Christmas Cheer

So I love working on crafts but now that I have a little one it's just finding the time to work on them. I'm a gift giver. I love giving gifts so this year I wanted to give the girls I work with a little something without breaking the bank and my husband flipping out. Here's what I came up with. Nothing fancy just a little something something. It was cheap (sorry ladies), easy and quite fun.

The LITTLE BROWN BAGS:

Russian Friendship Tea inside!

I found a recipe for Russian Friendship Tea at Bake it Pretty. You can check out the recipe on their site. I've never had it but I thought it would be worth the try. Not bad. Different. So I went ahead and passed it on.

What you'll need:

- Brown baggie or anything you can put the tea inside of (I had these left over from my baby shower so I didn't have to spend a dime)

- Ribbon, twine, or yarn (I also had leftover stuff from last Christmas so money spent there)

- Handheld hole puncher (already had one)

- Lables or stickers (already had these)

- The Tea!

Write the names on each label and stick it to your baggie. Follow the directions on Bake it Pretty for the tea or make your own. Put a cup or so in each baggie. Make sure to double bag it just in case there's a hole in the bag! Fold the bag over and punch two holes on each side. Put the ribbon through one hole and bring it back out on the other and tie a ribbon. I went ahead and also added a little card to the back that gave the serving instructions and that's it! Nice and easy.

CANDLE & MATCH BOXES:

I thought this one was so cute. This was my first time to experiment with Mod Podge so it was quite the sight. I've seen this concept on a few blogs and the matchboxes I saw a girlfriend of mine do this a few Christmases ago.

What you'll need:

- Votive candles or any type or size ( Honestly, I went this route because it was cheapest. I bought a dozen at Hobby Lobby for $4.99)

- Ribbon (already had this)

- Buttons (already had a variety stored away in my craft room)

- Mod Podge or Tacky Glue (I used the Glossy Mod Podge only because that's the only kind I had but I've seen one with Glitter and that would be cute too!)

- Paint Brush or sponge (for applying Mod Podge)

- Matchboxes (I bought a package of 10 for like $2 or less)

- Scrapbook paper (I had all kinds of scraps)

- Glitter Pens (bought a package for like $5)

- Tins or small gift bags to put the candle and matchbox inside of (I found these cute Christmas tins at Hobby Lobby for $1 each)

For the Matchboxes:

First measure the match box and cut scrapbook paper to size. Mod Podge the matchbox and stick the scrapbook paper on it. Let it dry and just add dots or designs to it for some sparkle. That's it!

For the Candles:

It could be that I've never experimented with Mod Podge and glass so it was a bit tricky for me but this is what I did.

Cut your ribbon to size to wrap around the votive candle. With a paint brush or sponge apply the Mod Podge to the ribbon then wrap it around the candle. Let it dry for about 15 minutes. I then added some Mod Podge directly onto the ribbon to had some sheen and gloss. Let it dry for another 15 minutes. Then apply some Mod Podge to a button and set it in place onto the ribbon. This will take a little longer to set. That's it!

If you've experimented with Mod Podge before and you have some better tips please pass them along! Hopefully my girlfriends enjoyed their little gifts that only costed me about $1.80 per person!