5 Homemade Hostess Gifts

/

Glitter Ornaments

Here's what you'll need to make your own glitter ornaments: 

Clear glass ornaments 
Pledge Tile & Vinyl Floor Finish with Future Shine 
Fine glitter (Martha Stewart glitter) 
A funnel 
A few cotton swabs 

To make the ornaments: 

1. Take off the hangers from the ornament 
2. Squirt some floor wax in the ornament and roll or swirl it around.  
3. Take the cap off of the floor shine and stick the ornament upside down on it so the extra drains back in.  
4. Pour a generous amount of glitter into the ornament through a funnel. 
5. Roll the ornament around so the glitter coats the inside. 
6. Put your thumb over the opening and shake the ornament, making sure glitter coats the neck and any other bare spots. 
7. Take the lid off of the glitter container and turn the ornament upside down on it so the loose glitter can empty back in the glitter container. 
8. Put the toppers back on the ornaments.

Homemade Coasters

With materials you can find on ebay, make your own hostess gifts! 

Cork coasters – Ebay has a great selection 
Printed initial – Times New Roman or Georgia. 
Transfer paper – craft store 
Pencil 
Sharpie or permanent marker 
1.  Lay transfer paper face down on coaster. Center cut out letter on top. Make sure it is straight.  Using a pencil make an outline of the letter. The pressure of the pencil point will transfer graphite on the transfer paper to the cork. 

2.   When you are done, remove letter and transfer paper to reveal a graphite outline of the letter. 

3.  Fill letter in with a permanent marker.

Cocoa Party Kit

You will need: 

5 mason jars  

colorful holiday-colored paper straws 

mini-marshmallows 

cocoa powder or k-cups (we like Starbucks k-cups) 

milk 

cinnamon sticks 

Customize as you see fit! As you can see here, I added hot chocolate k-cups to one mason jar and mini marshmallows to another. 

Framed Chalkboard

Here is how to make this adorable chalkboard frame!
  1. Take apart a vintage frame (ebay has a great selection) and cut a piece of black board to fit inside (from Home Depot).
  2.  Buy some chalkboard paint at Home Depot.
  3. To cut the chalkboard, you could use a porter cable multi tool. Then use Liquid Nails to glue the chalkboard into the frame.
  4. A hot glue gun works well to glue on a piece of felt for the back. If liquid nails gets on the blackboard side it's easy to clean off with a wet cloth if you do it right away.
  5. For the cord to hang the chalk, upholstery trim works nicely (hot glued only the trim not the chalk so the chalk can be swapped out.
  6. Make a cute and functional eraser by attaching a piece of felt to a wood block. You can use  a round wood block that has a hole in it, covered both ends in felt and wrapped it and hung it with trim (used hot glue gun). Use trim for a decorative hanger at the top (also hot glued).

Baking Kit

This baking kit is a really fun, and quick hostess gift idea.  

Simply stock up on any kitchen tools that will fit in a new kitchen potholder and tie with a pretty ribbon! Some ideas: