I enjoy being an advocate for people with disabilities. I am not afraid to speak my mind. I have a voice and I like to use it. I take pride in being able to help others. Whether it is helping a newly injured patient, or just offering my email or phone number to someone who needs to talk.
Budgeting for the Holidays
Like a lot of folks these days, I live on a budget and can’t afford to buy the gifts I’d like to around this time of year for my loved ones. That’s why I lean towards giving a gift that is made with my very own two hands. One of my hobbies is crafting and one of my favorite things to make are customized photo frames. I started making these a few years ago and they are a huge hit with my friends -- so much so they want me to sell them. They are fairly simple to make, budget friendly, and the sky is the limit and what you can pick for a pattern for the frame when it comes to scrapbook paper. And who doesn’t love a gift from the heart?
Crafting can be an expensive hobby, but not much if you wait for sales and then you stock up. Scrapbook paper is half off usually every other week. Foam brushes are pennies when you buy them in a bag, the frames you buy on the clearance aisle, and photo prints places are always offering coupon deals. Add your love, time, and labor, and your cost for a one of a kind, gift from the heart is less the $5 and it is a memory that lasts a lifetime.
I tend to craft a lot on those extremely cold South Dakota days when you don’t even want to open the door, let alone do anything outside. It’s therapeutic and it makes those icky days go by so much faster. That’s another perk to stocking up on materials. When it is 40 below zero outside and you have nothing to do, that last thing you want to do is make a run to the craft store.
I’m always looking for new crafting ideas and I got hooked on the online pinboard site, Pinterest. For a crafter, it’s a dream come true page, but this site has something for everyone from photo and wedding ideas, recipes, to pairing up certain clothes together. I found a new frame project on Pinterest and I tweaked it a little bit to suit the materials I had at home. That’s one of the joys of crafting. There is no right or wrong way.
This year, people are getting a dry erase picture frame. Who couldn’t use that in their house? I loved the idea so much I even made one for myself. Instead of notebook paper I used leftover scrapbook paper. Added some Velcro to the frame and the marker and the gift was complete. It’s a gift that can go anywhere in your house and it is reusable. Simple, yet effective!
My next project for myself is also from Pinterest. I have hundreds of concert and football tickets on a felt board in my room, but I want to display them with some of my favorite guitar picks and drumsticks I have collected over the years. I’m on the hunt for a large inexpensive deep frame to accomplish this task. I have an idea what it will look like in my head, I just hope it comes out when I get the time to work on it. Are any of you crafters? What’s your favorite thing to make? If you aren’t a crafter, are any of you good cooks or bakers and making food for your loved ones?
Seasons Greeting and Happy Holidays everyone!! See you in the New Year!!
© 2011
Kristina Allen |
