the tags go ahead and check out my PayPal Storefront in the right sidebar.  I'm going to sell the tags for $3 for me to email you the document that includes all 6 and then you take care of everything else from there.  If you would like me to print, cut, put on cardstock, and mail it will be $8 for 6 tags or $10 for 12 tags and that includes shipping!  If you want more than 12 email me at inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com and I will give you a quote.  But you better hurry because Valentine's day is just around the corner. 

These would also be adorable as flowergirl gifts or if you are a parent you could put the tags in lunch boxes as little surprises for your school-aged children.  I hope you enjoy it!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Nuts for You Valentine Gift

"I'm nuts for you!"

I'm a dork.  Ask my husband, family, or friends and they will all tell you that I am a dork through and through.  Things like these cheesy gifts and sayings make me smile.  I've embraced my dorkness and have decided that its a positive attribute.  It makes others laugh WITH me and it makes ME laugh so how could it possibly be negative as some people perceive the word 'dork'? My dorkness brought this Valentine's gift to light.  My hubby loves mixed nuts so I created this "Nuts 4 U" jar full of mixed nuts.  Of course its super easy, super quick, and super cute...so there's no reason not to do it!

MATERIALS:

Empty glass jar
Paper
Ribbon
Embellishments

TO DO:

1.  Clean out an old spaghetti sauce jar or buy some empty ones.
2.  Attach ribbon with glue gun to glass jar.
3.  Cut paper to size and attach with glue gun.
4.  Embellish with stickers, flowers, letters, numbers, etc
5.  Fill with nuts

See...I told you....it was super easy, super quick, and super cute!  Did I mention that its super cheap inexpensive?   Have fun with your ideas this Valentine's Day and see if you can come up with a gift that will not only put a smile on their face, but make them laugh!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Check it Out: Paper Source

Yesterday is history.  Tomorrow is a mystery.  And today?  Today is a gift.  That's why we call it the present.  ~Babatunde Olatunji 

These are a few of my most recent "Gotta Have's" and they are from one of my favorite websites, papersource.com. You will find a perfect gift, package, and card all at this website for Valentine's day or any other gift giving holiday.  Can it get any better than one stop shopping from your computer?

As a busy mom, I live off of coffee and one of my favorite new hobbies is finding super cute coffee/tea mugs.  I LOVE these two mugs that simply say "Wake Up" and "Create".  There are several others that say things like "Bliss", "Think", "I'm Awake", etc. 

Want to get some flowers for your loved one, but with a twist?  Paper Source has flower kits to make bouquets out of paper!  Genius.  I'm going to try creating this one day on my own and I'll let you know how this goes. 

They also have adorable gift packaging.  They have the red/white polka-dot box and the red/white striped pillow box, but I think my favorite is the mini-suitcase.  This would be adorable to fill up with some sweet little gifts and to give them to you child for Valentine's day. 

Get creative this month and go check out papersource.com...you won't be dissappointed.  In fact, I just found out there is a store within a couple hours from us and they have workshops you can go to....don't tell my husband!  :)

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!

Gotta Make It: Valentine Breath Mint Tin

"Love Stinks...but your breath doesn't have to!"

Ok...so I totally love this idea, but I'm not so in love with the whole design.  I tried creating it with stuff I already had, and I just couldn't come up with the perfect combination.  However, I thought I would still share it with you to give you the idea and then you can run with it and create your own masterpiece. 

Remember the days when you were the one without a significant other on the most romantic day of the year?  You would grab your other single friends, a movie, some ice cream, and create your own celebration.  Well, if you decide you want to share some laughter with some of your single friends (or ones struggling with love), consider making this breath mint tin.  On the outside simple put "Love Stinks" and then on the inside put "...but your breath doesn't have to".  Then fill it up with some of your favorite breath mints and give it to your friends.  It will be sure to put a smile on their face. 

All you need is the following:

Tins
Paper
Embellishments
Glue

Trace the shape of the tin onto your favorite paper, cut, glue, and decorate.  It's really as simple as one, two, three! 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun! 

Gotta Make It: Decorated Tin Paint Can

" Thank you for the food before us, the friends beside us, and the love between us" 

If you are looking for a fun and creative way to give your gifts this Valentine's Day (or any holiday), consider using a craft Tin Paint Can.  There are endless possibilities with this and they are just too cute.  All I did was measure the height and width of the can and then cut out the papers I wanted to use.  A little glue, stickers, and ribbon and Voila! You are done.  Fill it with your favorite cookie recipes, candy, or your favorite trail mix (try the Archer Farms Trail mix from Target...its delish!) and give it to someone who has been especially sweet this year!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun! 

Gotta Make It: Bumble Bee Lollipop Valentine

"Bee Mine"

We're only a month away! That's right...we are quickly approaching the holiday you either love or hate. The holiday full of cheesy sayings and exchanges of candy, flowers, and gifts between your loved ones.  The month of Romance is just around the corner.  But with Romance, we need some laughter too and something new to the same old candy hearts and kid valentine's...which brings me to my project for today.  Let your kids take the most creative Valentine to their classes for all their friends and teachers...the Bumble Bee Lollipop Valentine.  Adorn it with some cheesy/witty sayings like:

1.  Bee Mine
2.  I Bee-lieve in you
3.  I'll Bee there for you
4.  My heart Bee-longs to you
5.  (If you can come up with some more please do share in our comments!)

Click this link to download the template for the bee:  Download bumblebee_lollipop_valentine.pdf 

And here are the wonderful HOW-TO's on this project...

I hope you enjoyed this one and please let me know your thoughts!  Be sure to check back because I have sooooo many ideas I can't wait to share with you! 

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!!!!!

Gotta Make It: Muffin Gift Box

"Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect.  It means you decide to see beyond the imperfections."

I SOOOOO wish I could take credit for this super cute and clever idea...but I can't!  My mom purchased this at a Holiday Bazaar in Washington State and unfortunately the talented  and creative mind behind this didn't leave too much information for me to give her credit.  All I know is her name is Regan Denke and she goes by Ms. Crafty's Creations.  Like I said...I wish I had more info.  She made a tag that said "You're getting...muffin for Christmas!!" and in the inside of the box she included directions for Blueberry muffins along with the mix and some holiday cupcake liners.  The papers she chose are adorable and she used bells on the bottom of the box as little leg stands...how clever!  She gets an A+!!!!

If you've seen an adorable and clever ideas please share and email us at inspiremecrafts@yahoo.com.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!!!!

Gotta Make It: Photo Gift Tags

"Every time we love, every time we give, its Christmas"

You'll be so proud of me...we got most of our holiday shopping done this weekend and I even got the presents wrapped.  Although, in the midst of wrapping I realized that my gift tags looked so TACKY!  I went the old school route of using wrapping paper scraps to fold in half, write the name, and slap it onto the present.  And to be honest....writing three names in the "from" portion is just so much more work than one!  So that little brain of mine went to work and came up with the photo gift tag.  The photo gift tags make your gifts so adorable and it took me about 10 minutes to make 15....that is so worth it!  Luckily, I had some of the luggage tags that I love so much.  You might recall that I used them in the Thanksgiving banner (which making one that says Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Peace, Hope, Joy, etc....would be adorable).  So I measured the luggage tag and sized my picture appropriately on the computer.  Use copy and paste to put as many as you can on a page and then print a few pages. I then took my luggage tag and traced the shape around the picture.  I cut out the picture and used spray adhesive to attach it to the luggage tag.  I used the hole from the luggage tag as my guide to punch a hole in the picture, ran my ribbon through it, wrote who the present is for on the back and voila!....you have an absolutely adorable DIY photo gift tag that will not only save you writing who the present is from, but will be a great keepsake for that special gift recipient!

I hope you enjoy the idea and ...

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!!!!!

Gotta Make It: Chinese Takout Box Party Favor & More

"Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest." - Reverend Larry Lorenzoni

I hope you got a little chuckle out of the birthday quote!  I'll be honest...it took me a second because at first I thought he was referring to material things when he said "the most" and then the lightbulb went on in that little head of mine and it all made sense...

Anyway, I thought I would take a one day break from the Christmas ideas to share some pictures from a Surprise 30th birthday that I helped plan for my friend.  Her husband chose the location which was a cozy and hip Asian restaurant and then I had a $100 budget to get the cake, party favors, decor, etc.  Luckily the restaurant was already decorated well with lots of bright colors and candlelight.  1/2 the budget went to the cake so I basically had $50 for everything else.  For the party favors, I used chinese takeout boxes from Michaels.  They were 10 in a box for $6.  I then used fortune cookies from World Market to place in the boxes as a favor.   To personalize the favors I used her favorite colors - pink, purple, and green - and designed a Happy Birthday message for the front.  With a little help from my nifty glue gun and some adorable ribbon... the favors were done!

We also wanted to have a keepsake for her so we bought a frame that everyone could place their 30th birthday wishes on.  I wanted a picture of her from her childhood for the frame, but we were afraid she would notice if the pictures were gone.  So instead we placed a Happy Birthday message in there that I designed on the computer.  At the celebration, we made sure to take a picture of everyone that she could place in there later.

Lastly, I added some trivia and special messages in some standing frames.  I had these frames for my wedding (purchased at Target) and I have used them for so many different things!  The trivia were all questions from the year she was born, 1977.  One was sport themed, one was entertainment, and the other was economy.  These can be great ice breakers for a group who may not know each other that well and will always give the birthday celebrant a good laugh....along with everyone else.   I also would have done pictures of her when she was younger if we were able to get to them...everyone's always curious to see what fashion trends you decided to follow!

So there you go...some ideas for your next party!  It turned out to be a great evening, but then you realize that as much as all the small touches count its truly the people you surround yourselves with.  They make the party! So remember to surround yourselves with the people that you love and the ones that bring the best out in you...not the worst!

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!