Do you fancy a wee bit of crafting before Christmas? Or maybe you’d in like to make a last minute personalised gift? Well, I figured I’d share a few of the fast and easy projects I’ve been making for my friends and family this year. I’ve even uploaded the files for you to help get you cracking straight away - click here.
I’m a big fan of gin, so the current craze suits me well. You’ll notice that gin features heavily in my projects ;)
I’m a big fan of gin, so the current craze suits me well. You’ll notice that gin features heavily in my projects ;)
Gin Baubles
Edinburgh based Pickerings Gin sell these super cute gin baubles. You get 6 multi coloured baubles in a pack and each bauble is a double measure. You can refill for next time too! I bought mine from local wine shops Cornelius on Easter Road and Valvonna and Corolla on Elm Row for £30 but I’ve noticed John Lewis and other shops have them online - JL currently have them at half price, kerching!
To personalise, I choose the Magnolia Sky font which has the benefit of being jaunty so you don’t have to be too precious when placing on the bauble (great time saver). The font size is 36 and I did a 0.01cm offset which both welds the letters together and makes it ever so slightly bolder and easier to cut and weed.
Another time saver is the vinyl you choose. Picking a vinyl that cuts and weeds beautifully even on small and intricate designs makes your task a joy instead of a tribulation. My favourite vinyl for this hands down is crafty cutter premium rose gold. This stuff is a-maz-ing.
I tend to place the the letters so that the highest point sits at the top of the liquid level.
I got some little advent boxes from Sainsbury's - 24 for £3 which the baubles and socks fit perfectly into )
Another time saver is the vinyl you choose. Picking a vinyl that cuts and weeds beautifully even on small and intricate designs makes your task a joy instead of a tribulation. My favourite vinyl for this hands down is crafty cutter premium rose gold. This stuff is a-maz-ing.
I tend to place the the letters so that the highest point sits at the top of the liquid level.
I got some little advent boxes from Sainsbury's - 24 for £3 which the baubles and socks fit perfectly into )
Secret message socks
I’ve been meaning to do these for a few years now. Basically htv is applied to the soles of socks, so the message can only be read if you have your feet up. I like to be a bit fancy, so chose bamboo socks from Boots and nice foil effect vinyl also from Crafty Cutter. I actually used part of the gin baubles box to slide into the socks to stretch them slightly and allow uniform placement. The foil vinyl has a good amount of stretch which makes it well suited to this project.
Gin prints
A while back I posted a tutorial on foiling with a laminator and laser printer. Here’s a really effective way to make your own prints and you don’t need any artistic ability either! Simply snap a photo and use a free app that converts your photos into a sketch such as this one. Then it’s just a matter of printing your image and foiling it. Boom, you’ve got yourself a lovely foiled print in under 10 mins for the cost of a sheet of hot foil and piece of paper or card! I've included my gunpowder and jawbox gin prints here if you'd like to jump straight to the print and foil step :)
Step 1: original photo
Step 2: Use an app to convert to a sketch
Quick and easy gold foiled gin print
Snow globes
And finally a little gift for kiddos- I decided not to feature gin in this one haha! I got these rose gold snow globes in Boots for £6 but on 3 for 2 offer. The globe pops off the base and you can slot your own photos or decorations in the middle. I used my favourite pearl paper from Anna Marie Designs and used rose gold and opal vinyls from Crafty Cutter.
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