Easy Homemade Christmas Gifts

It's my goal this year to have about 75% of the gifts I give be completely homemade.  I'll let you know the week before Christmas how I have done; or maybe I won't have time to let you know because I will be cramming to get them all done!  Anyhow, I've been working on some of the smaller items I plan to give teachers, neighbors, and friends.

Last year I created sheet music themed gifts for teachers.  You can read about it by clicking the link, but here is a visual reminder...

As you can see it contained sheet music magnets and decorated candles.  This year, I am going in a different direction but using magnets and candles again!  After all, they are both gifts that people can always use!

This year for the magnets, I again used glass gems.  I painted the flat side of the clear gems with Mod Podge, and then sprinkled glitter onto them.  Once that was dried, I added 3 more coats of Mod Podge as I wanted to be sure the glitter was really sealed in there.  Once that was dry, I used my hot glue gun to glue a magnet to the glittered gem, and voila.... sparkly magnets!  I just bought some other colors of glitter, too, so plan on making more.  What is also really great about this project is that with its level of ease, it's something you can do with your kids.  Emmy helped me glitter them, and that way she is now involved in creating gifts for her teachers, which I love!

Now, last year, I purchased some candles I found at Marshall's and just decorated the glass piece.  Well, yesterday I mentioned a new hobby.  What is that new hobby?  Making soy candles!!!!  It is something that I have wanted to try for a very long time, and I am sure I will write more about it later, but I am totally burnt out on painting furniture at the moment, and needed to try something different, and give myself a break.  What better way to try something different AND relax by inhaling wonderful essential oils while you work!   I have always wanted to make them in teacups, but worked with what I had on hand.  Saturday afternoon I tested it out and made myself one candle to make sure it worked well before I made them for gifts.  I purchased soy wax that was microwaveable, but I have to tell you when it comes to making most things, I tend to be very old fashioned.  I paint all my furniture with a brush.  So I used the double boiler method for melting my wax.  I melted the wax, added the scent (I added lavender and vanilla together) and then waited for it to cool to 125 so I could pour into my slightly heated jar.  I used a vintage "Crown" Jar that my friend Gail had given me.  I didn't have enough wax to fill the jar, which is large, but since it was just for me, I didn't care!  I let it cool a little more til I could visibly see the wax starting to coagulate, and then I added the wick.  I let it set overnight.  This morning I cut the wick down and lit it.  And I have to be honest.... I was so nervous because concentrated the scents do not smell as good!!!  Here is my candle...

And yes, it smelled lovely!  So I got to work yesterday making some to use as a gifts.  Here are the containers I used just after I poured the wax...

I used some glass spice jars, a vintage jar, and a couple other vintage dishes.  I can't wait to get to work on more!

Don't forget to enter my Mikarose giveaway!
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