Mothers Day Printables

How cute is the little rosette though?! As soon as I saw it I knew I had to make it. Pinterest is just the best! You can find the rosette here and also the card here. Once I'd got the badge and book I really couldn't be bothered to go and buy a card so figured it would be easier to print it, the only problem is now I don't have an envelope. I'm sure my Mom won't mind though. I was pretty stuck with what to get my Mom for mothers day, but then remembered that I've been recommending Outlander to her as I thought she'd like the book so I just had a quick google to see where I could find it cheap and I found it for under a fiver at The Works. Hopefully this way I'll also get to read it! So there we go, a quick and simple present! PS Mothers Day is on the 6th of March in the UK

Oh Shit Kit DIY Gift

How great is pinterest though? It's my go-to for gift ideas no matter the occasion or recipient. So when looking for an 18th gift for my friend, a hangover survival kit seemed like a great idea. Many sites had cute little printables for their 'Oh Shit' kits with rhymes on, but since I've acquired a new love of painting typography I decided to paint the label instead, and then write a bit of the little rhyme on the back as you can see in the photos.

In mine I included a 'Hangover Hoodie' from here (great product, speedy delivery), Hangover Cure Water bottle from Urban Outfitters, my favourite make-up remover in a handy sized bottle, some super cute hair bobbles (Which I really want myself), a pretty packet of tissues, a sheet face mask from Boots and some of her favourite snacks (toffee crisp bars).

Some other things you could include would be a favourite DVD or box-set, a netflix gift card, an energy drink, more food, mints, mouthwash, hand sanitiser, some painkillers,  or other pamper products like lip-balm, cleanser or moisturiser.

I do so love putting themed gift baskets together, if you wanna see some others I've posted about check out this NYC one, Broadway one, Party-in-a-box or a De-stress gift.

Sale Shopping December 2015

For the last few years now I've been popping down to my local Boots on boxing day to have a look at their half price sale and then going sale shopping with my friend in the Bullring on the 27th. Sadly (for me) my friend was away for the Christmas period so were unable to go shopping on the 27th. consequently I jogged to my local retail park on Boxing day (two birds, one stone, as they say) instead and had a peep at the sales in Boots, TKMaxx and Homesense. Whilst I resisted the urge to buy pretty stationary and home wares in Home Sense, I did Leave TKMaxx with a new pair of mom jeans for only £7 and some new running leggings which I have been eyeing up for a good 6 months I think! They sadly were not in the sale though and still cost me £19.99, why is fitness clothing always so expensive?! In Boots I somehow restrained myself and didn't buy anything for myself but instead bought potential gifts for friends over the year, though I definitely have my eye on that Mojito Kit, am I the only one who buys things as gifts for people rather than buying it for them self as it makes them feel less guilty? I brought a couple sets for guys too as I often struggle more with present buying for boys throughout the year. The best bit is that nothing that I brought from Boots cost me more than £6.50.

I'm really pretty pleased considering that I got my workout and shopping for the day all done before 11am and resisted buying loads of unnecessary stuff like I usually do. My mantra for sale shopping is 'Just because it's good value, doesn't mean you should buy it. If you didn't want it at full price, you don't need it at half price'. 

Broadway Themed Gift Basket

This whole idea stemmed from the Barry M nail polish in Ruby Slippers, after seeing it I knew I had to make my Broadway-loving sister a Musical themed Gift Basket. Each item is meant to be based on one of her favourite musicals, the only one I didn't include but was hoping to was Pippin, because we saw that together at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I painted the side of the box to look like the Broadway sign and then filled it with all the items listed below, each of which had a tag attached to it explaining which musical it's for, though I'm guessing she won't need much help.

Items included

• Newsies Pillow - DIY here
• Les Mis Hardback -can be found here, though I got this one for £2.99 from a charity shop, which is why there were 2 les mis items, I couldn't resist it when I saw it though I already had an item! I also wrote a cute message for her in the front of it.
• Les Mis Quote Print -Found here on 3 for 2
• Ultra Clutch Hairspray -DIY Here
• Wicked Lyric Bauble -DIY Here
• Lion Bar - I was struggling with The Lion King, okay?
• Best of Broadway Palette by NYC- She doesn't even have brown eyes but how could I resist with that name.
• Barry M Nail Polish in Ruby Slippers - For the Wizard of Oz, which in hindsight I don't think she even likes that much, haha!

I can't wait to see her face on Christmas Day when she opens it, if you try it out or have more ideas, let me know in the comments or on twitter I'm @KatieCorbett98 ...

Newsies Cushion DIY

This is another DIY, similar to the Wicked Lyric Bauble that I've made as part of the Broadway Gift Basket I've made my sister. Hopefully the post of the whole gift will be up very soon! Anyway, being the lazy crafter that I am I was simply gonna glue the cushion cover seams together but my mom made me get her sewing machine out so that I could do it properly and I'm glad she did really, whilst glue works perfectly fine, stitches are so much nicer. To make the actual cushion cover I folded the material around the cushion to measure how much I needed and made sure the ends overlapped, then I removed the pillow from that and literally sewed down each open side. If you need a little more help I'm sure youtube or pinterest will have loads of proper tutorials to help you. The material I used was off Ebay and can be found here.

Except for the sewing everything else was really very easy. I just printed out the Newsies logo pretty big and cut around it, before taping it to a piece of black felt and once again cutting round it. I brought self adhesive felt as well so that all I then had to do was peel off the backing and stick it straight onto the cover, alternatively you could just use fabric glue though.

It was really a surprisingly easy project!

Secret Santa Gift

Elizabeth Arden Intrigue Eyeliner in umber // Ciate Nail Polish // Burt's Bees Hibiscus Lip Balm // Tropical Print Wash Bag from TKMaxx

I was pretty lucky with my secret santa this year, I got one of my best gal pals who has very similar tastes to me, so it wasn't too hard. By now you must all know of my love of TKMaxx, especially for presents, so I popped in a couple times and picked up the bag, nail polish and eyeliner. Last week when I went in, they had a bunch of Sleek lip palettes which I also brought for a present for someone.

 The lip balm I bought a few months ago on clearance in Boots, I got two, one of which I use and love myself. Overall I think it makes a lovely gift all for under £15. 

Oh and incase you're wondering the ribbon and gift tags are from Ikea, how pretty are they with brown paper though though?

Personalised Glitter Photo Ornament DIY

All you need for this quick and easy Christmas DIY (Which would make a great gift, especially if you used it as a tag when you wrapped another present!) is a clear ornament (the kind that splits down the middle), a small photo of your choice, glitter, two strips of ribbon and some glue.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 1// Cut the photo down to size, I used the bottom photo off an Urban Outfitters strip and rounded the edges slightly, and write a message on the back of the photo. 

2// Next dip your finger in the glitter and tap it all over the inside of each half of the ornament, it should stick very easily. I ended up with glitter all over my maths hw as a result of this step though.

3// Then poke the image slightly into one half of the ornament and click the two sides together.

4// Once they're together you can draw a strip of glue down each side of the ribbon you're using and glue it over the 'seam' of the ornament, hiding the join.

5// The final step is to take another piece of that same ribbon and feed it through the hole on top of the ornament tying it in a big bow. 

Hope you like this easy DIY idea...

Gifts for the Foodie/Baker

At the more expensive end of the scale is a Stand Mixer, though these can be bought for between £50 to £300+ depending on the brand you choose. Kitchenaid mixers are very popular because of how pretty they are but Kenwood mixers are just as good for a fraction of the price from what I hear. To go with that, you could also purchase a Recipe Book or two to start them off. If your friend has a specific diet or allergy such as vegan or gluten free then finding them a recipe book designed specifically for this will be much appreciated I'm sure. For someone who's planning on moving away from home in the new year essentials such as Tea and Coffee Canisters, Mugs or a set of Mixing Bowls would be a lovely practical but also pretty idea. A Cute Novelty Timer would be a useful present and would look lovely in a set with some Cookie Cutters and a Cake/Display Stand to make a little baking themed hamper for a young child. Alternatively a ready made Macaroon Making Set is a simpler way of doing that. For a coffee lover a Cafetiere is a good option as it allows them to make freshly brewed coffee from real beans rather than instant coffee. For those that love the smell of freshly baked goods in their home how about a Food Scented Candle, loads of these can be found at christmas time. A more novelty idea such as a Donut Maker would be a nice gift too as it's not really the kind of thing someone would buy for themselves. 

Two other ideas I've just had whilst writing this are 1) a gift card for a cooking masterclass/experience type thing or 2) Put together a ready made mix (loads of recipes are available on pinterest) so that all the recipient has to do is add butter etc and bake.

This is the final of my gift guides, so I hope I've sufficiently inspired you to find beautiful and practical gifts within your budget no matter what it might be!

Gifts for the Gardener/ DIY-er

Mini Succulents and a Terrarium are great gifts for people who like plants but don't necessarily have any outdoor space to plant lots of flowers etc, plus they are easy to look after. However for a more intense gardener, Tools or a Potting bench would be a great gift. A pretty Garden Sign to decorate an outdoor wall would be a nice present for anyone who takes pride in their garden as would the obvious choice of Seeds to brighten up the garden with flowers. A Seed Box is also a very useful idea as my mum always has envelopes of seeds all around the house getting lost. A nice Hand Scrub or Hand Cream such as this one from the Body Shop is also a great idea to help keep the recipients hand soft and smelling lovely after a gardening session as wearing Gardening gloves and frequent washing can dry them out. A cute Punny Mug is also a lovely idea as they can drink their tea or coffee from it whilst outside and it will remind them of you every time they do. A Personalised Hammer off Etsy or Ebay is a great gift for a family member who does DIY, me and my sister brought my dad one for Fathers Day this year.

I hope this Gift Guide helps you out, particularly with parents or grandparents!

Gifts for the Geeky/Techy One

I tried to get a mix of presents that would suit males and females as I think most geeky/techy presents are usually aimed at men. A great option for just about anyone nowadays is a phone case or Tablet Case/key pad  as they protect your all important devices, whilst making them look stylish and being totally useful. Another great useful product would be Portable chargers as phone batteries just don't last anywhere near as long as they used to because we use them constantly. Who hasn't realised 10 mins before going out that they only have 15% battery? An equally useful but perhaps more boring option is Memory Cards/External Hard Drives  as I constantly have the issue of not having enough memory on my phone and it's always a good idea to have everything backed up incase your laptop or tablet gets a virus or something. Headphones are another great gadget accessory that everyone would use, similarly a gorgeous leather Laptop Case and Organiser like this one (Though this one is ridiculously expensive!) would be very useful, personally I would love to be able to keep my stuff this organised (I definitely wouldn't though).  A cute novelty gift such as this Storm Trooper Soap Dispenser or Darth Vader Mug would make a great secret santa gift too. A TV Boxset or Movie DVD so that they can relive the experience again and again is always a safe bet too. Another option is Batman Pajamas or other apparel such as this very unusual Captain America Bra so that the recipient can show off their love of their favorite movie/book/comic franchise. A great tip is literally just to type in the name of their fave show/book/movie/comic into etsy and scroll tough all the lovely handmade items till you find something you love. Finally this Slytherin Wall Piece is a great example of room decor so that the recipient can surround themselves with the things they they love at home. Places like RedBubble or Etsy are brilliant for art prints, canvases and hand paintings.

Hope you enjoyed gift guide no.2, my gift guide for the creative one will be up soon...

Gifts for the Sporty One

To kick of my series of  gift guides I'm starting with that friend or family member who loves exercising, going to the gym, playing sport and eating healthy AKA the one you are always jealous of! 

A yoga mat and yoga mat bag would be great for anyone who does yoga (obviously) or pilates, both of which are great for busy people who don't necessarily have the time to get to the gym as both can be done at home  by watching online videos such as Blogliates. A Water bottle is an essential for anyone really but especially for people who are very active as they need to rehydrate and this VS one is super cute too. At the more expensive end of the scale is a Fitbit or similar gadget for tracking activity, I'd love one personally as I think it would really encourage me to be more active. A Gym Membership for a month or two is also a great present for someone who has everything and it would definitely be appreciated. For pre and post workout many people enjoy protein bars or snacks like Nak'd Bars so buying a wholesale box would be a great way to help someone to stop unhealthy snacking. Some more obvious choices are a Motivational Tank, Sports Bra, Trainers, Leggings or Running Jacket because there is no such thing as too much activewear. Reflective gear is also really great for runners in the winter months as it gets dark so early.

Hope these ideas are useful...

Glitter Lyric Bauble DIY

My sister's Christmas Present is themed around her love of Broadway, each present is meant to be related to one of her favorite musicals (I'm so hoping she doesn't read this!). This one is based on Wicked, which is also one of my favourites, the songs are just amazing, and we love dueting Defying Gravity together. As a result I wanted this present to reflect our shared love of the songs. Cue this lyric bauble.

 All you'll need to recreate it is glitter, fine tipped glue, clear baubles and printouts of song lyrics.

All you have to do is write out any word you would like, such as the recipient's name or in my case the name of the musical in glue and then sprinkle glitter all over it. Then leave it to dry preferably overnight, in the mean time, you can cut up strips of paper with lyrics on and curl them by running them along a pair of scissors. Then once it's dry you can just fill the bauble with the curled strips and tie it together with some ribbon or twine. Then it's ready to go.

This present is obviously super adaptable- you could use song lyrics like I have, or a poem, book passages, strips of wedding invitations for new couples, it's really up to you. The colour of the glitter can be changed to match any scheme as can the word on the bauble.

So there we go, I'll be back soon with another DIY involving a clear bauble too...

De-Stress Gift Idea

It was my friend's birthday at the beginning of November and since she is so stressed all of the time, I thought I'd theme her present around relaxation to help her de-stress.  It started when I saw 'The Mindfulness Colouring Book' on offer at amazon as they have a brilliant 3 for £10 offer on paperbacks and I was already buying two  books for myself at the time. To go with that I also got her a nice pack of pencils so she'd have something to colour in with and a journal for her to write in when she couldn't sleep from the Book Depository (Great site for books with free UK delivery). To help her unwind I bought her some Radox Bubble Bath in Feel Relaxed which is on offer at Boots for £1 and an S candle for her name from Asda. Then finally to finish it off my mom had brought  her a massive tub of flying saucers as they are her fave so I drew a little 'Chill Pills' label to stick on to fit the theme.

I really love putting together themed gift baskets for my friends and sharing them on here, I have at least another 2 planned before Christmas. They obviously also make great Christmas gift ideas too!