Tag Archives: gift idea

Sock Neck Warmers

Sock Neck Warmers…….

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OK…they may look a little goofy, but I think you will fall in love with these Sock Neck Warmers.  We gave them for neighbor Christmas gifts one year…and we still have people asking for them. One of our neighbors is a midwife, and she came to our garden to gather all the needed lavender and made them for some of her patients and coworkers.

Sock Neck Warmers

Ever have a tight neck? Tension?  These are the bomb!  You heat them in the microwave and then lay them around your neck….the heat and the weight of them feel wonderful!

Here’s what you need:

knee socks…any pattern

white rice

lavender

twine or ribbon to tie them up

big bowl

Here’s how you make them:

1.  In a big bowl mix lots of lavender with the white rice

2.  Fill each sock with your yummy-smelling mixture

3.  Tightly tie the open end closed with twine or ribbon

Heat in the microwave to your desired heat…..I like 2-3 minutes. {And I like to use two at a time. ;) }

These make great gifts….you can match the socks to the person’s personality. I like to use dark-colored socks because they don’t show dirt, etc.

I should have shared these during tax season. ha!

What’s something fun you’ve been up to lately?

Blessings~

daune

Sharing with:  Tip Junkie, Between Naps on the Porch, Thrifty Decor Chick, Funky Junk Interiors, DIY Showoff, Home Stories A to Z,  Serenity Now, Savvy Southern Style, My Romantic Home, Jennifer Rizzo, Uncommon Designs, The Shabby Creek Cottage

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May Day Basket

May Day Baskets…..

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May Day is right around the corner….and we have always enjoyed making May Day Baskets / Posies / Bouquets and leaving them as a surprise for people.

The original way to leave a May Day basket is to hang it on someone’s door, ring the doorbell or knock, and then run away. But, we like to do it a little differently. May Day is always May 1st….so, late at night on April 30th we go around and deliver our May Day Baskets. We hang them on people’s doors….so they will be there when they wake up and greet them first thing in the morning.

May Day Basket

Handsome & I did this even before we had kids….and we have used all kinds of containers, flowers, etc.  This year we are using the little mini Ben & Jerry’s ice cream containers and filling them with fun, spring flowers.

In the past we’ve used:  paper cones, small glass vases, jars, small clay pots…..whatever you use it’s important that you either have twine, ribbon, wire, etc. around it so you can hang it on the doorknob/fencepost……

May Day Basket

We’ve put together little flower bouquets, planted moonflower or morning glory seeds and left the little seedlings….any fun plant/flower works great.

May Day Basket

We always have a fun adventure leaving May Day Baskets/Bouquets…..we set off motion lights, we’ve been chased by dogs, and had to hide in bushes because people heard a clink on the door and started looking out the windows. So far we haven’t been arrested. Or shot. Whew!

Have you ever left May Day Baskets?

Happy Spring~

daune

Sharing with:  Tip Junkie, Between Naps on the Porch, Thrifty Decor Chick, Funky Junk Interiors, DIY Showoff, Home Stories A to Z,  Serenity Now, Savvy Southern Style, My Romantic Home, Jennifer Rizzo, Uncommon Designs

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Movie Madness Bags ::: {Great Gift Idea}

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For many years we have had a fun, little gift that we keep on hand. When our children were younger this was the ‘go-to’ birthday gift when they were invited to parties.

It makes a great teacher gift, neighbor gift, thank you gift, birthday gift, etc.  Well, you get it! It makes a great gift for just about anything.

What is this fun gift, you ask? I present to you……

The Movie Madness Bag!

Movie Madness Bag_Great Gift Idea

You will need:

a clear cellophane bag

some fun candy

a few pieces of loose candy..bubble gum, kisses, etc.

a microwave popcorn

a drink…canned, juice box, whatever

a gift card to rent a movie from your favorite rental spot

Something fun to tie it up…raffia, twist-tie, ribbon, rope

a fun Movie Madness tag

{You can download the free printable of the one we use here.}

Or, you can easily make your own.

Movie Madness Bag items

I usually keep about 8-10 of these made up and in our gift closet…ready to go when needed.  The total cost of this gift is around $7…..and they are so fun to receive. Who doesn’t like having everything they need for a movie night in one bag!?

It’s great for all ages.

Movie Madness Bag...great teacher present

We’ve given them to preschoolers and grandparents.  You can personalize them as you wish….a fun, pink, fluffy ribbon for a girl, some rope for a boy, etc., etc.

Movie Madness Bag_Great Gift Idea

 What are some fun gift ideas that you keep on hand?

Blessings~

IMG_0001

Sharing with:  Tip Junkie, Between Naps on the Porch, Thrifty Decor Chick, Funky Junk Interiors, DIY Showoff, Home Stories A to Z,  Serenity Now, Savvy Southern Style, My Romantic Home, Jennifer Rizzo

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Fun Stuff & A WINNER!!!!

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Good Monday morning! I hope you had a super weekend. Can you believe that it is Thanksgiving week? Whoa. This is my favorite time of the year and I have been trying to slow it down and not miss anything. Whew! It’s a full time job to do that.

I wanted to share some fun things that we have in the shop with you….and a special discount code that is just for Cottage in the Oaks readers! {You can click on each picture to be taken to the item.}

Many of the items are in very limited quantity and when they are gone…they will be gone!

I love this photo print of what we’ve named “The Reindeer Barn”. I took this photo on one of our road trips in the fall. It is so fun.  We have an 11 x 14 photo print, as well as sets of postcards of this print.

We also have some neat chalkboards tags/labels. Several different shapes to choose from….circles, hearts, rectangles, ovals……

The best-seller in our shop is the Mini French Cafe Tabletop Chalkboard…..and we’ve done a special one just for Christmas! {You can also still order the other colors/finishes, as well.}

Cuffs galore!  You can special order any name or date, short phrase, etc. We’ll be happy to customize one for you.

Some bunting/pennants….

Flour sack tea towels in all kinds of prints…….

Fitz and Floyd created this gorgeous Christmas pattern called St. Nicholas over 20 years ago….it has not been available for the past several years.  We have some wonderful pieces…adding up to a whole set.  If you’d like to start or add to your Christmas china…..we have dinner plates, salad plates, creamer/sugar, dessert plates, cups and saucers….platters.  Check it out! {I love this pattern!}

There’s lots more….those were just some fun highlights.  For this week only we want to offer you a special discount of 20% off your total purchase through November 25, 2012.  Just use the code:

MERRYMERRY

when you checkout. You can get a jump on your Christmas shopping…or fun-for-you shopping. :) You can visit the shop here.

Also….just some blog maintenance……we have outgrown our servers. SO, within the next few weeks we will be updating and changing to a new server.  This should not cause us to lose anyone….BUT, if you subscribe to Cottage in the Oaks via feed there is a slight possibility that the transfer will cause us to lose you. {That would make me sad.} I’ll give you a heads up when we get ready to do it, and if all of a sudden you don’t get a post from us on a weekday….you know we lost you! SO, be sure to come back here and subscribe to the feed again, and we’ll be back on track!

We have a winner of the fabulous Moen Shower Giveaway! It is comment #42: Rebecca Reavis!

Rebecca, shoot me a quick e-mail: cottageintheoaks [at] me [dot] com with your mailing address and we will get it right out to you! Congratulations!

Lot’s of fun stuff going on……

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seashell crafts

Seashell Pictures {Art Frame}

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I shared a picture in the seashell post last week of a frame that we had covered in small seashells. I thought I would share with you all how to do that….it is super easy.

{OK, that little boy in the picture…he is going to be 17 next week!  WHEN, I ask you, WHEN did that happen? And the big boy…he has a birthday next week, too. He’s not going to be 17, though.}

seashell crafts

What you will need:

Any frame, any size, with a flat surface….for the one above I used a 4 x 6 that I already had on hand.

Clear hot glue

Small seashells, sand, small pebbles from the beach {If you don’t live near the beach you can purchase these at art/craft stores, dollar stores, or online.}

Here’s how ya do it:

1.  If you don’t like the color of your frame…you can paint it first.   I liked the finish of the one I had because it was sand-colored and fit the room in which I wanted to use it.  But, you could paint your frame any color before adding the shells for a more dramatic effect.

2. Using the hot glue….cover one side at a time with glue and sprinkle the small shells onto the glue trying to cover as much surface as possible. {While the glue is still ‘wet’ you can sprinkle sand on any uncovered spots if you’d like.}

3. Go back and add larger shells in specific spots with dots of hot glue. Keep covering until you are happy with it!

Tah-dah!

This project cost us $0….we already had the frame and glue, and we gathered the shells from the beach.  BUT, even if you don’t already have everything…..you can purchase a frame from the dollar store {it doesn’t have to be pretty…you are going to make it pretty}, and little bags of shells are fairly inexpensive.

What are you working on at your home these days?

Blessings~

Sharing with:  Tip Junkie, Not JUST a Housewife,  Between Naps on the Porch, Thrifty Decor Chick, Funky Junk Interiors, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, DIY Showoff, Home Stories A to Z,  a.k.a. Design, Serenity Now, Savvy Southern Style, My Romantic Home,Uncommon Designs

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New Things……

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Happy Monday!

I hope everyone had a super weekend…they just go by too fast!

We got lots done in the garden, cleaned off the front porch…….

and had fun walking around in the rain at the garden center. :)

This is our last week of school here…..yaaaaaaayyyyyyyy!

We homeschool….and I’m never sure who is more excited to get things wrapped up for the year…me or the kids. We all have fun and love it, but once we hit mid-March we are all ready to finish up! :) Ready for summer adventures, a little less structure, and some relaxation. {The pool opens this Saturday!}

I thought I’d share some new things in our etsy shop with you……

We created another version of our Mini French Cafe Tabletop Chalkboard.

It now not only comes in the darker, walnut stain….but in a light French Country gray.

 We also added a couple of new Vintage Flour Sack Tea Towels.

A French Fleura {florist} Advertisement…

 and a French sheep advertisement….

 I love sheep. I want some. And chickens.

I need a farm.

If you’d like you can follow my love of sheep, chickens, farms, vintage, fun things, food, etc. on Pinterest here.

What have you guys been up to this weekend?

Blessings~

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Chalkboard Chargers…..

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Deeeeeeeeeeeepppp in the recesses of the

laundry room black hole storage space

have sat these 13 brass chargers for many years.

I’m not too fond of brass….it’s, well,

too brassy.

I have had these chargers for about 20 years

and many years ago used them quite a lot.

Last autumn when we did a huge cleanout

I almost put them in the yard sale pile;

but then I kept thinking of fun things I could

do with them. At first I thought of some fun

things to create with them for the etsy shop,

then I thought I would distress the rims,

paint the centers with chalkboard paint,

and use them for some fun gifts.

Then, I thought the whole charger would

be great as a chalkboard….still used as a charger.

So, that’s what I decided to do.

That was 6 months ago.

Last week they were still in the black hole storage.

BUT, when I saw my lovely Canadian friend Shannon,

of {aka}design, turn her lovely chargers into chalkboards…..

that put me in gear to get these things out and get on with it!

They were a bit dusty.

 

But I think they turned out great…and we are having so much fun with them!

 

 I love these antique silver spoons that we picked up

in an antique store in Gettysburg, PA.

They are my favorites….almost 100 years old.

 Here’s what you need:

Chalkboard spray paint

any kind of charger…metal or wood

Here’s how you do it:

1. Make sure chargers are clean and dust free {that took me a while!}

2. Lay them face down and lightly spray the backs

3. Once the backs are dry, turn them over and spray the fronts with 3 coats of paint.

4. Once they are dry let them cure for 24 hours before using them.

{You may want to store them with felt in between each one so the

paint does not get scratched off when stacking.}

These are so fun to use a place cards, special messages,

games at dinner, etc.

 *****

Tomorrow is the last day to enter

our Big 1 Year Blogoversary Giveaway!

If you haven’t…head on over so you don’t miss it!

Blessings~

Sharing with:  Skip to My Lou, Tip Junkie, Today’s Creative Blog, Not JUST a Housewife,  Blue Cricket Design, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Whipperberry, The Idea Room,  Between Naps on the Porch, French Country Cottage, The Lettered Cottage, Thrifty Decor Chick, Funky Junk Interiors, At the Picket Fence, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Common Ground,  DIY Showoff, Home Stories A to Z,  a.k.a. Design, Someday Crafts, Organize and Decorate Everything,  2805, Making the World Cuter, The Girl Creative, Craftomaniac, Carolyns Homework, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Tatertots & Jello, Serenity Now, No Minimalist Here, Savvy Southern Style, Coastal Charm, My Romantic Home, Redoux, 504 Main, 733 Blog, We Are That Family, Creating Really Awesome Free Things,  The Charm of Home, Delightsome Life, Anything Goes, Rooted in Thyme, Positively Splendid, Cedar Hill Ranch, Domestically Speaking, The Power of Paint

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Tea Towels + Plant Markers

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It’s Wednesday..

where is the week going!?

I thought I would take a moment to share

a few of the items that we just added in

our etsy shop…..since

there is still time to use the discount code:

1year20

for 20% your entire purchase through April 30.

I have had lots of fun making these

new Tea Towels for the shop

{*ahem* and for us here at home! :) }

I love flour sack towels….

and I’ve printed these with vintage advertisements,

some European and some American.

There are seven different prints.

Just click on each picture to be taken to the listing & info.

The European Tea Towel is included in the

Super Giveaway that ends on Friday!

I couldn’t decide which was my favorite……

so we have one of each around here!

Those of you that have been around here

for a while know we like to repurpose old, vintage

shutters into fun things…..like this.

So, we came up with another idea and

used some old, vintage shutters to make these fun

Chalkboard Garden Markers.

You can write on them with any chalk or chalk pen.

So, what do you think?

 Some more fun stuff will be coming soon…..

Blessings~

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Chalkboard Lidded Jars

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I just love little jars….and fun ways to

store things or give as gifts.

If I have a jar that is a neat shape and I know I

can get the label off easily, I always save it.

{A great way to get labels off easily is to wash

the jars in the dishwasher…whatever doesn’t

automatically come off will come off easily

when it comes out of the dishwasher.}

My favorite little jars are the pimiento jars….

2 oz. and 4 oz.

They are so cute!

Here’s a fun way to create your own

fun storage jars…basically for free!

Save jars from food items you

already use, get the labels off

and then spray the lids with chalkboard paint.

{1 can costs between $3-$4….and will paint

probably 40 jar lids!}

Here’s what you need:

Chalkboard spray paint

saved jars with labels removed

Here’s how ya do it:

1.  Put your lids on newspaper…ready to spray.

2.  Spray lids with 2-3 coats of chalkboard paint

{It will look shiny until it dries…it dries VERY fast!}

3. Be sure to paint the underside as well.

4. Allow to dry well and then put on jars!

Taaahhhhhhhh-Daaahhhhhh!

I just love these!

They are great to have on hand to take little gifts

to neighbors, teachers, hostess gifts…..

wonderful to take condiments and extras with meals to others.

Great to store herbs and seeds in, as well!

Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for a BIG, FUN giveaway!

We will be 1 !

Blessings~

Sharing with:  Skip to My Lou, Tip Junkie, Today’s Creative Blog, Not JUST a Housewife,  Blue Cricket Design, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Whipperberry, The Idea Room,  Between Naps on the Porch, French Country Cottage, The Lettered Cottage, Thrifty Decor Chick, Funky Junk Interiors, At the Picket Fence, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Common Ground,  DIY Showoff, Home Stories A to Z,  a.k.a. Design, Someday Crafts, Organize and Decorate Everything,  2805, Making the World Cuter, The Girl Creative, Craftomaniac, Carolyns Homework, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Tatertots & Jello, Serenity Now, No Minimalist Here, Savvy Southern Style, Coastal Charm, My Romantic Home, Redoux, 504 Main, 733 Blog, We Are That Family, Creating Really Awesome Free Things,  The Charm of Home, Delightsome Life, Anything Goes, Rooted in Thyme, Positively Splendid, Cedar Hill Ranch, Domestically Speaking, The Power of Paint

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Vintage German Easter Egg Treats

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I shared in a post last week that I love collecting

these vintage, paper mache, German Easter eggs.

I just think they are so fun!

They usually come in three sizes….

for this project I used the largest size.

I was able to find a ton of them at a store

this year, so I thought it would be fun to fill them

with some fun treats for my beautiful group

of middle school girls that I get to spend time

 with each Wednesday night here at our cottage.

They are girls. There is chocolate inside.

There is the cute factor.

It’s a score…dontcha think?

In case you aren’t familiar with these fun eggs….

here’s some pics…..

I love the inside…..usually printed in a fun pattern.

I filled them with paper grass and chocolate goodness……

 Voila! A basket of Easter happiness.

 It was hard….but while putting these together I didn’t eat

not even one piece of candy! Not even the new Reese’s

Peanut Butter eggs. Whew! Because once to have one…..

all of a sudden it’s been twenty!

Have you made any Easter treats this year?

Easter Blessings~

PS I’m sorry that I didn’t sing write ‘wring’? you a song today from Fiddler on the Roof.  I know that has probably gotten you through each day this week so far. I hope you are not disappointed. ;) Oh! Oh! I have one!….Sabbath Prayer from Fiddler on the Roof….perfect for my Wednesday night girls….a blessing for their eggs. {Oh, that sounded funny…..their vintage German EASTER EGGS!}

“May the Lord protect and defend you.

May He always shield you from shame.

May you come to be

In Israel a shining name.

May you be like Ruth and like Esther.

May you be deserving of praise.

Strengthen them, Oh Lord,

And keep them from the strangers’ ways.

May God bless you and grant you long lives.

(May the Lord fulfill our Sabbath prayer for you.)

May God make you good mothers and wives.

(May He send you husbands who will care for you.)

May the Lord protect and defend you.

May the Lord preserve you from pain.

Favor them, Oh Lord, with happiness and peace.

Oh, hear our Sabbath prayer. Amen.”

{Although “Matchmaker” reminds me of some of my precious Bible study girls. ;) }

Bye!

Sharing with:  Jennifer Rizzo

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