Showing posts with label mother's day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mother's day. Show all posts

Thursday, 31 March 2011

Mother's Day Gift Ideas


The date of Mother’s Day differs around the world--for example, whilst in the US and Japan it is celebrated on the second Sunday in May, here in the UK, Mother’s Day – or Mothering Sunday - falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent.

Mothers come in all shapes and sizes, with all kinds of interests and hobbies. They may be birth mothers, surrogate mothers or adoptive mothers. Whatever kind of mother you may have, Mother’s Day is the time to show appreciation for the perfect Mum!

Here are a few Mother’s Day gift ideas, since after all, Mums can be very hard to buy for!

1. Personalised book. Either make one from scratch or order one--a few years ago I used Bob Books to create a photo book for my Mother, from my sisters and I. We filled it with pictures of family and pets, and suffice to say it went down a storm!  There are plenty of other companies online that offer similar services, too.

2. Customised glass. Decorate a glass (be it a wineglass, tumbler or shot glass!) with some glass paints and present it to her with her favourite tipple. (This works well as a Father’s Day gift, too)

3. Homemade cake. Find a recipe for your Mum’s favourite type of cake, and put a message on the top.

4. Mum Vouchers. Make a book of vouchers, each one good for a certain service from yourself. e.g. ‘Breakfast in Bed’, ‘Lunch Out’, ‘A Cup of Tea’ or ‘A Home Pedicure’. This is a great gift to show your appreciation to your Mum, even if you don’t have much money. See my Mother's Day Vouchers printable.

5. Handmade jewellery. Check out my tutorials for Beads & Bow Necklace, Pearly Necklace and Charming Bracelet, or Google for a plethora of other ideas!

6. Sewing kit. Make a personalised pincushion and put together in a nice box with some reels of cotton, tape measure, and a pack of needles.

7. Customised jewellery box. Get a plain jewellery box or findings box and decorate according to your Mum’s tastes. Suggestions: decoupage, paint, shells, sequins, fabric, trim--if you can stick it on, it’s worth considering!

Printable: Mother's Day Vouchers

Here in England, Mothering Sunday falls on 3rd April this year. That's this Sunday.

Hard pressed for cash? Don't know what to buy? Panicking?

Try these printable vouchers!

Just print them off and cut to size (this should print on standard A4 paper/card).

Monday, 28 March 2011

Tutorial: Painted Glass

customised glass
Customised glass is a unique and original gift for a friend or family member; it’s also great to add a more personal touch to your home!

Read on to find out how to paint glass yourself to create your very own, one-of-a-kind customised wine glass! This project would be great for Mother's Day.


glass painting

Time needed: 45 minutes (dependent on design; excludes drying times)

You’ll need:
A glass
Contour paste
Glass paints
Paintbrushes
Paper and pen/pencil
Kitchen towel
Water
Newspaper

Note: Contour paste and glass paint can be a little fiddly at first--if you can, try to practice on a spare piece of glass (e.g. empty jar)

 
1. Wash and dry your glass and put down newspaper to protect your work surface.

2. Cut a piece of paper that fits inside your glass and draw out your design. I chose a simple flower design. Try not to put in too much detail, since it will be harder to define with the contour paste. 


3. Slip the paper inside the glass, design facing outwards. Use contour paste to trace over the pattern onto the glass. Leave to dry thoroughly. 


4. Paint in your design with glass paint and allow to dry. (Use kitchen towel to wipe excess paint from your brush and rinse in water in between colours; try to start with the lightest colour!)


5. Pick out any other details you might wish to add. This glass has a nice stem reminiscent of a Roman column, so I decided to pick it out with a vibrant green.
Leave overnight to ensure the paint is entirely dry.


Glass care: Wash with warm soapy water. Do not put in the dishwasher!

Cleaning your brushes: Glass paint can be difficult to wash off brushes--water doesn’t have much of an effect! I cleaned off mine by washing them in brush cleaner to remove the paint, then in warm soapy water to remove the brush cleaner. A small amount of conditioner smoothed through the bristles helps to keep the brush in good condition.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...