ALL POSTS IN [Gift Guides]

Make an Easy-to-Craft Jewelry Box for Mother’s Day

by H. Camille Smith May 8, 2013 4 Comments

Mother’s Day is sneaking up fast (it’s this Sunday!) but you still have time to craft a handmade gift — especially one as simple as this sweet little jewelry box. Best of all, the materials for this project cost less than $20 and you’ll be ready to surprise her with your thoughtfulness in no time flat!

Get the step-by-step instructions>>

All you need is paint or stain, a decorative knob and a pair of fence post caps (1 flat and 1 raised). Yep, just plain old fence post caps. You can find them in the fencing department of your local hardware store and they look like this: Wooden Fence Post Caps

Thanks to the flat cap’s stepped design, it fits nicely inside the raised cap to create a lid – like so:
Easy Jewelry Box Made From a Pair of Wooden Fence Post Caps

Finish your jewelry box with the paint or stain color of your choice, add a knob and surprise Mom with a charming personalized box filled with a small trinket or sweet surprise. Stain Fence Post Caps and Add a Knob to Create a Wooden Gift Box

Ready to get crafting? Get the step-by-step instructions>>

MORE MOTHER’S DAY CRAFTS TO TRY:
Block-Print Napkins With Simple DIY Stamps
Make a Simple, Floral Mother’s Day Centerpiece
Hand-Painted Wooden Bracelets for Mother’s Day
Make a Fingerprint Table Runner for Mother’s Day
Make an Easy-to-Sew Lined Tote Bag

Daily Delight: Unique Gift Ideas on Svpply

by Briana Mowrey December 2, 2011 6 Comments

I haven’t even started thinking about doing my holiday gift shopping yet, but I’m not worried because along with our own excellent gift guide on HGTV.com, I’ve got an ace up my sleeve. That ace is called Svpply. If you’re not already familiar with it, think of Svpply like Pinterest, but for products. It’s tempting to call it a “social shopping site,” although I think the better way to describe it is a “retail bookmarking and recommendations” site with a clean, minimalistic design. You create an account, and drag the “Buy Later” bookmarklet into your browser’s toolbar. Now when you search the shopping sites you love and spot something you want to remember, you can click the “Buy Later” button, briefly describe the item, and it gets clipped and saved to your Svpply.

This is handy enough, but there’s also a social element. You can follow friends, stores, or even strangers with great taste, to see which products they’ve added to their accounts. Not to mention that there are features that allow you to see the trending products across the site and Svpply’s own Editor’s Pick. Best of all for this time of year are the gift guides, broken down by price point and type of product, and the new ability to make a set of items (like a Pinboard) — say, “In-Law Gift Ideas” — and either keep the set private (good if the people you’re shopping for are also on Svpply) or mark it public to share with other users (like I plan to do with my own wish list, hint hint). Svpply’s always been handy for my Daily Delight design spotting, but I think it might just make me the best Secret Santa of all time.

Are you on Svpply, or are you planning to join? If so, leave your user name in the comments! Happy gift hunting, all.

10 Fabulous Hostess Gift Ideas

by Kim Stoegbauer November 30, 2011 9 Comments

It’s party season! If you are planning on attending holiday parties this year, be sure not to show up empty handed. I’ve compiled 10 Fabulous Gift Ideas for the Hostess to share with you. These are easy to find, easy to order or just might inspire you to find something similar. Let’s start with edible gifts. Sweets and treats are abundant this time of year and they are especially great when they come with pretty packaging. Baking yourself? Buy cute plates like the elf one and present your goodies on the plate.

english toffee crate, hot chocolate, jingle elf plates, caramel peanut bark

I always love personalized gifts! Think ahead and order monogrammed gifts for any upcoming events you are attending. The monogrammed mugs can be filled with candy, treats or a gift card and wrapped with cellophane and ribbon for a perfect hostess gift.

emma mug, fern in burlap, monogrammed soap

Delight your hostess with scented candles or body products. She’ll need the stress relief once the party is over!

parties for hosting, holiday candles, stress relief

What do you usually bring when you attend a holiday party? Tell me in the comments below! I would love to hear your ideas.

Father’s Day: Did You Remember the Card? The Gift?

by Kayla Kitts June 19, 2011 1 Comment

For those of you who struggle until the last minute with what to get Dad for Father’s Day, I’ve finally figured out that it’s all in the card and a handmade present. Craft him something he’ll love and use for years; then pour your heart out in the card. So, for all you procrastinators, HGTV’s here to help!

Fathers-Day-Gift-Card-Ideas-HGTV-DesignHappens

If your dad appreciates handmade gifts (and wine or billiards,) here’s an easy craft project for turning everyday objects into bottle stoppers that can be finished in less than an hour. (My father’s hobbies are fly fishing, camping and hiking, so I’m not sure what I should attach to the cork? Let me know if you have any suggestions.) Now don’t forget the card! A few weeks ago, Kim Stoegbauer of The TomKat Studio shared one-of-a-kind printable Father’s Day cards. Download and print out your favorite design for free to include with your present.

From everyone here at HGTV’s Design Happens, Happy Father’s Day to all the daddies out there!

And let us know, sons, daughters and proud papas, did the gift and card go over well?

Tell us in the comments below.

Big Daddy Decor: Great Home Goods for Father’s Day

by Brian Patrick Flynn June 16, 2011 5 Comments

While I totally think the world of my father and his slightly-off sense of humor, I absolutely loathe buying gifts for the man. And as I creep into mid-thirtysomething territory at warp speed, I start to think of what exactly I’d want if/when I have rugrats of my own. Sure, I work in the design industry, so it’s pretty much a sure thing I’m gonna want something decorative, personal and meant for my home; however, there’s a fine line between classic masculine and cliche dude styles. Beer steins and pool tables? No. Pinstripes and Milo Baughman-esque finishes? Oh, why yes, yes indeed, that sounds remarkably wonderful. If you’re struggling, trying to think of timeless home-related gifts for Dad, check out some of these great finds available online or through showrooms. Then, after that, toss those beer can koozies in the trash or set them on fire. Happy Father’s Day!

Boxsal Boombox and Boxsal Briefcase

If you ever thought picnics and Big Daddy mixed together just sounded kinda wrong, think again. Boxsal creates eco-conscious, disposable picnic sets that rock, literally. One of them, Urban Picnic, is a cardboard replica of an old-school boombox. The other, Office Escape, is a cardboard version of a classic leather briefcase. Both open up to reveal components essential to enjoying delicious bites outdoors.

Scotland Throw

Buck the velvet artwork of dogs playing poker and instead consider wrapping Dad in something classic. The Scotland Forever Throw available through Amazon.com is something that will keep any father warm and snugly as well as timelessly cool at the same time. Made of lambswool, it’s available in several colors and retails for $105.

VentriloChristmas

by Brian Patrick Flynn December 23, 2010 3 Comments

When it comes to gifts, I’m a firm believer in going big or going home. This can often super-suck each holiday season when trying to one-up the previous year’s mega-present. A self-proclaimed procrastinator when it comes to shopping, last year was an exception as I was able to order my that’s-so-clever-I-must-have-it showstopper online weeks, even months before the big day. So just what did I get for both that top drawer individual and myself? Custom Muppets from the Muppet Whatnot Workshop. Whatchutawkinbowtwillis?

Yep, I said Muppet. This brilliant concept is housed on FAO Schwarz. With a few clicks, you can create your very own Jim Henson style doppelganger through an assortment of characteristic categories; they even arrive in vinyl drawstring bags, which eliminate the need for gift-wrapping.

Make Your Own Muppet

Christmas by Design: 12 Gifts for Design-Lovers

by Brian Patrick Flynn December 9, 2010 4 Comments

When it comes to choosing holiday gifts for others, sometimes I’m the WORST and sometimes I’m the BEST. Being a creative type, I only get into the gift-giving spirit once inspired by something — or someone. Unfortunately, this usually leads to procrastination, which leads to added stress, which leads to…GIFT CARDS.

Although I always try my hardest to avoid the G-word, some people are just too hard to read; rocking the pocket plastic is both safe and practical. Perhaps that vintage Bionic Woman lunchbox your TV-obsessed boss stalks on ebay is too personal a choice from an employee. Or maybe that jelly/crackers/cheese basket you picked up for the in-laws suddenly seems more fit for the gal that does your nails than the people who watch your kids.

To keep us all from resorting to the G-word, my friend and Casa Sugar editor, Julia Walsh, put together a list of 12 last-minute gifts for design lovers. From the notoriously late party guest to that special lady who loves to entertain, Ms. Walsh has gotcha covered. Unless you’re shopping for someone who prefers gift cards. And if that’s the case, maybe you should just buy them a gift card to the gift card store.

Play Santa

5 Handmade Stocking Stuffers

by H. Camille Smith December 18, 2009 7 Comments

Ready or not, Christmas is coming. In fact, it’s almost upon us which, of course, means there are stockings to stuff. I searched the blogosphere and found 5 cute (and easy) crafts that you can quickly create to fill ‘em up.

Brenda Ponnay of the Alpha+Mom blog says these adorable snowglobe soaps ”are just about as easy as making a batch of homemade popsicles except you get to melt things in the microwave.” A cute craft that involves melting and is easy to create — sign me up!