Simple Gifts: Gift Coasters

One of the simplest of gifts to create, but the important ingredients of affection and thoughtful effort are present in the result.

Choose a photo that you love, about the people you will be giving the coasters too… this could be a photo of them, or their house, their pets, their children or grandchildren. It could be a photo detail of a part of their lives – a beautiful plant in their yard, fruit on a tree, a fountain, a bird in their birdbath. Once you have chosen the photo, then choose a color that will complement the photo and look good in their home as well – the coasters will be visible in their house for some time. To present the gift, you can give them as they come – in an elegant box – which can be shipped directly to the recipient, or ship it to yourself and then dress it up with ribbon or wrapping paper to further the effect.

You will be loved for this!

Guidelines for Simple Gifts:
• Plan ahead. Think about and decide what you want to do well in advance so you can do the shopping portion of the giftmaking along with other errands. Have all materials and ingredients on hand when it is time to make the gift.
• Packaging. Pretty packaging makes any gift special. Arm yourself with a supply of small boxes or cellophane bags and ribbon. We also recommend having your own personalized tags or labels on hand. Use generic wording so they can be used on a multitude of items. For example, mom’s tags and labels say “with love from Grammie.” With no reference to what the item is, they can be used on anything!
• It is not the item itself that is special; it is the idea that you think enough about a person to prepare something personally for them. Sometimes your gift doesn’t even have to be handmade; but hand-assembled. Follow this monthly series and you will see examples of both.

More Simple Gift Ideas from Jeanne

Jeanne Williamson (138 Posts)

Jeanne and her husband David launched My Own Labels in January of 2000. It was a spin-off of their successful graphic design firm, plus it allowed Jeanne to incorporate her love of baking, making, sewing and creating. Today David and Jeanne continue to be the heart of the operation both creatively and practically.