Yep, it’s December, which means that I get to do another holiday gift guide—fun stuff. Last year, I did a semi-last-minute holiday gift guide. However, this year I wanted to be more prepared for it. So, as the year has gone by, I've sporadically jotted down a few items I wanted to include in 2017s holiday gift guide. The challenge I encountered was coming up with new things to add so that 2017s post wouldn't be an absolute repeat of 2016s list. As always, this isn't a literal list. Instead, this post is meant to give you—the reader—some possible ideas about gifts. And, this year, Adri is joining me with some of her own input. Also, we'll link to as many of the items on the list as possible, but keep in mind that availability and pricing changes—we have no control over it—and some things we just couldn't find online. All linked items will be in bold italics. Anyway, I'm going to stop rambling. On to the list!
Stuff to buy…
- Funko
- Household items (Coffee cups; Snow globes; stylish storage)
Breana: There are a lot of household items that could make good gifts to someone whose looking for them. Coffee cups are an automatic choice, but there are also seasonal snow globes, and stylish storage (which I forgot to include when we took the picture).
Adri: When choosing makeup for someone, take into consideration things like if their skin is sensitive. Or check to see which brands they regularly use and if there is a color/product they want, but don’t have.
Adri: If you’re purchasing EOS for someone else, be cautious of some of the natural ingredients like coconut, which to my understanding, some people have an allergy to.
- Nail polish colors: Metallica; Burgundy Frost
Breana: you can find this brand of nail polish—wet n wild—online, but it's cheaper to go in-store and buy it.
Breana: When shopping at Michaels, keep an eye out for good deals. Art supplies aren't cheap, but check Michaels frequently for daily/weekly coupons. Also, some things may be cheaper in-store. Just remember to compare prices.
Breana: I’m using Discover Magazine as an example, but it's not the only one. There are a lot of different subscription types: magazines, boxes (books, makeup, etc.). There’s a lot of them out there.
DIY Stuff…
While we were setting up for the first part of this post, Adri came up with the idea to add a DIY section. I thought it was a great idea since not all gifts have to be bought. They can also be made.
Breana: make your loved one a painting—or picture—whichever you prefer. Don’t be afraid of the blank canvas or paper. Start with something simple or do what's within your skill set. Just don't wrap a blank canvas like a gift, unless the person actually wants them like that.
- Knit & Yarn items (magic circle, the start of a hat; yarn bird; necklace)
- Gloves or other sewing goods
Adri: The gloves are made out of a four-way stretch fabric with a
pattern made by tracing the outline of my hand. For other types of fabric you
may need a different pattern. If you want to make gloves for your family or
friends without suspicion, one way may be to act like you need a reference for
drawing hands. Have them trace at least one hand with fingers spread out on one
piece of paper. And you should be set for short gloves. For longer gloves, find
a sneaky way to get arm measurements. Just a sewing note: instead of cutting
the outline, I applied it to the fabric and sewed it by hand due to personal preference. I then trimmed the seam allowances.
