"Handmade" Valentine's Gifts

I used the simple homemade lotion recipe of 1 jar vitamin E cream, a large tub of Vaseline and a large bottle of baby lotion (I chose the pink lotion for this one because it was for Valentine's gifts). I mixed all of those together in a bowl with a mixer and then I started "bottling" them. I had my husband drill holes in the lids of the old Mason jars I had. I then inserted recycled pumps I have kept from other "pumped bottles". I added a tag and a ribbon that said, "Hands down, you are a great teacher!". This is what I gave the teachers and then I also made tags that said, "You deserve a hand for being a great 5th grade buddy!" for the 5th grader that helps my kindergartner at school. I also recycled the canister that the Vitamin E cream came in. I just cleaned it out and wrapped it with scrapbook paper and put some paper on the lid and then added a tag and ribbon. Cute and fun "handmade" Valentine's gifts!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Trash to Treasure

Look what a little paint, hardware and elbow grease can do to something that was doomed for trash! This is my new buffet that I got for free! My mom's neighbor was setting this piece down at the end of the street for garbage and I asked her if I could take it. It had all the hardware with it, but it wasn't pretty. I had a vision for it though. I sanded it down, spray painted the hardware (I got 3 new knobs for the drawers), painted the whole thing in a creamy white color and then I sanded down the edges to give it that "worn" look and WAHLA........ new buffet!

I love pieces that have drawers and doors on it because not only do they look pretty, they are functional too! One of my favorite things to do is finding new uses for things that people are throwing away. It is the best way to recycle and keep things out of our landfill! Instead of going and buying something new, see if you can repurpose something in your house or ask family and friends if they have anything they want to get rid of. With a little creativity and elbow grease, you can come up with very cool, custom pieces for next to nothing!