Presents That Kids Can Treasure Forever

I have to confess that im not much of a present giver when it comes to regular yearly bits for people, but what I do do however is come up with things that are to be treasured forever, so they are more rare and very special.  I just cant pop out and buy something for someone.I like to listen when people talk and snoop around houses to see what kind of things they like to be surrounded by, I write my xmas list from the xmas day before, taking notes all year of things that people would like need, listen to complaints, they are the best hints!.

So in this post I am going to show you the start of my xmas present making, only those ones who I know dont read my blog, but first this is a present I have made for a 6 year old girl who is a little nature fairy, she graces us in this post HERE from a few years ago.

I found this book at the library and fell in love with it, it reminded me so much of my old personality I cried.  A fairy who is the town dressmaker who just works her ass off and when it came time for the ball she was so exhausted she slept and didnt even get to make anything for herself...sound like anyone you know???? Yes Im sure this little fairy is like all of us.

so when I read the book I noticed a little something special in it, she collects all sorts of nature treasures to adorn all her gowns and she keeps them all in...

this box

  As soon as I saw it I knew who this book was for and what I had to make, I actually planned to make it last year but being loopy stopped me so this year I had to make it happen.

I adore this box so much. 

For me if I can give a kid a book its wonderful, but if I can give a book and make something from it so its even more real then that is amazing.  I also do this if I buy a recipe book for someone, I pick a recipe and get the ingredients too (only dry) and make a little package, its great for foreign cook books with strange ingredients.

So I brought a second hand wooden box that had been used to carry wine, it had one rope handle and a terrible engraving on top

inside was a bit of a divider which I took out rather violently!

so I coated the engraving in glue and filled the holes up with sand then about 8 layers of tissue paper and a large circle in the middle

It worked really well and gave a nice texture to work with

and then I just got to painting.  The good things with kids gifts like this is that the painting can be kinda rough and they love it the same so I felt pretty free with what I could do.  I tried to replicate the box as much as I could and wrote her name on the top with gold leafing 'Stah Rosa'.

rubbing with black paint and some curly wurly stamping to finish off

I made all the edges dark and black so it looked old and worn and cut that rope handle in half and put holes in the other side so there is now 2 handles.

Inside I painted brown with stain and put a feather and leaf holder on the lid instead of leaving it plain, I was going to have to go to town for the wood for inside but then spied some old shelves I never use because they are sooo impractical in depth.  perfect!! so demolition and then re creation, voila, dividers.  I love it and I know that she will too when she sees it this weekend.

Every day this week has been spent in my art room making xmas presents, most are in the half way stage, waiting on one more resource or ingredient.

Im working by the smell of spring flowers, it is a divine smell...

and watching movies as I work which I so prefer to music

So for one present I have blown some eggs from our chickens and Im making them all different

this one is a peacock one, I cannot believe how much I love it

just snip the feather so all the down is gone and hot glue gun in a layering fashion and the results are stunning

its so nice to hold too, feels so soft and delicate

all with free stuff, those are the presents I like

two of the eggs I have gold leafed with purple and red for backgrounds.  After they are blown I cover them in tissue paper to cover the holes and it makes the gold leaf have a bit of texture.  So the egg Im doing today is with rose petal which have been drying all week, this should be stunning!

We had a poppy photoshoot in the garden this morning for another gift, cushions like the ones I made HERE, so easy to do, I will glue them tonight and start rubbing the paper off tomorrow.



So I guess in my next post i will have alot more completed and can show you more ideas.  I am loving Pinterest for this, I dont usually do things axactly like others but the initial ideas it gives you are abundant.

So back to the topic, present kids will actually keep, make it special, make it a keepsake, make it something they can hide things in, connect it to their personality or name or face.  Remember the magic and that it usually only lasts in the little years, so let it into everything you do for them.

Hope you all having fun making your gifts too.

busy little crafting elves we are

xxx

Sheree