DIY Homemade Sugar Scrub Gifts and Free Printable Tags

We live in a fairly humid climate, so once the cold weather arrives and the heaters turn on, I dry out.  SERIOUSLY dry out.  My hands look like molted snake skin, and my fingers crack.  I.hate.it.  I've tried a ton of things, but everything that has worked is so expensive.  I've come up with a concoction that is not only easy to make, but it's inexpensive in comparison to it's counterparts.  Best of all it WORKS!  I'm giving containers of it away this year for Christmas, and I thought I'd make it easier for you to gift it as well!

Recipe for Homemade Warm Sugar Scrub

• 1/2 Cup Coconut Oil (This *can* be substituted with another oil, but I prefer coconut to make the mixture thicker.  It's not incredibly expensive either.)
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil (unscented/unflavored - meaning not rosemary, garlic, etc.)
• 1/4 Cup Canola or Vegetable Oil
• 1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract (I prefer clear Mexican Vanilla)
• 1/2 tsp. Almond Extract (Can be substituted with any scent you choose: citrus, mint, lavender, etc.)
• 1 Tbsp. Honey 
• 16 oz. Dark Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Raw Sugar (Can be substituted with regular sugar.)
• 2 Tbsp. Vitamin E 
• More Canola Oil as needed (It doesn't need to be "soupy," and I haven't had to add extra, but it will depend on how dry your sugars are.)

I bought 5 oz. glass jars in sets of 4 (Rajtan) at IKEA for $3.99, and I made stickers to go on the side.  Each recipe makes enough for ~4-5 of the jars depending on how full you fill each jar.  

In order to protect the stickers, you can either use weatherproof sticker sheets, or you could place a piece of clear packing tape over them before cutting them out of a regular sticker sheet.  I intended for the stickers to be cut with a 2" round punch, but you could easily cut them in squares, etc.  OR - if you don't want to use them as stickers, you could print them on cardstock and tie them to your containers.

I've created the printable in a few colors, because I know that some of you may want to coordinate with your other gift wrapping if you're anything like me.  I personally am using yellow and white stickers with a jute/twine ribbon and wrapping gifts in brown kraft paper.  (Why am I using yellow and white?  Well, because we had the most amazing Creamy Limoncello at an Italian restaurant in the Bronx this year, and I'm also going to be making small bottles of that to share with my loved ones!  More to come.)

Rajtan jars of Sugar Scrub on the bottom left.
Empty bottles (from World Market) for Creamy Limoncello are in wait (Top Left.)
Homemade Garlic Olive Oil  (Center)
and my Hubs' Homemade Salsa on the right.

 
 
 

Elf on the Shelf: Candy Cane Lanes - Let's Bowl!

"Let's Bowl, Let's Bowl, Let's Rock'n'Roll!"

Have you seen the miniature bowling sets at the party store or dollar store?  They're really inexpensive (you can also get them from Oriental Trading Co.)  You could also use Tootsie rolls (shape them like bowling pins) and a jawbreaker, large marshmallow, marble, or even cotton ball to create the bowling set.  Here is my way of making them more fun for our Elf on the Shelf! 
Candy Cane Lanes Free Printable!

Thank you, Kitty, for this image of your elves using Candy Cane Lanes!

Check out all of my other Elf on the Shelf ideas and printables, too!

As always, I encourage you to create some of the "super special" Elf surprises, and then trade them with your friends and neighbors so that the joy (and efforts) are shared!!!

By all means, share this, pin it, print it, blog about it, but please link back to this post. 

You can purchase all of my Elf on the Shelf printables in the store to the right for easy and immediate download.

  

Elf on the Shelf: DIY Sleeping Bag

I have 2 ways for you to make a sleeping bag for your elf.  The "no-sew" option doesn't require a sewing machine or any sewing skills, but it actually takes longer.  The sew option is unbelievably quick and easy.
I will say that I had some trial and error with the no-sew option, so please do as I SAY and not as I did.  Your knots will actually be much prettier than mine making for a much nicer looking sleeping bag.

NO-SEW Sleeping Bag (based on the small Elf on the Shelf as pictured)
2 pieces of fleece cut to 11" x 20"
1 piece of fleece cut to 11" x 15"
1 template 3" x 3" with marks every 1"

Layer the pieces of fleece as shown: large patterned, large solid, small patterned - all aligned at the bottom.  Place the elf on the fleece with his feet 3 inches from the bottom aligned edge.  Fold over the small piece to allow for the elf's face to be fully visible.

Cut 3 inch squares from each corner.  Cut 3 inch deep cuts spaced every 1 inch all the way around.

Tie the top piece in a knot with the 2 bottom pieces as you work your way around the sleeping bag.  Do not pull them too tight, or it will make your sleeping bag bunch up.

Ta-Da!

The "sew" method.  
3 pieces of fleece:
2 - 5" x 15" (one patterned, one plain)
1 - 5" x 17" (patterned)

Place the two longest pieces right sides together.  With 1/2" seam allowance, sew the top and 2 1/2" down the sides.  Trim the corners.  Turn right side out.  If you want the little "folded" look for the top "sheet", then take the short piece with right side facing up, and fold down the top 1/2" - 1" and pin it in place.  Place the shorter piece with the right side facing the right side of the other patterned piece  (if you folded, then the folded side will be hidden "inside" and nearest the sewn end of the other two pieces.)  Sew the remaining edges together, trim corners, and turn right side out.

Check out our other Elf on the Shelf Ideas and Free Printables here!  Please feel free to pin, link, and share, but link to our blog posts and not directly to the printables.

Elf on the Shelf: DIY Gratitude Ornament and FREE Printable

Our elf arrives this Friday, and I thought it would be nice to start with an activity that reminds us each of what we are thankful for and what Christmas is all about.  I bought clear acrylic ball ornaments at my local craft store on sale for 75 cents each (originally $1.49.)  I painted the year on one side and the child's name on the other with a paint pen.  I then personalized THIS FREE PRINTABLE of instructions for the ornament with each child's name. 
What are YOU grateful for this season?

Elf on the Shelf: Kringle's Koffee Barista Apron and Printable Logo

I spent a good deal of time creating those lovely little printable coffee cups, and a big piece of that was the logo for "Kringle's Koffee."  I decided to take it a step further and play a little more.  The options are truly limitless!  I have included them in several sizes so regardless of what elf you have at your house, there's a logo big enough for you to use.

Print the Kringle's Koffee logos HERE.

Barista Apron - I took a green handkerchief from my local hobby store and cut a 4.5" x 5" corner of it out and finished out the 2 cut edges (final was 4"x4.5".)  I added a ribbon across it and 2 ribbons at the top.  I folded under the 2 corners (between the ribbon attachments), and I printed out the free printable of Kringle's Koffee logos on an iron on transfer sheet.  (Please note if your transfer paper needs to be printed as a "mirror image" or regular.)  I cut out and ironed on the logo, and voila!  Barista apron!

You can also print these on regular paper or adhesive sheets and cut them out to create branded shopping bags, napkins, etc.  You could even create a sign for a coffee house!  Maybe you just want a shirt for yourself that says, Kringle's Koffee.  ;-)

 

How will you use these?  I'd love to see!

 

Check out our other Elf on the Shelf Ideas and Free Printables here!  Please feel free to pin, link, and share, but link to our blog posts and not directly to the printables.

 

You can easily purchase all of my Elf on the Shelf printables for easy and immediate download in the store to the right.

Elf on the Shelf: Printable Plate and Napkin Ring

Are you having a Welcome Breakfast for your elf and kids?  This year will be our first year to do one.  I don't want to go buy a bunch of Christmas dinnerware, and I didn't want to use paper plates either.  This is my solution!  The printable plate goes BENEATH your glass (or clear plastic) plate, and the napkin ring can go around paper or linen napkins.  I added names to my plate printables, and you could do the same with Photoshop.
I found an inexpensive red and white chevron table runner online, too!  I saw Santa hat chair covers for $1 each at the dollar store, and I think I'll grab those, too.  I have a ton of white candles, and I thought with a box of candy canes and some ribbon, I could complete the look.  If I can find an inexpensive box of red ball ornaments, then, I may make an ornament "chandelier" also.
If you want all of my Elf on the Shelf printables in easy downloads, you can purchase them in the store at the right for immediate download.

Check out all of my other Elf on the Shelf ideas and printables, too!

As always, I encourage you to create some of the "super special" Elf surprises, and then trade them with your friends and neighbors so that the joy (and efforts) are shared!!!

By all means, share this, pin it, print it, blog about it, but please link back to this post. 

DIY Faux "log" fireplace

Gas logs are ridiculously expensive, and in Central Texas, we rarely gave weather that warrants a fire.  My solution? This DIY project that didn't cost me a penny.

I had my husband cut down a scrap of board that we had to a size smaller than the space in the fireplace where I wanted to place it.  I wanted to be able to have overhang on all sides of the board with the wood "logs."  My step-dad had a ton of wood, and I asked him to cut down a few of the logs into 1-4" discs.  He used 3 different types of wood.  I would have loved to have all Aspen, as I think the white would have been really pretty, but I'm thrilled with the outcome.  I painted our scrap piece of wood black with some spraypaint we had, and then I used wood glue to position the discs on the board to resemble stacked logs.  After allowing them to dry for 24 hours, I went back and used decking screws (that we already had) to secure the logs from the back side of the board.  I fit the finished piece into the fireplace and made a couple of final adjustments, and Ta-Da!  I love it.  

Elf on the Shelf: Fireplace FREE Printable

Does your elf need his own fireplace to curl up by to read?  Does he need a fireplace to roast his marshmallows?  Does he need a fireplace to sit around and tell stories with his friends?  Does he just miss the fireplace back at the North Pole?
Print out these 2 pages for a 3-D fireplace, and you can add a few small pieces of red, yellow, or orange tissue paper to the fire to make it really 3-D if you wish.  (I promise to update these pages with pictures of everything made and with our elf once we pull him down from the attic next week!)

Print the FIRE HERE.

Yes, the bricks will really be horizontal on the actual fireplace, but...well, once you print, cut, and fold it, it will be fine.

Print BRICK FIREPLACE HERE.

Cut and fold the brick fireplace first.  Then, print and position the fire behind the fireplace to determine where you want to cut and tape/paste your fire into the fireplace.  They are measured to print with some of the black at the top and bottom of the fire to resemble a real fireplace in the brick surround.

Check out our other Elf on the Shelf Ideas and Free Printables here!

Elf on the Shelf: FREE Printable Grocery List on Letterhead

Yes, you can absolutely scribble down a funny grocery list on toilet paper "by your elf," but my kids know my handwriting all too well.  Besides, personalized note paper is fun!  Here's a FREE Printable Grocery List in ELF handwriting! What would you add to the list?

Check out our other Elf on the Shelf Ideas and Free Printables here!

Elf on the Shelf: FREE Printable Road for Road Race

If you don't want to give your little ones access to 100 miniature candy canes or tape a crazy race track throughout your living room and on your furniture (painters' tape is ideal to create the crazy race track and can be a fun activity for play during the day) to go with your Printable Finish Lines, then you can print out this FREE printable road for the finish line or these FREE printable road extensions to make it travel throughout your home.  You can always have a few miniature candy canes near this finish line, too.

Check out our other Elf on the Shelf ideas and Free Printables here!