in response to the feedback & encouragement i received on wednesday, all i can say is thank you. i wish i could invite you all over for coffee around our big ol' farm table. as blog comments, text messages, emails & phone calls came in sharing your stories & thoughts, i just sat here in front of this screen & ugly cried. i cried for your losses, your gains, your struggles, your successes & all of those in-betweens. you all are some amazing people & just know i am here cheering you along whatever journey you're on. xo.
------
hello there! i am so excited to share with you a little wedding gift basket i made for under $10!
we traveled to missouri this past weekend to celebrate with our dear friends in honor of their new life together. with the expense of travel & a one night's stay in a hotel, i didn't have much left in the budget for gifts. instead of showing up empty-handed, i put on my creative thinking cap & got to work!
whenever i am creating a gift, i like to think about what that individual values & how they spend their free time. this brainstorm session allows me to create a gift just as unique as the recipient! our friends love to sit on their patio in the evenings. they also love good food & drinks. a simple syrup gift basket was the perfect fit for their lifestyle.
here's how i made their gift basket & stayed under $10*.
- i found the bottles at tj maxx for under $3 each & the wire basket at a thrift store for $1. you could also use recycled condiment jars & a basket found around your home for free!
- i made the simple syrups using my own recipe featured on hello luvvy. all of the ingredients for simple syrups can be found in your garden & pantry. in the simple syrup recipe, substitute the mint for any herb of your choice. for this basket, i made mint & lavender syrups.
- i found some straws in my party box to fancy up fun drinks! you can find colorful paper straws at target, craft stores, party stores or online.
- i made my own tags with my gift tag punch out (similar to this one) & wrote the names of each syrup on them.
- i used leftover tissue paper, handmade fabric ribbon & kraft tags with a little clothespin found in my stash to decorate the package.
- i used one of my happy flags & tied the following recipe for a simple syrup summer drink onto it with string.
* total expenses: $7
please feel free to print out this recipe for your gift basket!
if you have a bit more cash to spend, you could add a small bottle of alcohol so the happy couple could make homemade cocktails. for the non-drinking couple, a nice bottle of sparkling water & pretty glasses would be lovely. you could also add fun coasters or a package of paper napkins for their next patio get-together!
don't let your limited budget get in the way of creating meaningful gifts! for more gift ideas, visit my homemaking page. happy creating!
love,
natalie
4 comments:
Fabulous friend, just fabulous! :) :)
Pinning for later!
Another good idea to go with this basket is to take plain champagne or other glasses (from thrift stores or TJ Maxx) and embellish them with some some glass paint. I bought a set of Martha Stewart alphabet and number stencils from Michael's and some glass paint, and I can reuse the stencils and paints for other projects as well. I like to personalize glasses with the couple's initials and wedding date. You could also do this to glass jars or a metal container. For a shower gift, I painted a metal bucket with the couple's last name and "est. 2012" and filled the bucket with cocktail supplies.
I love this idea!
What a lovely gift that will mean even more, because it is from the heart.
Post a Comment