Great Gifts 2 Go

I have a collection of Itialian plates that I had no idea what to do with. I also was remodeling the office and decided to add a decorative display case that also has a shelf for all the little computer components that I did not want on the desk. The finished case without anything in it: Here is the finished display case with the collector's items in it:

It is Easter time again and that means time for chocolate bunnies! I pulled out my bunny molds and got to work. I used a simple melting chocolate (milk chocolate on some and dark chocolate on some) and a bunny mold that I found at JoAnns Craft Store. I absolutely love these little bunnies and everyone is so thrilled when they get a chocolate bunny as a gift. This year I made them 100% edible. Instead of using a craft egg in the egg holder, I dyed coconut green (grass) and then I used jelly beans. For a sugar-free variety (my dad is diabetic so I am always looking for sugar-free alternatives) I simply bought a bag of sugar-free Hersey bars (minis) and melted those for the mold. Instead of traditional jelly beans, he got the sugar-free variety and it looks just like all the others!

When I am at a thrift store I look for items that just need some love! I came across these rather ugly and gaudy Home Interiors wall hangings. They needed major updating!!! I was able to score both of them for $3.00 total. Once I got them home, I did a little light sanding and then started painting them. The result was quite nice and my mom has them hanging in her sleeping room in her basement.

The old dresser that I had torn apart and made the pet beds out of had a double drawer that was just too deep for a pet bed unless I did some major modifications. Therefore, I decided to make an accessories chest for a friend of mine who has no where to put her scarves and belts. I took the pieces of good wood from the splintered drawer as well as the bottom of that drawer to make the dividers and the lid. Everything was sanded down and painted, then the lid was hinged on and a handle was added.

So, I had this old dresser that was just ugly and needed to go bye-bye. It sat out under a tarp for months before I finally started busting it apart to get rid of. I kept looking at the drawers (there were 4 drawers) and thinking that there had to be something I could do with them. One drawer was splintered and was pretty much just good for a few pieces of wood. There were two shallow drawers that would be perfect for a dog bed or cat bed. I went to work sanding them down and removing the hardware. Once that was done, I painted it a vivid blue and added a decal to dress it up. I cut rolled foam to fit the inside of the drawer and covered with fabric that I had on hand. The fabric was a perfect compliment to the drawer color -- a happy accident I assure you! These beds are super cute and very comfortable. They were given to friend's as gifts and their 4-legged family members just love curling up in these beds!