Life Hacks I Love: #1 Gift Wrap Storage

It seems as though we are constantly being bombarded with new terms and jargon. I often find it hard to follow my own kids’ conversations as some of the words they use are completely foreign to me.  One of the latest terms that is circulating on the internet is “life hacks”.

What is a “life hack”?

life hack

I often browse sites that share “life hacks”, as I am always on the lookout for new and creative ways to do life in a more efficient way. Here is one that I found, tried and modified to better suit my needs.

Gift Wrap Storage

I saw this great idea for gift wrap storage on Pinterest. This hack was both easy and cheap, but I wasn’t totally impressed with it when I tried it out. The concept is simple. Cut a toilet paper roll lengthwise and slide the cardboard over the gift wrap roll to keep it secure. Unfortunately, it takes very little for the cardboard toilet paper roll to become stretched and not have enough “spring” to hold the paper in place.

toilet paper roll

This gift wrap roll is fat, so it works okay, but I can tell that with only a few uses, it would be stretched out of shape and no longer stay in place.

I was really disappointed as I thought this was a great idea. So, I came up with an easy fix. All you need are regular brads and tiny hair elastics which can be bought at the dollar store. A bag of 100 is $1. (Lets hope you don’t need all 100 for gift wrap or you may have more serious problems than how to store it).

Punch 2 holes in the toilet paper roll, stick a brad in each and stretch the elastic across to hold it securely. The great thing about this is that you can modify it by cutting out a section of the roll to make it smaller to fit around those skinny rolls of paper as well. (Otherwise, the standard size roll actually overlaps and slides right off of it). It literally takes seconds to make these and they work really well.

Now, if you are like my husband you might be saying….”that is supposed to be better than a regular elastic?”  Check out this spoof video on some of the life hacks that are circulating on the web.  Funny.

Often times, some of the “life hacks” seem like they are way more work than they are really worth, but I like this one because I find that tape damages the paper and an elastic often ends up cutting the paper.  Of course, if you make several of them, you can re-use them over and over again.

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Love is in the Air ~ A Wedding Gift Idea

Tis the season.  The season of love and weddings that is.  I am at that age right now where I am just starting to get invited to weddings again.  It seems that when you are younger, you are constantly going to the many weddings of family and friends your age. However, as you get older and begin to start a family of your own, your peers are doing the same.  It had seemed like ions since my hubby and I had been to a wedding, until our cousin’s daughter got married last summer.  Since then we have had two other family weddings on the radar.  This post is all about coming up with a unique gift idea for that special wedding you might be attending this summer.  This video is a special toast from the maid of honor to her sister.  I am not nearly as creative as this sister of the bride, but wow!  What a great job and special wedding gift!  (Me singing to the happy couple might actually be considered an “anti-gift”, just ask my family!)

A Personalized Romantic Wedding Gift

A personalized romantic wedding gift is not always right for the intended couple, but I had lots of fun putting together my gift for the bride and groom last summer.  It was personalized, unique and romantic.  Since it is wedding season, I thought I would share with you what I did for their gift in hopes that it might inspire others to think outside the box when determining what to give that extra special couple in your lives.

Wedding Gift ~ Part 1

I am into card making and all things pretty.I thought that the bride was much the same and might like the wedding gift I had in mind.  I ordered them a personalized address embosser. Although “snail mail” is a thing of the past, I thought that it would be perfect for her thankyou cards, if nothing else.  It is also great for Christmas cards or any other special card or note you might send by mail.  I ordered the embosser from tinyprints.com and was very impressed with the quality when it arrived.  (Although I haven’t specifically asked her how she likes it.)  This is an example of the one I got for the couple last summer. There are many styles to choose from, but I wasn’t sure if the bride was keeping her last name or not and so I went with this option.

embossing tool

Embossing Tool

embosser

Embossed Address Sample

Wedding Gift ~ Part 2

I went to Pier 1 Imports and bought two wine glasses from their Angled Rim Crackle Stemware line ~ beautiful!  I then contacted Cheryl, from Stellar Designs Jewelry, a local gal who designs and makes her own jewelry.  Cheryl always has a booth at the Springs Church Annual Craft Sale in December and I have bought several pieces from her in the past, including a few custom Graduation necklaces.  I knew exactly what I wanted for this wedding gift and I was sure Cheryl could deliver! I contacted her and we chatted about my idea and she pulled it off beautifully.  She created two custom-made wine charms that were personalized with “His” and “Hers”.  On the back, she stamped their wedding date.  I brought her the glasses and she permanently attached the charms to the glasses.  The charms are waterproof, so can be washed right along with the glasses.

Wedding Gift ~ Part 3

In addition to the above, I found an idea on Pinterest (“from glitter to gumdrops“) for making a Christmas ornament for their tree.  I used Christy’s instructions and made my own version by cutting their wedding invitation into narrow strips and curling them.  I then placed the strips in a clear glass ornament and added a few embellishments.  So cute!  I am sure I took a picture of mine, but can’t find the file.  I made mine very neutral as well, but the invitation itself had a bit more colour.  I finished off the gift with a homemade card that tied the wrapping and theme all together!

Of course, this wedding gift could just be the spring-board for a whole basket of goodies (wine, candles, etc).  There are endless add-ons you could make.  A monetary gift would also make a great addition, if you are wishing to spend more on the couple. For more great wedding gift ideas check-out this link.

Happy wedding gift shopping!!

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