Craft Solutions

March is National Craft Month and many of the major craft stores are offering great sales. My mailbox has been filled with flyers and ads. Here are some of the sites offering deals right now.

• Joann’s is offering free shipping on orders over $25 and 40% off the regular price of one item online. Check out their site for coupon codes.
• Also check out Joann.com’s weekly sales.
• CreateForLess.com also has great weekly specials going on.
• Herrschners.com always has some interesting bargains in their weekly sales section and National Craft Month is no exception.
• Also, check out the sales section of HSN’s craft and sewing products. You don’t have to be watching it on TV to get a good price with HSN.
• Hobby Lobby also has a section of weekly specials and coupons. Right now they have a 30% off coupon for Krylon Spray Paint.

Every year for Christmas, I try to make at least one special, hand-made gift for my family. An ornament, candies, a hand-crocheted blanket. But after 10 years of handmade holidays, I was really stuck on what my special gift should be. It seems that every idea I came up with was too similar to something I’d already done, or just like something my family member’s already had.

So this year, I began a search for a unique craft idea that my parents, sister, and other family members would love. I wanted my gift to be memorable and unique.

After some searching, I located inspiration for not only one great idea, but several. And I wanted to share these with you.

• Photo Memory Quilts that highlight the best photos of your family
  click here for details
• Personalized gift basket with favorites tailored to each recipient
  Click here for ideas on what to include in your gift baskets
• A hand made recipe book. Collect the best family recipes to create a memorable recipe book that everyone will enjoy for years to come.
• A family-specific calendar. Don’t just send your photos to a printing company and have them create the calender. Do it yourself. Using family photos, create your own calendar on your PC. Add notations for family birthdays, anniversaries, and other special dates specific to your family.
• A memory frame. Pick a special memory you have shared with the gift recipient. On heavy paper, write out the details of the special memory in your own handwriting. Add personal notations about how you feel about the special memory. Decorate the page with scrapbook embellishments, quotes, etc. Purchase a nice frame and insert the memory page. Add matting if you desire.