Recycled Containers...Great For Cookies

Tis the season where we're all running around crazy...baking, shopping, wrapping. Here's a quick idea for wrapping small gifts or a stack of cookies.




I've saved these containers for a while (no surprise there). I knew they would turn into something! These are the containers that hold the little tubs of drink powder.



This particular brand has a plastic label that just peels right off. There aren't any marks or residue left from glue.

Now it's a clean slate for any decoration.

If you are going to cover the whole container, measure the height ...

and the distance around the tube.

You can use fabric, scrap booking paper, ribbon, old book or music pages etc...

You can also decorate the top of the container. I used my hole punch to make a hang tag too (last week's Tool Time).

One idea would simply be to use ribbon to wrap around the container with a little glue for a candy cane look.

Add your matching gift tag...

Fill with your favorite cookies or small present and it's the perfect neighbor, teacher or hostess gift.

How about a little snowman...great for a child's gift or cookies too.

For a little more sophisticated look, I used an old sheet of music.

Add a simple hang tag...

matching ribbon and you're done!

The possibilities for these cookie containers are endless...let your imagination run with it.

Speaking of cookies...I'm guest posting a cookie recipe today over at Pleasant Home. You have to stop by for all of Jodi's wonderful ideas...it's been a great week.

Have a wonderful weekend,

~Karen~

A Wonderful Week At Pleasant Home...

Hi All! I'm guest posting this Saturday at Pleasant Home's Christmas Cookie Exchange, but I couldn't wait til Saturday to share Jodi's wonderful ideas with you. All this week she is sharing so many great posts, cookie packaging ideas and the recipes from other bloggers. Stop over for a visit and see all the inspiration and yummy recipes!

Tool Time Tuesday...Handmade Recycled Gift Tags

Happy Tuesday everyone!! Today's tool is from the craft store. I went down the scrap booking aisle with blinders on my eyes. I stayed focus...just needed to get the large circle cutter that's on the left in the picture below. If I start another hobby, I think I'll drown in crafting supplies. Scrap booking is something I've always wanted to try, but don't want to start. Looks like it can be addicting! I only bought the circle cutter and it's great! (ok, I did buy a few sheets of pretty scrap booking paper too). The hole punch with the purple handle punches a tiny circle and the blue one on the right is the traditional hole punch. You can do so many things with them, but today's tutorial is with the large punch.




Today we are making gift tags! Recycled gift tags that is. We'll be making them out of catalogs...you know all the catalogs we get by the boat load in the mail. I used the Vera Bradley catalog because of the great prints and graphics, but any colored print will work.



Just place the desired design in the circle cutter and squeeze the handles...

and you're done!

You may have to trim away some of the paper on the side, so the hole punch can snug up against the design that you'd like. Isn't this green print cute!

Here is a snow flake on the page next to the purse...

The circle punch is open on the top, so you can center the design if you need to.

These are all the circles that I punched from one small catalog in a matter of minutes.

Next I printed out a full sheet of "To:" and "From:" on Microsoft word. I played with the layout until I could fit the words in the size of my hole punch.

Here is a close up.

Now just punch out the gift tags with the hole punch.

The easiest way to attach the decorative circle to the "To / From" circle is permanent double sided tape.

Place one piece of double sided tape on the back of the "To / From" tag...

and then place the decorative circle on top of that.

You will need a small hole for the string on the gift tag. You can use the tiny hole punch or just poke a hole with the tip of your scissors or maybe a nail.

Here is a close up of the tiny hole punch.

Just add string, ribbon, twine or yarn.

Here is the front of your finished gift tag: quick, easy and recycled.

and here is the back.

A little tutorial...

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To: You

From: sew many ways

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Have a great Tuesday!

~Karen~

Tool Time Tuesday...Snowman Wreath

It's Tuesday...so that means Tool Time! Where are we going this week? The electrical department of the hardware store. Why?...for these little lovelies. Cable ties. I LOVE them. I use them for so many things: controlling the wire nightmare behind the computer, keeping electrical cords gathered together when storing them, holding evergreen garland to the railing and so much more. Today I'll be using these cable ties to make a snowman wreath for the front door.




The ties come in many different sizes, colors and also come in multi packs.



One side of the tie is smooth and the other has little tiny teeth. Once you insert the pointy end into the little opening in the box, the teeth will start to click. It will stay put where ever you stop the tie.

You can cinch it right up nice and tight to the item and it will not come undone until you cut it off.

Here is a quick idea for a different style wreath for your front door. Just take 3 wreaths in graduated sizes (this picture is of the backs of the wreaths). I used 2-3 ties to secure one wreath to the other.

Here is a close up. Once you have it cinched up to the tightness you'd like, you can snip the ends of the ties with wire cutters.

Quick and easy snowman wreath! Just add a scarf, hat and twigs for the arms!

I didn't have a black top hat so I took an old hat of my moms that had a rim on it, added a stretchy ski hat that I stuffed with plastic bags to keep it standing up. Added a ribbon, some berries and a little red cardinal!

I also secured the twigs to the back with the cable ties.

Too cute!

I hope you have a great Tuesday,

~Karen~

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If you haven't joined in on the Holiday Recipe Party click here. There are so many great recipes already...hope you can add yours too.

Holiday Recipe Link Party...

Welcome to my first linky party! This party is where you can share your family favorite recipes. It can be a dessert, a casserole, a main dish or any recipe at all. Linking parties are a wonderful way to not only share great ideas, but it will also bring new friends to YOUR blog too.
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Here are the 4 easy steps for the Holiday Recipe Link Party when you click the "add your link" button...

1. URL...This is the address to your post. Please link to the recipe Post, not your Main Blog address. To do this...just click on your recipe post's title and up at the top of the screen is the URL for just that post. Click off to the side (in the URL box) and the address should high light, right click and select copy. Go to the URL box in the link section, click in the box, right click, then select Paste. It's much easier for visitors to find the recipe rather than searching your entire blog for the post.

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2. Name...this means the name of your Recipe.

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3. Email...this is your email address, but it doesn't show at all, so no need to worry!

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4. The next step is to add the picture of your recipe. Once you have filled in the above 3 steps, click the "Next Step" button. This might take a few minutes to bring the next page up. The next screen will be a selection of the pictures from your post. Click one and drag the crop box to crop the area you would like to be in the thumbnail picture. Click select crop and you are done!

Please add a link back to my blog (this Holiday Recipe Party) so every one can join in the fun. You can add a written link or add the button to your post!

Thanks so much for joining in on the fun. I can't wait to see all your wonderful creations! The party will last the whole week, so there is plenty of time to join in on the fun.

Have a great day,

~Karen~

Tool Time Tuesday...Ribbon Organizer

Hi Everyone! Wow do Tuesdays come up fast or is it just me? Today's TTT is from the curtain rod section of the hardware store. I'll be using a tension rod for a ribbon organizer. Do you remember this post below? I used galvanized spikes to organize my ribbon. You know me I love anything galvanized, but thought I would change it up a bit to show you another option.




Here is a tension rod. If you are not familiar with them, they narrow metal curtain rods that are spring loaded. You can untwist them to any size to fit your window.



They have small rubber cups on the ends to not only protect the surface they are up against, but to prevent the rod from slipping. To fit to your area, all you do is untwist it a little larger than your window and then push in to fit. The spring loaded tension keeps it in place.

Here is where I am storing my ribbon now! This idea would also work great on a shelf with something already on it...like the shelf to the right of the ribbon. See all those jars of buttons? I was going to store the ribbon in that unused space above them, but I had 2 rods.

Just remove the rubber tip and slide on your spools of ribbon.

I added a yard stick that I cut to fit the shelf. Easy to cut the right size ribbon for any project.

I used my favorite 3M Command stickers to keep the ruler in place. The white tab sticking out onto the shelf bugged me, so I colored it in with a black marker. I know ridiculous, but it's the little things that make me happy! You can just barely see the 3M tab sticking out in the above picture at the 18 inch mark.

Always looking for your scissors? Well, not any more...I tied them (with a ribbon of course) to the tension rod, so they are always there to cut the ribbon.

This is just a close up of the rubber cups up against the side of the shelf to show how it stays up with the tension of the inner spring.

I use this for all my satin ribbons that I use for craft projects, but this would be great to hold all your ribbons for gift wrapping too. Perfect temporary organization for a gift wrap station for the holidays. If you have a shelf, cupboard or bookcase near your kitchen or dining room table, just clear it out for your gift wrapping marathon and keep all your ribbons up and out of the way while you're wrapping the packages. Then the ribbon is right there when you need it...easy to unroll just the right amount of ribbon.

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There are so many other uses for tension rods that I've done in the past. Do you remember the window design wall and the doorway children's theater? Just click the high lighted links for a peek back at those previous posts.

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Happy organizing and have a great Tuesday!

~Karen~