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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Thursday, November 22, 2012
Be creative to show you care By AMANDA BOHMAN For the News-Miner You don’t have to be a doit-yourself diva to make homemade gifts for the holidays. Inspiration can come from any number of places. Some people like to browse the aisles at Jo-Ann Fabrics, Michaels or Value Village, all in Fairbanks. Or you can find your creative spark online with websites such as pinterest.com. Melissa Stewart, the volunteer coordinator at the Fairbanks Rescue Mission, finds creative inspiration from objects around her house, such as bottle caps or a piece of wood. She also Dumpster dives. “It’s really about the resources you have on hand,” said Stewart, who sells her wares on Etsy, an online consignment store for art and crafts. Stewart and others offered some of their favorite DIY gift ideas.
Decorate a picture frame Buy a picture frame at Walmart, Value Village or one
of the craft stores. Using glue, attach any materials you may have on hand: pebbles, beans, felt balls. Have a print made of a photograph from a special day. Stewart said she once glued pea gravel on a frame.
Make a no-sew fleece blanket Use sharp scissors and two pieces of fleece. Lay one of the fleece pieces over the other. Clip strips around all four sides. Tie the blankets together. Jennifer Bonebrake, operational team leader at Jo-Ann Fabrics, said the blankets are a popular idea. The fabric store offers fleece in a variety of designs and motifs, including popular children’s characters.
a jar. Layer the dry ingredients in a jar, close it and tie a ribbon around it. Be sure to include directions for the wet ingredients and how long to bake the cookies. Taste of Home has a cookiemix-in-a-jar recipe on its website at www.tasteofhome. com/Recipes/Christmas-Cookies-in-a-Jar. The recipe includes cranberries, oats and white chocolate chips.
Make something for a beloved pet
Bonebrake, the Jo-Ann Fabrics employee, is making clothes for her sister’s Chihuahua mix as a Christmas gift this year. It’s easier than making clothes for a person because the items are smaller, she said. “It’s Velcro around their stomach or maybe some arm holes,” she said. Kristen Haddox, whose small Patterns are available in craft business is homemade dog stores or online. treats, said her favorite homemade gift idea is a special treat. Carmel corn is an easy-tomake treat involving six ingreUsing two candy canes as dients: popcorn, butter, salt, sled runners, pile them with baking soda, Karo syrup and chocolate bars and treats and brown sugar. tie it together with ribbon. Contact freelance writer Amanda Another idea for a DIY gift involving treats is cookie mix in Bohman at aknewsgirl@gmail.com.
Something to eat
Candy sleigh
Think ahead when shipping your gifts By ROXIE DINSTEL The presents will soon be purchased and wrapped. Then they sit under the tree waiting to be sent to their final destination. Don’t let the cost of shipping hold you back. If you are like me, you spend a chunk of change sending those packages to your family in the Lower 48. So, where are the bargains here? Getting a bargain starts with selecting that present. If you are ordering a present, see if it can be shipped directly to the person for whom you are buying. You still pay shipping, but you only pay for it once. Sometimes it is cheaper to ship to the Lower 48 than to ship to Alaska, so take advantage of this. Many companies are set up to ship gifts, so the invoices aren’t included — nothing so tacky as someone knowing how big a bargain their present was. Also, many websites are offering free shipping this time of year. Check your favorites and see if that is a possibility. You might want to check www.freeshipping.org for deals on shipping. This website has lists of who is offering free shipping and what restrictions are on shipping right now. A minimum order may be required. Last week, I got free ship-
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Consider buying one present for the whole family, which will cut down on both the cost of the gift and may save you in the shipping department. One present rather than four will cut down on the volume, if you are careful in selecting.
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