Just in the nick of time, a round-up of FREE holiday printables!  Wishing you a merry and bright holiday! So many wonderful Christmas printables I couldn’t stop at five.

Just in the nick of time, a round-up of FREE holiday printables!  Wishing you a merry and bright holiday! So many wonderful Christmas printables I couldn’t stop at five.

DIY Pocket Calendar Cover

All you need is a pocket calendar with a plastic protector, markers, high quality copy paper and scissors. I found the calendars at the dollar store.

Make sure the calendar has a removable plastic cover.

Open up the calendar and draw around it to mark how big to make the copy paper, cut out.

Have your little artist color a fun picture. If you have loads of friends and family that would appreciate this gift, you can have your child draw one drawing and then make color photo copies. You might also consider cutting up artwork that comes home from school to fit inside the protector.

Slip paper around the calendar and place it back into the plastic protector. Now you have a thoughtful and useful gift that anyone would love to receive and a child would be proud to give!

If you are looking for more gifts kids can make, you won’t want to miss my e-book Gifts Kids Can Make! Kids will have fun making a wooden paper towel holder, and artistic key or jewelry organizer, keepsake magnets, whimsical note cards and a yummy jar mix! The e-book comes with printables and even editable gift tags, perfect for handmade gift giving. The ebook is ready for immediate Download.

You might enjoy browsing my Handmade Gift Guide!

Christmas is quickly upon us.  Are you still looking for a something to give those hard to shop for people on your list?  I consider one of the hardest age groups to shop for teen girls.  I wanted to share an easy and fun craft you can do with your kids that would thrill any girl this Christmas {even your own}. This picture frame bulletin board makes the perfect gift for a child to decorate their room. It would be an especially fun adult/child DIY project to make for a sibling or a friend!  You are never to young to start fixing up, remaking and giving handmade gifts!

This project starts with an old picture frame. We found ours at our local Goodwill store. You will also need a can of spray paint, beautiful fabric (mine is from Waverly), a ceiling tile cut to fit the picture frame, staple gun, glue gun, thumb tacks and a covered button kit.

Remove the picture from the frame and give the frame a couple coats of spray paint. Allow paint to dry between layers.

While the paint is drying make custom thumb tacks by covering buttons in a coordinating fabric (again from Waverly). Following package directions to cover buttons. Be sure to remove the shank from the back of the button before placing into the plastic piece.

Use hot glue or  an extra strong adhesive like E600 to fasten  a washer on the back and then  a  thumb tack. The washer will help raise the tack up so it is even with the edges of the button.

Cut the ceiling tile to fit inside the picture frame. Cut fabric big enough to wrap around the ceiling tile.

Starting with the corners staple the fabric around the ceiling tile.

Staple fabric all the way around. Staple on one side, then move to the opposite side.

Place fabric covered tile into the frame. Secure with duct tape or nails.

A perfect way to make an extra special bulletin board!

If you love Waverly as much as I do, you may want to pop over to the Waverly Facebook page  and enter to win one of the two $100 giftcards they are giving away right now.

Check out the other amazing blogger’s participating in this event.

Full disclosure: Waverly provided the fabric  for my use with this project along with compensation for the additional supplies I chose to use in the completion of  the project.

Peppermint Meringue Cookies

Fit a pastry bag (12″ or 18″) with a 1/2″ large open star pastry tip. With a small paint brush paint stripes on the inside of the bag with a gel food coloring paste.

Ingredients

3 large egg whites (room temperature)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract (peppermint oil will not work)
dash of salt
3/4 cup sugar
parchment paper

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In metal mixing bowl beat egg whites, 1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter, a dash of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract to soft peaks. Gradually add 3/4 cup sugar, beating until very stiff peaks form.

Fill pastry bag with meringue and pipe one inch stars onto the parchment paper.

Bake for 90 minutes, but do not let them brown. Allow to cool completely. Meringues will be crunchy. Store in an air tight container. The meringues should keep for a couple of weeks.

If you are looking for more homemade gift ideas, from edible gifts to sewn gifts you might enjoy browsing my Handmade Gift Guide!

I also love fun tags!

Here is a little treat {just for you} , all you have to do is “like” Skip to my Lou on Facebook and these funky little tags are yours to download and print!

Facebook is the way to stay connected and all you have to do  is  Like Skip to my Lou  and you will be the first to hear about what’s going on over here  (posts, giveaways, and more).  It’s also a great place to interact with me and tell me what you think, I love hearing from you too!  So stop and by and be sure to say Hi; I just might be giving away more free printables there soon {hint hint}.

WOW!  Aren’t these luminaries beautiful?  They are made with water balloons as the form!  Follow the tutorial on Candletech.com and make a few for yourself or for an extra special gift.

Evie S. has a super simple tutorial on how to make these fab paper-clip earrings!  Any girl would love to find these in her Christmas stocking!

33 Shades of Green has designed a wine bottle sleeve that you have to see!  Wouldn’t you love to give this to your favorite holiday party hostess?

f you need more inspiration take a look at my handmade gift guide below….

Peppermint Bark is a super simple and delicious holiday treat! It makes a quick and easy homemade gift that everyone will love!

Peppermint Bark Recipe

All you need is 1 pound of white candy coating and 1/2 cup peppermint pieces (or finely crushed starlight mints or candy canes).

Melt the candy coating very slowly in the microwave. If  the candy is melted too fast and it gets it too hot it will harden and not become liquid.  Start with 30 seconds and then stir. Continue heating at 15 second intervals, stirring each time until melted. Add in 1/2 cup peppermint pieces.

Stir until completely combined.

Spread candy thinly out on wax paper and allow to cool. (About an 11″ X 17″ area)

Once hard, break candy into pieces. This is the perfect treat to keep on hand for unexpected guests and it makes a wonderful hostess or neighbor gift when wrapped in a pretty container.

Believe me, your friends will eat this up! Enjoy!

If you are looking for more homemade gift ideas  you might enjoy browsing my Handmade Gift Guide!

Blogginess shared these chunky cookies and cream brownies  and they look delicious.

I want to try this Pralines and cream fudge from Something Swanky!

The Farm girl hits the spot with these Peppermint Bon Bon Cookies.

Swamp Hollow designs shared this sweet and salty cashew brittle , Yum!

I hope to see you all tomorrow posting on another Made by You Monday, and make sure to come back next week and check I just might be featuring {you}!

Everyone loves a homemade gift – especially when it’s edible! There is plenty of time before the holidays to package up one of these tasty treats. Your friends and family will love you!

Red Velvet Cake in a jar – are you kidding?!  Wow, who would not love this treat from My Cakies? So pretty too.

drooling. 

For the chocolate lover on your list, here is a great little cocoa mix from MyRecipes.com.

Real Simple shares a BBQ Rub. It’s a perfect idea for your favorite grill-master.

Look at this beautiful Chocolate/Orange Shortbread Cookie to share.  Oprah.com has easy directions for this fun gift.

If you need more inspiration take a look at some of my favorite edible gifts or check out my handmade gift guide below….

Supplies to make a hair bow

24 inches of 1.5 inch wide grosgrain ribbon to make a 4 1/2 inch wide bow or 18 inches of 1.5 inch grosgrain ribbon to make a 3 1/5 inch bow

6 inches of fine gauge floral wire,

a hair clip

glue gun

scissors

How to make a hair bow

Fold the 24 inch (or 18 inch) piece of ribbon in half and crease with your thumb.

Lay ribbon out flat. Bring one edge of the ribbon to the center of the ribbon and lay on top of the crease to form a loop.

Repeat for the other side, creating a figure eight. Make sure ends of ribbon overlap about an inch.

Bring the outside edge of the loop to the center. From this point on it works best to hold the ribbon in your hands.

Bring the loop on the other side to the center. Be sure to adjust the loops so they are even.

Pinch the center together by bending the outside edge down first and accordion fold the center together, ending by folding the opposite edge down. Keeping the fold tight will create a nicely shaped bow.

Tightly wrap a piece of floral wire around the center.

Twist securely in the back and trim edges.

Slip the hair clip through the wire on the back of the bow. Make sure the wire is folded under so it doesn’t poke into the head.

Hot glue or sew a button on the center of the bow. Seasonal buttons, plastic gem and charms can be used. (Remember for young children to be cautious of items that could be a choking hazard)

With all of the beautiful ribbon and buttons that can be found, think of the possibilities for making stylish bows.

If you are looking for more handmade gift ideas for the holidays you might enjoy browsing my Handmade Gift Guide.