Quick Inexpensive Easter Gifts

Just before Christmas 08, I came across a box of miscellaneous Easter decorations at our local thrift store.  You’d think that Easter would have been the last thing on my mind, but one thing I’ve learned over the years is to think ahead.

Our children are long past eagerly waiting for Easter Bunny, but I still like to give them a little something each year. Right away an idea came to mind how I could turn that box of decorations into some special gifts in a few months time.  And since the decorations were off season, when I got to the till, they only charged me $2 for everything pictured below.

I hid the box away until a few weeks ago when I dug it out and started getting creative.

To 6 egg cartons that I’d been saving for just this purpose, I glued Easter themed paper.

(I’d had looked all over the place for Easter wrapping paper but ended up cutting up paper goodie bags that were packaged 10 for $1.)

Then I divided up the decorations amongst three of the cartons.  The other three cartons were filled with the usual plastic eggs filled with candy.

The cartons for our oldest, I wrapped in an Easter themed table runner.  The ones for our middle daughter…  in an Easter tea towel.    You’ll notice a second tea towel wrapped package.  That’s an extra little something for middle daughter.  Oldest daughter’s extra something was wrapped along with her egg cartons.

The other two cartons are again hidden away in the closet to await being put out early Sunday morning as a surprize for our teenage son along with the usual collection of Easter candy.  Someday he’ll be able to use them in his own home.

Note:  I can post this now because our daughters have each received their package and I encouraged them to open them so that they would have them to use for Easter.   Though I did tell them that they couldn’t open the plastic eggs until Easter morning.  :o)

This post was added as part of Frugal Friday over at Life as Mom.

Pay It Forward – Lovely Surprizes Arrived Yesterday

Every once in a long while, the mailman brings something besides bills.  Yesterday was that day.

Just look at the surprizes that were inside the package he delivered.

Aren’t they lovely!

Several months ago, I left a comment on Katherine’s “Pay It Forward” post over on her blog Sew Me Something Good.  And as if the above wasn’t more than enough to fulfill her promise to send a small handmade gift to the first three commenters, here are the treasures I found inside the zippered bag:

Notice that the strips of fabric on the back of the bag match the pin cushion.  And don’t you just love that strip with the cat peaking over the strip of fabric beside it.

You can find info on the little needle book on her post “Give your needles a pretty home.” I really like the idea of repurposing thrifted shirts.  The fabrics are just so beautiful.

Each little treasure, has found it’s way to their new homes amongst my sewing and crafting supplies.  I can’t thank Katherine enough.   Everything she sent was just wonderful and put together with such thought and care.

Oh and of course… you have to know that the chocolate didn’t last long. 

Note:  Just to update those who commented on my Pay It Forward post… I’m working on your surprizes and hope to have them ready to go out to you soon.

Thrift store find

Last week we made our annual trip up to Canada to spend a couple of days visiting our girls before coming back across the border to renew our Visas.   Since both girls had to work Friday, Dave and I and our son spent that day doing things around our oldest daughter’s new apartment to help it feel more homey.

At the beginning of April she moved from the furnished basement apartment that she’d lived in while attending university to an unfurnished one bedroom apartment.   She loves living above ground and having her own kitchen and bathroom (she shared a kitchen and bath at her old place.)  But now she needs to furnish her new place.

So early Friday morning we set off to check out the local thrift stores and at the very first one we hit the jackpot.   We got this little beauty for $59 plus tax.

The table with removable leaf and matching chairs are solid wood and will sit six comfortably with the leaf inserted.  The table top had a couple of small scratches but nothing that can’t be disguised with a furniture repair stick.   And while the upholstery on the chair seats is quite worn, those will be simple to recover once she decides what fabric she wants to use.   The set was missing the fourth chair but for right now she’s using two at the table and the third as her computer chair.  In future she can look for three more chairs to add to the set to give it that eclectic collected furniture look.

It was so much fun to surprize her with her “new” table and chairs plus other surprizes (more to come on that later) when she got home from work Friday evening.