party favors: hot/cold packs

Just a quick post to share the party favors we handed out this year at my son's preschool Trunk-or-Treat party.

Last year I made hot/cold packs for the boys' Valentine's Day parties. Since then, several parents have mention how much their kids loved them - which inspired me to make them again.

They are a great candy-free gift for kids, and easy enough to crank out in an afternoon.

The tags were made using my tried and true method, and they turned out great.

 

To make 24 packs I used: 

 - one yard of fabric

 - scraps from an old orange t-shirt

 - long grain white rice

 - flaxseed

 - mint essential oil

...and I still have at least half of the rice/flaxseed mix leftover. Stocking suffers? Birthdays? Get well soon gift?

Thanks for stopping by!

thrifty gifts:: fort building kit

I had one of those "where the heck have I been" moments last week, when my nephew brought his Build-A-Fort kit to Thanksgiving - complete with sheets, clips, rope, suction cups, and more.  

The kit was a handmade birthday gift from his friend Joli.  When I emailed her, she sent me a link to this tutorial over at BLOOM - thanks Joli! ...How did I miss this?

 

Fort building is a wonderful open-ended activity, because it can be played with in a variety of different ways.

I did make one adjustment to the tutorial to cut down on time, and added an accessory bag, but for the most part, my kit is the same.

Oh yeah, and I made a custom tag to explain the gift, as well as a matching birthday card using this tutorial.

This particular kit was made for a little girl in my son's preschool class.  It was a lot of fun to make, and I was able to use up the pink fabric in my stash. 


Now to the Thrifty part of the gift...

Here is the breakdown:

Thrift Store:
2 sheets - $1.25/each
pillowcase (for the bag lining & accessory bag) - $.50 
Dollar Store:
clothes pins, clamps, and rope ($1/each)
Home Depot: 
flashlight & suction cups - $2/each
My Stash:
The bag and ties were made from thrifted fabric & shirt in my stash - free!

... so if my math is correct, that comes to $10.00!

to check out the mini-tutorial click the button below:

------------------ UPDATE ------------------

  more kits & a great tip!

Here is a great tip from a reader: Littel Holts suggested that instead of (or in addition to) sewing ties on the sheets, create casings for the rope. Fold down each corner, and half way between each corner, about an inch, and sew.  This is a simple, but sturdy, way to thread the ropes through.

fort kit in action!

RETRO DUFFEL Fort Kit

Thanks for stopping by! 

 

Check out the Fort-Kit tutorial at BLOOM HERE!

teacher gifts: we appreciate ewe

The teachers a my boys' preschool are just the best.  And to let them know just how much we appreciate them, I thought we would give them something handmade.  So, bread bags & bread it is!
With a name like Little Lambs Preschool, it's hard not to have fun with it! So, thank ewe to all the teachers a Little Lambs Preschool - we appreciate all ewe do!
My alarm is set for a quarter til' bight-n-early so I can get all the baking done before school - wish me luck! I have all the bags and tags ready to be assembled and the dough in the fridge.
What teacher gifts are you giving this year? (I need some good ideas because I don't think I can get away with bread again for end of the year gifts!)