Red Velvet Valentine Treats

Make a delicious gift this week for Valentine's Day. Here are some beautiful inspirations. Click on the images for more info, recipes, and ideas.

Matchbox Packaging Treats

Maybe it's my attraction to diminutive things and maybe it's the economy, or what my grandmother referred to as living through the Depression, but matchboxes offer so many possibilities. Sure, they are handy for lighting candles or starting a stubborn pilot. They are also cute little containers just waiting to be upcycled and restarted.

Here are a few examples to inspire your own little matchbox world.



Martha shows how to create a mini advent calendar from 24 matchboxes decorated on both ends. As each numbered box is removed and reinserted backwards, a holiday tree is revealed.

A Tiny Traveling Doll's House is thoughtfully refurbished inside and out at Coloured Buttons.

Top: B is for Baby, a lovely book of gifts to make for new ones, shares this sweet announcement idea in a matchbox via Craft Stylish.

Close Before Striking

Great re-design ideas may come in small matchbook size packages. Here are a few to admire, have and hold.

Make a wish upon a birthday candle or set-up an impromptu candlelight celebration with 5 minute candles from here via here.

Make your own teeny matchbook notepads with the tutorial here from Design Sponge.



Make your own party favors with the mint matchbook tutorial here from The Artful Crafter.

Next up, we'll share some great re-design ideas we've spied on matchboxes.

Make Your Own Jewelry from Miniatures

Doll house miniatures don't have to sit on the tiny mahogany table in the tiny formal parlor waiting for someone to play. It's time to bring the dainty diminutives out in the big world. Sally Cameron Griffiths shares her tips on converting her doll house finds into rings, earrings and necklaces with a little glue, jewelry parts and a pair of pliers. Here are the instructions from the Guardian to create your own recycled and wearable tea set.

Hold That Thought

Book markers can be made of almost anything. Of course, they work best if they are flat and don't really alter the book in any way. They can be as simple as a recycled scrap of paper or as formal as a four-color printed reproduction of a beautiful design. I recently found this vintage style, cross-stitched and embroidered book marker. It made me smile and think of my mother.

The sweet message reads "When this you see, remember me." My mother loves to read and she's a fast reader, too. But for the thousands of books she's read, I have never seen her use a conventional book marker. When the time comes to mark her page, she will use whatever she finds within reach, a corner torn from a newspaper or magazine or an unused paper napkin is her usual choice.

When I saw this book marker, I had a eureka moment and had to buy it for her. Maybe my mother needs a special book marker she can keep nearby and call her own. As for the hand stitched message, the words should not refer to remembering me, the giver. They should refer to the book marker itself. Using the pretty little book marker, thoughtfully handmade for a glorious reader, is in fact what I hope she'll remember.

Make Your Own Vintage Map Bracelet

Craft Stylish teaches us how to create a vintage map bangle bracelet. Scavenge around for a old road map from your glove compartment or another recyclable paper source. Click here for the supply list and easy instructions. It's fun and green!

Illuminated Letters

Lettering by hand with serifs and flourishes embellishes your message with beauty, creativity, and thoughtfulness. But you do not have to be an accomplished calligrapher to put together a monogram or a mini missive in a quilled alphabet as illustrated above and below.

The art of quilling or paper filigree is versatile and forgiving for the beginner. For starters, quilling is easy to learn and doesn't require a large investment in tools. Click here for more details on basic quilling instructions.

Shaping letters works best if you curl your paper strips first to condition them. Enlarge your alphabet pattern to the desired size and cut your strips to the approximate length needed for each part of the letter. Shape your strips over the pattern to match the curves of the letters. Glue together the strips as needed to form a single letter. When dry, glue the edges onto your card stock to finish.

For many more great ideas on this paper craft I recommend checking out The New Paper Quilling by Molly Smith Christensen.

Images courtesy of Molly Smith Christensen and Lark Books

A Gift: Homemade Marshmallows

Once or twice a year I pull out my marshmallow recipe and make up a batch to give as gifts. I am always pleasantly surprised to remember that it takes only a few ingredients and is relatively straightforward, albeit sticky. The result is so delicious and remarkably light and fluffy. If you've never tasted a homemade marshmallow you must try it. This confection is probably closer to its mid-nineteenth century French origins than the more commonly known genus that comes in a cello bag.

There are plenty of recipes available to make your own marshmallows. Some call for corn syrup, which I use, others don't. I also like to add the vanilla flavoring early on for a mellower effect. Rather than waiting to add it at the end, I add it to the pan when I dissolve the sugar and salt into the corn syrup and water.

It's just a matter of taste. Enjoy and Happy Valentine's Day!

Quilling for Love

Valentine's Day is a holiday opportunity you won't want to miss to bring out the crafting supplies and make your own card. No more excuses: not enough time, never exchanged cards before, not your style, out of doilies, and on and on.

A homemade card with an expression of love (or like) is a lovely gift in itself. With a little daring inspiration and nimble fingers you can create an amazingly beautiful card just in time for Valentine's Day. The quilled cards above and below are from the archives of Martha Stewart's website, where you will find an excellent tutorial on quilling and many more inspirations for your Valentine's Day expressions.

Using a paper cutter, I trimmed colored paper stock for quilling paper and substituted a round toothpick for a quilling tool. Hearts are easy to start with. Your card design doesn't have to be elaborate or overly decorative to get your message across. A simple heart looks very elegant on a pink or white card.

Make somebody happy with a gift of a card on Valentine's Day!

Photos courtesy of marthastewart.com

Gifting in Green and Red

Homemade gifts are always welcome, and perhaps even more so this year. Here's a beautiful and easy gift idea for everyone on your list. Who wouldn't smile for a delicious peppermint treat dipped in white chocolate?

All you need are peppermint sticks (candy canes would work, too), a bag of white chocolate chips and a jar of white nonpareils. Dip the sticks in the melted chocolate. Let the sticks partially set for 5 minutes on a sheet of parchment. Then, roll the dipped ends in the nonpareils and allow to fully set at room temperature.

Package your gift in a decorated box or bag. Giving green with a red ribbon!

Photograph by Frances Janisch courtesy of Country Living

Wrapped in Green

Its not the countdown to the holiday season, or the colder weather that motivates me to think about baking gifts for my family and friends - it's the temptation of seasonal cookie recipes and images of beautiful looking party food.

Having already made mental lists of the special people I want to bake gifts for, I am skipping ahead to the search for great ideas to package and present them. Sure, there are recipes to be tried, ingredients to be tracked done, time set aside to frantically do all the baking, but for now I just want to think about packaging with a clever touch of green.

Cookies being delivered across the street or across town would look great in a glass tumbler covered with a piece of wax paper and tied with a colorful ribbon or twine. A vintage tin lined with wax paper and topped with a ribbon would be a fun surprise on a colleague's desk or under the tree.

This season, give a gift wrapped in green! It's two gifts in one.

Photograph courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens