Christmas - Altering coffee cans

Wow...can't believe this is the middle of August already!!! Christmas is only a little over four months away! It's time to start thinking about presents, holiday traditions...



I love making things and so most of my gifts are handcrafted items. All of my grandchildren LOVE to papercraft and so I try to pick up things for them through the year and pile the stuff into a big gift bag for them to dig through - great for rainy days when they can't get outside to play. (It helps that my dil loves doing stuff like that, too and can supervise). One year I found some cheap 12x12 scrapbooks and so gathered a lot of scrapbook supplies: cardstock, patterned paper, deco-edge scissors, glue sticks, adhesive backed paper (for stickers), and a "recipe" book for home made glues, paints and clay, markers and crayons from the dollar store, and some foam stamp kits. They were in heaven!



Last year I found a Sizzix sidekick for 19.99 and sizzlets for about $1 on Ebay. That is what I got for them last year. I occassionally go through my rubber stamps and set aside ones I no longer use and give to them, too. With so many family members, they get more than enough toys to play with so I supply their creative side :) This year, I am going to get cardstock, envelopes, and am trying to find some simple Valentines Days stamps so they can make their own valentines for school.



I'm always trying to save a dollar here and there...HAVE to in todays economy. I love the challenge of altering (recycling). Since my dh and I drink coffee by the gallon, I have quite a few coffee cans and I hate throwing them away when they can be used for storage. Covered with patterned paper and embellished, they make wonderful gifts! Some ideas for uses: Cut a hole in the lid and a knitter or crocheter can use it for balls of yarn. Simply put the yarn in the can and run the end of the strand of yarn up through the hole in the lid. Put the lid on and voila! The yarn pulls out through the lid and doesn't get tangled nor do you have to chase the ball of yarn around the house. You can take the 1 lb cans and attach them to a piece of wood and hang the wood sidewise and you can put ribbons or fibers in them at your craft table.