Hello everyone! This is Natalia Valkovskaya and I’m so happy to be back to share with you three last-minute gift ideas featuring a whole bunch of amazing WPlus9 goodies. I apologize in advance – this is going to be quite a long post, so make yourself some coffee or tea, take a moment to relax and hopefully get inspired.
No matter how well I plan my gift list, there’s always someone who skips my mind or there’s some unexpected occasion for which you need a quick but lovely gift. If you are anything like me, I hope you’ll find these ideas helpful. Besides, they won’t break the bank, as you’ll be using the supplies you most likely already have. So let’s jump right in.
Hot Cocoa In A Jar
What can be better on a chilly winter evening than to cuddle up on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate and watch a favorite film or read a book? Only a mug of home-made hot chocolate! So I think that home-made mix of instant hot chocolate will make a truly heart-warming gift. Especially, when you give it in a pretty jar.
I die-cut two circles from green cardstock and WPlus9 kraft card stock. Then I die-cut leaves of holly from the kraft circle using the Woodland Basics Die. Before layering the two circles together, I stamped the green circle with Background Builders: Knit using PURECOLOR Dye Ink in Appletini to add some interest. I adhered the circle to the lid with Mod Podge Glossy Finish. Finally, I added the berries with Nuvo Crystal Drops in Red Berry.
Of course you need a tag to finish off the gift, right? I die-cut it using Gift Card Layers Die and decorated it with greenery, for which I used the Woodland Basics Die again.
Notebook Goody Bags
A few days ago my daughter told me that some of her friends were coming over, and she wondered if we had anything to give them. No time to panic. In the evening I made these cute little notebooks.
I added a fun pen, some holiday candy, and made a matching topper for the bag. I personalized it using the Whimsy Alpha stamped in Gala Red - which is a perfect red in my book - and voila! A cute little gift for your young guests is ready! Look how the funky little fox from Friends for All Seasons: Winter is waving hello!
Creating the notebooks is really easy. I used plain printer paper for the inside. I just trimmed it in half and then folded it in half, used my bone folder to press the crease and then stapled along the crease. I used Kraft card stock for the covers, and decorated them with the Holiday Houses and Friends for All Seasons: Winter stamp sets. I chose to keep it simple and stamped them in Black and White ink. I added a few details with a white gel pen. I adhered a label to the front - Gift Card Layers Dies again came in handy - so that the owner could write on it, e.g their name or the subject, etc.
My daughter and her friends absolutely loved these! In fact, we are going to make more for her classmates. By the way, take a different stamp, for example the Beautiful Bouquet: Dahlia , and this little notebook will make a handy gift for your, say, colleague.
Thank You Card Set
We all need cards to thank people for the lovely gifts we get during the Holiday Season. Here’s a quick set of cards using the absolutely gorgeous Feathers and Florals stamp set and a bunch of PURECOLOR Dye Inks. Not really Christmas-y, but I’m absolutely in love with this set – so versatile, and besides, why limit the recipient with the season?
I went for one-layer cards on WPlus9 Oatmeal card stock with the Feather's & Florals stamp set. I just love the texture and rustic look of it. I paired the cards with matching Oatmeal Envelopes and wrapped them in paper that I stamped to match using the same stamp set. Tie with jute twine to continue the rustic look, and attach a tag. And that’s it! Quick and pretty!
I kept the cards themselves very simple. To create the color blocks, I pressed ink pads against the card base. I used Shell Pink, Sea Breeze, Lake House, Wild Mango, and Bo Peep. Love the distressed and artsy look of the background!
For the sentiment, I used the Hand Lettered Thanks stamp set stamped in Black.
Thank you so much for staying with me until the end. I told you it would take a while! Wishing you and your loved ones all the best in this holiday season! Make happy memories, be safe, and happy crafting!
