Monday, April 28, 2014

Make Mom's day special without breaking the bank!

We like to pay tribute to our moms for all the things they have done for us, but sometimes our budgets limit what we can do.  What do you do when there's no money in the bank?  Show her how much you care with something hand made.  But don't be mislead.   Handmade items can get very pricey too!  If you decided to make something that you have none of the supplies for, you could end up spending more than you intended.  It's important to look around at what you have and design your gift around that.  I've listed some ideas to get you started...

1.  A photo album with pictures she hasn't seen!    
     Don't have an album laying around?  Pictures are all digital and in the computer? Using a computer 
     program like Word or Openoffice, spend a little time laying out a few pictures per page and add 
     some journal entries and  some fun clip art and you have a nice photo album for mom.  The front and 
     back covers can be made with some card stock, construction paper, or even cereal boxes when needed.     Cover them with some pretty gift wrap you have or contact  paper if you have some.
This was made using Microsoft Word, pictures I had on my computer from a zoo outing and stickers I got from the Dollar Tree.


2. A nice bouquet of flowers from your garden.  Don't have a garden?  Buy a few bushes of artificial flowers 
    at the Dollar Tree and arrange them in a vase you already have or even a fun drinking glass or mug she 
    she can use.
This was made using a cup from the Dollar Tree and some flowers, ribbon and tissue paper I already had.

3. Dinner for a week.  Don't worry, I don't mean you're going to take her out to eat all week.  When you
    cook a meal, try to make a little more to feed one more person and then package that meal up for mom in     a freezable container. This is especially nice for moms who live alone.  Put them in the freezer and then 
    give them to her in a nice box or gift bag, or decorate a brown grocery bag.  This one will require some 
    advance planning so you have the meals ready by mother's day!

4.  Buy or make a card for mom and include an invitation for a special day with just you and mom.  It can be
     for a day at the park, a nice lunch, or taking mom on errands or shopping.  Whatever you like to do with 
     mom or something that she needs.  The possibilities are endless!

5.  Does mom need something done around the house?  Maybe the flower garden needs to be weeded, or a 
     a small repair needs to be done.  Go over on Mother's day and do it.  If the project is a little bigger than
     you can do alone, get your siblings to help.  Doing this type of project for our moms can mean more to 
     them than you know.  They might not ask for your help because they know your busy, so doing it without
     being asked is a gift beyond measure!


I hope you find these ideas useful or that they give you the inspiration to come up with something really special for your mom this year, without taking out the credit cards!  Share you plans for making Mother's day special.  I'd love to hear them!

Thanks for reading!
Papercre8tions


Friday, April 25, 2014

May Day and May Crowning

With the end of April, comes the beginning of May!  But with winter hanging on longer than we wanted it to, flowers are just now starting to make their way up from the protection of the ground.  So how do we make the beginning of May special with May Day flowers and the May Crowning?  With paper!  Paper flowers will hold their shape and color much longer and don't need any water!  And you can make them any color you want!  These lovely paper roses would make a great gift for teachers and for the May crowning!  Just $1.00 each in a variety of colors!  It's the perfect solution!  Order yours today!

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