Re-thinking the Classic Standby Gift

by evie s. on December 3rd, 2007

What does a candle, a picture frame and a bar of soap have in common? Everyone knows those are the classic everyday gifts that you can do no wrong with. Why not do it right? I found some great options for all three.

• Pagoda Candle from Gump’s San Francisco
• Teak & bamboo picture frame from The Travelled Home
• Rosewood Soap from Kates Paperie

When the options are slim, and you have to go with the classic standby, splurge a little!

DIY Project: Ribbon Christmas Trees

by evie s. on December 3rd, 2007

Here’s a project for all you crafters and do-it-yourselfers. This is a fairly simple project to make, and it only takes on average about 20 minutes to do one tree.

Supplies you will need:

• Styrofoam cone (large is 12″ tall and medium is 8″ tall)
• glue gun, glue sticks
• ribbon - 2.5 yards for large tree and 2 yards for medium (I chose Martha Stewart Crafts ribbon in Gold-Porcelain Metallic weave, Green Agate-Gold Fancy Swirl ribbon for the accent, and Brownstone Wood Grain Embossed velvet ribbon for the base)
• scissors
• wooden spool
• acrylic brown craft paint, paintbrush

For the base, I just used a wooden spool that you can get from a craft store. Paint it brown and set aside. You can also glue the wood grain ribbon around the spool to create a more woodsy feel. For the tree, you will need to measure around the circumference of the Styrofoam with the ribbon and then cut to the appropriate length. You will need to measure and cut each ribbon individually and glue in the back, slightly overlapping them to create a layered effect. This will create a seam, so you will want to create the tree for a specific location where the seam can be hidden from view. (Note: Any ideas to eliminate this seam are welcome.) Continue this process until you get to the very top. You can finish by gluing the wooden spool to the bottom of the tree.

Voila! A very shimmery, classic handmade tree that you can enjoy for years to come.