Using your beading skills to make homemade gifts does not always mean making jewelry for your loved ones to wear. Sometimes, homemade gifts can be made for the home.
In one of our recent posts, “Homemade Gifts Cost Less and Mean More,” we mentioned that while a brand new iPad would surely light up anyone’s face, homemade gifts from the heart mean much more than any new gadget – and they’re more affordable too. We gave a few examples of ways you can incorporate your jewelry making skills or beadwork into gifts for your loved ones. Though, after we posted this, I got to thinking – what if you are attempting to make gifts for people who do not like jewelry, or just don’t wear jewelry often?
The answer to my question came from a phone call with a dear friend.
I was sitting on the couch brainstorming, thinking “hmm beads, gifts, beads for gifts, beads for things besides jewelry…” when the phone rang. Thank goodness it did, I really wasn’t getting anywhere at this point. On the line was my dear friend, who works at a Spa here in Texas. She had just returned home from an office workshop, cleverly called “Homemade for the Holidays.” She was so excited to tell me about the many crafts and gifts she learned to make, and was even more excited to tell me about how affordable the gift options were. She learned how to make
scented scrubs and soaks, ornaments, and much more. They were all really great gifts, but the one that caught my attention most was a lovely lit vase with scented potpourri. And thus, the inspiration for a homemade gift for the home. A gift that incorporates beading and jewelry making skills, but is suitable for someone who doesn’t wear jewelry. Here’s how to create this unique homemade gift..
You will need:
A clear vase
A strand of 35 multi colored lights
A few ornaments
A bag of potpourri
A handful of glass beads or crystal beads of your choice
Ribbon or string of your choice
First, plug in the lights to make sure they work – you won’t want to find this out at the end of completing the craft. Place 1 to 2 inches of glass beads or crystal beads at the bottom of the vase. Then, place 1/3rd of the lights on top of the beads (be sure you place them so the side of the cord that connects to an outlet is left for last). Fill the vase with around 2 inches of potpourri (you can add more or less depending on the height of your vase), and place a few different sized ornaments on top of this layer. Add more lights, and cover with another layer of potpourri and ornaments. Continue to layer lights, potpourri, and ornaments as you please. Once to the top, make sure that the lights are all inside the vase. String your leftover beads on a ribbon or string to tie around the vase.
The beads in the vase catch the sparkle of the lights to create a warm and welcoming look, and the lights very subtly warm the potpourri to create a lovely scent in the home. A crafty and affordable homemade gift for those who don’t like jewelry!
What kind of homemade gifts have you made that incorporate jewelry making skills or beading, but didn’t involve making jewelry? Do you have any suggestions for other homemade crafts?
