DIY Holiday Gifts Round-up

There's nothing quite like getting crafty at the holidays. It's the perfect way to spend time with your kids (or grandkids) and strike a few gifts off your list!

We've scoured the internet for some of the best wallet-friendly DIY holiday gift ideas - we hope you enjoy them!

1. Oreo Snowman Treats from The Idea Room - these are a fantastic gift for teachers or treats for end-of-year class parties
   
   

   

   Image: The Idea Room

   
   
2. 10-Minute Peppermint Soap from Happiness Is Homemade - don't know what to get Aunt Elizabeth? Try this...
   
   

   

   Image: Happiness Is Homemade

   
   
3. Reindeer Cocoa Cones from Mommy's Kitchen - everyone loves hot chocolate on a cold day, so make it extra special with this cute DIY kit
   
   

   

   Image: Mommy's Kitchen

   
   
4. Holiday Coffee Sleeves from Better Homes & Gardens - great for any hot drinks, they'd make a fun complement to the Reindeer Cocoa Cones!
   
   

   

   Image: Better Homes & Gardens

   
   
5. Custom Pebble Magnets from a.steed's.life - you can use pictures of the kids, printed papers or bits of comic books - the options are limitless!
   
   

   

   Image: a.steed's.life

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2014 Valentine Round-Up

No matter if you’re young or old, there’s something magical about Valentine’s Day. Even if you don’t subscribe to the red-roses-and-chocolates mentality, you can’t deny the sweetness of this holiday, or the fact that kids LOVE it!

So why not surprise your kids with a fun Valentine activity or recipe to make together? Using Pinterest for inspiration, we’ve rounded up some amazing ideas. Many of these are perfect for classroom treats, so spend some quality time having fun and getting crafty with your kids!

Valentines

Image: Pumpkins & Posies

Oooh, it's (almost) Halloween night...

We love Halloween because it is the only holiday where outlandish outfits, mountains of sugar and silliness prevail! It's the one night of the year when adults and children alike indulge in ghoulish fun with abandon.

The best part, though, is the lead-up to the big day. Decorating the house with spider webs, witches, ghosts and goblins is so much fun... all to make a spooky impression for those pint-sized revelers that will knock on the door!

With that in mind, we've rounded up a bunch of our favorite Halloween crafts and activities to do with your kids. From spooky-themed food to fun decorations and class treats, there's something for every age group and ability here.

And now, our favorite Halloween ideas from Pinterest...

1. Paper Coterie's FREE printables (the Bingo game is *the cutest*!) - Halloween treat bags and bingo game

Image: Paper Coterie blog

2. Cute (and FREE!) treat bag printables from Smitten on Paper - perfect for class treats!

Image: Smitten on Paper blog

3. Fun activity for the preschool set from TeachPreschool.org - get wrapped up like a mummy

4. Spooky classroom snacks from AllTheCooks.com - banana ghosts and orange pumpkins

Image: fenway / allthecooks.com

5. Halloween luminaries (we especially like the glass jar ones!)

And...

If you've got little ones going out trick-or-treating, don't forget their spoooooky Safety Wristbands... added peace of mind in case they get separated from the group. For kids of all ages, make sure their loot bag is labelled or tagged so they can easily spot which one is theirs.

Check out these designs perfect for Halloween!

Crossbones   |   Girly Crossbones   |   Zombies   |   Grafitti Monsters

We hope you have fun this month!! 

Stay tuned for more fun Halloween ideas on our social media pages...

           

Operation Desk Organization

The new school year is underway and, while you may be organized in a backpack-and-lunchbox sort of way, you might still find that getting back into the homework routine can come with a bit of a (re)learning curve.

This week's post is all about ways to help organize your (or your child's) workspace. Working efficiently is so much easier if you've got an orderly desk and neatly defined spots for all your office supplies, so I've rounded up some of the best DIY ideas I've seen this week...

Gorgeous DIY Pin Board from Maple and Magnolia

Clip-on Desk Organizers from Brit + Co.
 
Pretty Drawer Dividers from Oscar Learn, Oscar Teach

Binder Clip Cable Keepers from Wired.com

Keep yourself organized with this free "Peek at the Week" printable calendar from iHeartOrganizing

Recycled Desk Organizer from Mod Podge Rocks (shown below)

Photo credit: Mod Podge Rocks Blog

There are so many ways to make your workspace more efficient, so why not make it beautiful while you're at it? :) If you've got any great desk organization ideas, please share them with us on social media!

           
 

Make-Ahead Father's Day DIY

Mother’s Day has come and gone (we hope you had a great one!), and before you know it, Father’s Day will be upon us. So why not get a head start planning a fun day for Dad?

Here are some fantastic DIY Father’s Day ideas for kids…

Fill a Can – use the free printables to make a customized can that can be filled with cookies, a t-shirt… whatever you wish. There are other printables (card, tag) included, too!

Photo: bargainhoot.com

Custom Coasters – This tutorial from Arrow and Heart shows you how to use some of your favorite photos to add a sentimental element to a useful gift.

Photo with Personalized Chalk Drawing Background – I love this idea from Samantha at Crafty Texas Girls. Draw whatever you wish on the pavement and let your own creativity shine through!

Photo: Crafty Texas Girls

Dad will love any of these amazing gifts made with love by his child(ren). Happy crafting!!

School Bells

I don't know if it's the nice weather or the start of a busy work period, but the end of the school year tends to creep up quickly and catch me unprepared. The last few days before summer break I'm usually racing around trying to find the perfect presents, all the while staying within a reasonable budget. In the past, my choices have ranged from uninspired (coffee shop gift cards) to downright boring (coffee mugs).

There was that *one* year, when I had a great idea for a group gift and it was a lovely surprise for the teacher... but those "wins" are rare.

So this year, instead of pulling out my hair trying to find last-minute gifts, I'm going to start ahead of time...and get the kids involved. But, don't worry, these aren't your typical homemade gifts. These tokens of appreciation will be high on style, functional and made with love!

• Give teacher an elegant flowerpot filled with blooms or herbs. You can decorate it (to maintain the elegant factor) and the kids can help by choosing the type of flower and helping plant it. After all, it's springtime... who doesn't love flowers? Even if your child's teacher doesn't have a green thumb (if this is the case, I suggest planting pretty cactus), this present will be a lasting reminder of your little angel. I especially love this chalkboard version from The Robin's Nest... so easy and economical too!

Photo: The Robin's Nest

• Personalize a handy tote bag with teacher's initial, like this one shown on MarthaStewart.com. It's a chic, yet useful gift - and there's no sewing required! 

• Homemade cookies in a classic, reusable glass jar. If you're that Mom - the one with the killer chocolate chip (or oatmeal raisin?) cookie recipe that all of the students and educators LOVE - why not have your child help you make a batch for their teacher and package it in a classic, yet heartfelt way? I found this sweet version over at Home Is Where They Love You.

Photo: Home Is Where They Love You

The perfect addition to any of these presents is one of our new Loot Bag Packages. At only $5 each, they are a wonderful way to personalize your gift and give teacher something he or she will find useful. Or, if teacher loves to cook, you could include Date Labels or Pantry Labels.

These are a few of my favorites; I hope you find your perfect gift, too!

Valentine’s Day Fun

There are only 10 more sleeps until Valentine’s Day and what better way to enjoy this fun holiday than with great activities to do with your kids?

While there are a lot of do-it-yourself projects out there that are cute, many are also very complex and time-consuming. As a parent, I aim to make Valentine’s Day fun for my kids, and free of chaos for myself! So, in the spirit of simplicity, I’ve found some very do-able ideas for every parent.

Here are a few of my favorites… I hope you enjoy them!

1. Make a Gratitude Tree  
2. Crayon Hearts
3. Valentine Bubbles
4. Color Me Happy Valentines
5. Salt Dough Necklaces and Magnets 

Photo credit: Amazing Mae

Whether you have some big DIY fun on Valentine’s Day, or keep it simple with sweet handwritten cards to friends, be sure to let your kids know they’re YOUR favorite Valentines! :)

We’d love to see your Valentine creations, so feel free to post them on our Facebook wall, share them on Twitter (be sure to tag us @oliverslabels) or add them to our Holiday board on Pinterest leading up to the big day. We’ll be continuing to post fun ideas, and are sure to share yours with our fans!

Father's Day DIY

It's almost Dad's big day and if you find yourself scrambling for a great gift, I've got a few crafty - yet memorable - ideas for you for kids of all ages!

Personalized Picasso

When my daughter was two, she made a special Father's Day present for my husband - a painting with her hand print on it that my husband cherishes to this day.  It's such an easy and inexpensive project, yet it's sure to be treasured. Simply purchase a canvas at your local art supply store or dollar store (this is where I get mine... they have amazing canvases for only $1-2!), and set up a tray with assorted washable paint colors for your child to use; consider the use of a smock.  
Tip: a plastic egg carton works great as a paint tray - it's the perfect size.
If you have a very young child doing this project and don't want the colors to end up turning into brown on the canvas, hand your child a clean brush every few minutes and gently instruct them to try a new color. Be sure to personalize their painting even more by adding a hand print to their masterpiece. It will be a great reminder just how small they were when they made this.

Want to make it even more special? Be sure to document the entire experience (photographs, video) and either print off a photo and slide it in the back of the canvas, or give Dad a DVD of the creative process. He's sure to treasure it!

Fimo Fingerprints

Every kid that has tried Fimo simply LOVES it. Know why? Because they get to immortalize their creations forever (via baking/hardening)! No matter the age(s) of your child(ren), you can create an amazing - and practical - gift for Dad using Fimo and a few other supplies found at art supply or dollar stores.

Key Chain 

Supplies: Fimo, leather cord, split ring

Cut a rectangular piece of Fimo - any size you'd like your keychain to be - and make a hole using an awl or a very sharp pencil at one end of it (it must be big enough to accommodate two widths of leather cord). Next, have your child(ren) put their fingerprint(s) in it and bake per the instructions on the Fimo package; let cool. Cut a 6" piece of leather cord and fold in half around the split ring; put cut ends of the cord through the hole that you made in the Fimo; then, with both ends together, tie a simple knot at the end. (Feel free to experiment with other ways to attach the Fimo and split ring; jump rings also work well, in place of leather cord.)

Bookmark

Supplies: Fimo, leather cord

Follow the instructions as noted above (for keychain), only cut the Fimo larger (bookmark size) and finish the top off with a piece of leather cord folded in half, looped end through the hole in the top of the Fimo, and cut ends pulled through loop to form a sort of tassel.

I hope these inexpensive, last-minute, low-stress gift ideas help make this coming Father's Day a great one! And if you have any fabulous DIY gift ideas to share please comment below, post on our Facebook or Google+ pages, pin them on Pinterest (tag us so we can re-pin!), or tweet us. We would love to share your ideas with the rest of our fans!