I "did it myself" this Christmas

A shoestring budget and a crafty mood saw this Christmas being a very D.I.Y one. 
I spent endless hours at the dining room table, cutting, sticking, painting, glueing, and these were the Christmas gifts that became of all my efforts:
- An old book convert into a jewelry box by cutting out the inside of all the pages (Tedious and time consuming but oh so rewarding)
- Mason jar candles
- Jar of words of encouragement, scriptures and prophecies
- Framed cutouts of map pages. (My friend Hannah was born in Kentucky but is now in Redding, so I cut out the map of Kentucky and the map of Redding and framed them both. Just a little sentimental something for her to hang on her wall)
- Framed water-colour paintings done on doilies.


Materials Used:
- Thrift store frames
- Old Fairytale book from thrift store
- Doilies
- Water-colour paints
- Old maps of the USA (Thrift store)
- Mason jars
- Various colored ribbons
- Stamps (from cutetape.com and Cavallini & Co.)
- Scissors
- Box cutter
- Glue
- Modge
- Paintbrushes
- Old book pages
- Cath Kidston craft tape

D-I-Y Day

I have been meaning to go back to my roots and make some more jewellery like I used to as a little girl, and finally today was the day that I let my ideas materialise into actual substance. I hereby dub today "D-I-Y Day."

There is such a satisfaction that comes from making something yourself. Even if you could buy it cheaper at a shop, already made, nothing quite compares to knowing that a little piece of your creative brain is now a part of the world.
When it comes to gifts especially, I love making them myself, from scratch, because I think something hand-made far exceeds something bought from a store, and carries so much more value.
So, I have made a little collection of earrings and rings for some of my friends as Christmas presents. They turned out very cute if i can say so myself, and I've packaged them in little boxes along with two little Santa Claus shaped chockies, and stringed them up with bows and name tags.
These pretty little boxes are going to look lovely under my Christmas tree and I cant wait to give them to my friends.
Ps: I hope none of them see this before I get to give it to them ;-)

(Photos taken by me. Excuse the very mediocre photography skills)