Perfect Handmade Holiday Gifts On A Budget

Hello G45ers,

Is there anything better than creating the perfect holiday gift for someone you love? There are so many ways to add charm and beauty to your holiday with Graphic 45 papers and Staples. Today we're going to share some fun and easy ideas for handmade holiday home decor and gifts! Get ready to be wowed by a gorgeous handmade hope box by Rhea Freitag the features our collection 12 Days of Christmas. Then Olga Struk will share a beautiful and inexpensive holiday calendar mug and tutorial! Both of today's crafts are perfect for crafting on a budget. They also prove that you can create breathtaking works of art without spending top dollar! We're going to have a lot of fun today!

Lets begin with this week's blog contest! We thought we'd bring in the sunshine by giving away this gorgeous Sweet Sentiments prize this week! You could win a Sweet Sentiments 12x12 paper pad, Sticker sheet, Chipboard Die-Cut, Tags & Pockets, Small Matchbook Box, Ornate Metal Keys and Metal Butterflies! That's a $52 value! Just leave us a blog or Facebook comment this week for your chance to win! A random winner will be announced on this Friday's blog. Stay tuned to see if you've won!

And now it's time for some crafts! We begin with a happy hello to all of our friends on the Graphic 45 Facebook page! If you want the latest news on Graphic 45 products, daily inspiration and a way to connect with your fellow G45ers and upload your Graphic 45 creations, then check out the Graphic 45 Facebook page! Here is an enchanting gift box that was recently uploaded to our Facebook page by Lainie Michel. This breathtaking creation features our collection Nutcracker Sweet. Dazzling fussy cut elements spring to life in this amazing holiday creation! It definitely gets us in the Christmas spirit! We encourage you all to check out the Graphic 45 Facbeook page for fun and fabulous inspiration!

Graphic 45 Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Graphic45

Here we have a gorgeous idea for turning an old box into a joyful holiday treasure. Behold, Rhea's amazing upcycled hope box featuring 12 Days of Christmas! This would make an amazing gift or a lovely piece of holiday home decor! You can see how Rhea used the 12 Days of Christmas cardstock flowers to create festive beauty and dimension on the top of this box. It's so pretty! Get inspired to create your own hope box for a happy holiday season. It's just amazing what you can create with a few inexpensive objects and some pretty Graphic 45 papers and Staples! Here is what Rhea had to say about this pretty work of art!

"My love of upcycling continues with this old cigar box that has been transformed into an adorable keepsake gift box. I can imagine using it to create a cute artsy inspiration kit inside for the receiver, complete with a selection of vintage craft supplies or premium spices in great jars along with heirloom  recipes or perhaps a fun selection of vintage holiday ephemera. It could also be transformed into a Christmas Junk box. Use it to store Christmas lists, sales flyers, menus, receipts, Christmas cards, prep  lists and all the transitional papers you find through the season. No matter what you stick inside, it is sure to capture a holiday memory or two! Cheers!"

Supplies:

12x12 12 Days of Christmas Paper

12 Days of Christmas Flowers

Cigar Box

Tissue Tape

Scor Tape

Tim Holtz Foundations Feet

Gilders Paste Gold

Embellishments

Vintage Photo Distress Ink

Next we're going to share Olga's wonderful tutorial for creating this sweet calendar mug. This fabulous creation is so easy to create! It features our Place in Time collection and some clever ideas for working with Graphic 45 Cling Stamps! This marvelous creation would look wonderful in a kitchen or office. This is also a fabulous idea for both a holiday gift and a New Years gift! With so many occasions to celebrate, we encourage you all to have a lot of fun making your own calendar cup for someone you love this holiday season! It's fun, easy and inexpensive to create! Take it away, Olga!

Tutorial:

Today I will tell you how you can quickly, easily and economically make a small calendar for a gift. Place in Time collection by Graphic 45 is perfect for calendars with different levels of difficulty. This tutorial is good for beginners.

You will need:

• Place in Time- Calendar Foundation
• Place in Time Stickers and Place in Time Stickers Alphabet
• a mug
• clothespins
• stamps

 

Do stamping on a mug. You can use any stamps. I used StazOn ink pads which are perfect for all non-porous and semi-porous surfaces, including transparencies, vellum, glass, glazed metal, ceramic tile, acrylic plastic and much, much more!

I embellished my mug and clothespins with Place in Time Stickers and Place in Time Stickers Alphabet. Stickers adhered well.

Cut each month out of Calendar Foundation sheet.

 

Here you are! Put the months and clothespins inside the mug. You may always add embellishments of your choice.

You’ve got a new year’s gift! I believe it will match the interior of the kitchen.

Supplies:

• Calendar Foundation
• Place in Time Stickers
• Place in Time Stickers Alphabet
• Ornate Metal Keys
• Snowflake Shape Set-Manufactured by Gina’sDesigns (http://www.ginasdesigns.net/Store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=17)

Spellbinders - Layered Poinsettia (http://www.spellbinderspaperarts.com/products/p-365-layered-poinsettia.aspx)

That's all for today, G45ers. We hope you enjoyed all of today's fun an inexpensive gift ideas! We want to thank Rhea and Olga for their beautiful and imaginative crafts today. We also want to thank all of you G45ers for joining us. We've got some very special blogs planed for you this week. We hope you'll come back and see us. Don't forget to leave us a blog or Facebook comment for your chance to win that dazzling Sweet Sentiments prize pack! Have a wonderful day, G45ers!

Happy Papercrafting!

Your Friends at Graphic 45

 

 

Related articles

Festive Fun With 12 Days of Christmas

The Twelve Days of Gift Tutorials: Day 11

Gifts, Decor & More With 12 Days of Christmas

Happy Times With Handmade Cards

Comments

[Kerri-Jo Sharp]

Beautiful projects!!!

[Marsha Sims]

As always, amazing projects that I can't wait to try!!

[Jacky S]

The mug calendar is such a great idea.

[Jan Elmore]

What is it about boxes? No matter what-they are so, so cute! Your Christmas boxes are in a class of their own!

[April Lopez]

I love those flowers. Wonderful projects.

[janell Buchanan]

love it!!

[Mary Reppe]

There is so much hope in that little cigar box! And soooooo adorable

[Faye Hicks]

Love "The Place in Time" collection!

[Carolyn Faircloth]

What great projects! The coffee cup calendar is so cute.

[Dorothy McCarthy]

Such excellent ideas!!!!

[barbara f]

As always great creations! LOVE THEM!!

[Beth]

I'd like to win this week's blog contest!

[Ruby H]

Awesome projects love them !!

[Slomiana zapalka]

Wow! Amazing projects! I love them all!

[Denise Sullivan]

All of these projects are so beautiful I want to make each one. I would start with the box with the young girl holding the Nutcracker doll. As soon as I saw it my heart melted. My oldest daughter loves nut cracker dolls and has a large collection. Seeing this beautiful box took me back to when she was young. Thank you for bring out old wonderful memories. Graphic 45 your the best Happy Holidays.

[Kathleen Scott]

I started gathering cigar boxes when I was six years old. As time has passed, the cigar box still promises magic for me. This project takes my breath away; you never fail me Graphic 45.

[Lisa Duarte]

The Christmas cups are very cute..but the Hope box is my favorite.

[Jennifer Wolf]

LOVING the calendar mug, and thanks for the great tutorial and idea!

[barbara macaskill]

The Cigar Box is divine! Love the great big HOPE on it! Would be a great gift for someone who is going through cancer or any other illness! Great idea with the coffee cup also! TFS!

[yolanda]

Fabulous idea the mug calendar.

[linda ann murphy]

I too love cigar boxes. The calendar cup is a inspiration. Thank you.

[Linda B]

Love the mug calendar!

[Liz Russell]

Wonderful projects today! Love the altered boxes and the mug is such a great gift idea! Thanks for always inspiring!

[Jeniff Sthory]

Beautiful projects!!

[Melisa]

Ok I just can't get over how creative you guys are!!! Whenever I look for inspiration I just come here and BAM all the inspiration I will ever need!! Thank you so much for sharing all your wonderful projects with us:-)

[Jude Armstrong]

Wow some fantastic creations love the coggs box and what great idea mug calendar thanks for inspiration

[Viktoriya]

Gorgeous ideas! Amazing mug from Olga! Great prize! Love G45!

[Karen Wall]

Wonderful ideas! Beautiful!!

[Tez Thornton]

What a wonderful way to spend the holidays playing with everything Graphic 45, lots of idesa on their blog to inspire you and dreaming of winning such beautiful prizes,Thank you for the chance of winning,my fingers are crossed.xx

[mary puskar]

LOVE the box! Have to try that maybe in Typography!

[Karen Conner]

Love these ideas! The cigar box is my favorite. The mug is a really unique idea!

[Kristine Vencel]

Always enjoy seeing what the G45 team comes up with. These are wonderful! The box, the mug, oh my! So inspiring!

[Ray Ann]

Breaks my heart, heard the place in time collection was being discontinued..
Say it is not so

[Deborah Cook]

Love the projects today, they are wonderful as always! and "thanks" for a chance to win an awsome prize pack from G45 :)

[Karen Wedding]

Thanks for the ideas. We have a gift exchange and I've been trying to figure out what to make for the exchange. The cup calendar is a great idea!

[Karin Boschaart]

wow 2 great projects. Does the stamping stay on the mug when being washed.
Love the box thinking of usesing this inspiration for a musicbox

[Jeanann Cavalier]

Fabulous ideas! I love the calendar mug I know a few people I could make that for :) Another fabulous Monday filled with inspiration. Thank you

[Carolyn Tate]

Amazing projects. I always get inspired when viewing the G45 blog.

[Dorothy(Dakota Bear)]

Lovely projects! Really love the converted cigar box.

[Patricia Coddington]

Lovely papers that I relish and get inspired with. I've been making altered boxes as gifts for the last three years. My recipients of said boxes love them. I'm glad I found your products. The mug idea is so cute, TFS!