Homemade Little/Big Gifts

[SigmaPezY60]

Originally Posted by wanderersarah

I am all about making cheap gifts, I just got my second little and I'm a little cash strapped so I've been making a lot of cute little things for her.

Since I'm in a local, I can't really buy many ready made products, but I can definitely steal ideas from overpriced greek shops.

I figured out how to make some nifty magnets, like the ones here:

http://www.greekgear.com/soma6.html

You can buy everything you need at Wal-Mart.

Materials:
Clear, flat backed marbles (found in the floral section, $1)
Magnets w/ adhesive backing (found with in crafts, $1-2)
Craft Glue ($1)
Color Print out of letters/flower/mascot

Directions:

1) Create a sheet of letters/flower/mascot to print out.
You can go to microsoft.com and find clip art for this.
I've also found that buddy icons are just about the right size for this, so you could also check out: http://www.geocities.com/sororitybuddyicons/ for pictures to use.

2) Cut out the paper to fit the back of the marble.

3) Spread glue on the back of the marble, affix the picture, let dry.

4) Affix the magnet

It's pretty simple all in all.

Here is a picture of the first batch that I made up, the picture quality is poor, but you'll get the idea:

http://www.geocities.com/wanderer511/magnet3.jpg

When I saw that post I was so excited to try it out. At AC Moore I found a 3/4lb bag of the marbles for $1.27 and "Flexible magnet discs" 1/2" diameter by NicoleCrafts with sticky backing..the perfect size for the marble for $.99 for the sheet of 12.

If you put the buddy icons into word, you'll have to make them just a little smaller. And don't worry about the text looking tiny on the paper, the marble magnifies it.

For me it was easier to cut the paper after I glued the marble to the paper.

[UofISigKap]

Originally Posted by SigmaPezY60

I love this project and have done it for gifts for my friends who are SKs and for the cheer squad I coached this past year. They look so neat, and people are impressed, but it's such a no headache project. Love it!

[aephi alum]

When my local first became an AEPhi colony, I cross stitched an AEPhi design.

Here it is:



I made two: one for my big and one for myself. I meant to stitch one for my little, but life got in the way.

Someone wayyyyyy upthread mentioned craftster.org I recently discovered the site - and as a crafty person, I was soon addicted.

[SigmaPezY60]

Originally Posted by aephi alum

When my local first became an AEPhi colony, I cross stitched an AEPhi design.

That's beautiful! I imagine that's the sort of thing that was done in the beginnings of sororities. That will probably be something your sisters cherish most of their lives.