The Crafter's Survival Kit

I am SO excited that it's Handmade Holiday week! Get ready for a week of amazing ideas from creative people that I wish lived with me so I could pick their brains 24/7. This Friday, don't forget to link up your handmade ideas, with a link back to my blog. Go ahead and grab a handmade holiday button over there on the right if you'd like!

The more people that participate, the more inspiration.

A lot of you have asked how to help the family that I'm doing Christmas for. A list of needed items can be found HERE...they are the first family on the list (the one that we won it for!) All donations are appreciated.

Alright! Without further delay, your first handmade holiday gift!!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey all you Shine readers! I'm excited to introduce myself here today on Ashley's amazing and inspiring blog!

My name is Jamie and I blog over at

THE LETTER 4

My sisters and I are very close and had a ton of laughs, punches, fights over clothes, and fun growing up together. We have since grown up and moved away (with the exception of my baby sister who is still in high school and lives with momma and dad) and we miss it! So our blog is a place where we can all come and share ideas and projects together. Our blog has been so fun working on all together and has brought us close again despite the distance.
I consider myself very lucky to be able to call myself a stay at home mom. This however doesn't come without a price as we all know. Between me not having a job and my husband being laid off and unemployed for 6 months out of this year we are definitely going to have to get creative on Christmas gifts that don't break the bank. So I have come up with a gift for the crafter in your life that's easy and cheap!
Get yourself a mason jar, ribbon, buttons, scrapbooking do dads, twine, quarters of fabric, felt, glue sticks, and anything else you can think of! Shop the clearance section, go through the stuff you already have that you haven't been using!

Now fill that mason jar up! I tied some glue sticks to the outside with twine.

I wanted to utilize this jar to it's fullest potential so I took the lid and some craft magnets...

...and then traced the lid onto the magnets and cut them so it would fit inside the lid.

Peel off the sticky backing, stick onto the inside of your lid cover, and you can put in some extra pins, needles, safety pins, and whatever you think you crafter might like a few extra of!

Tada! Your done! I probably thought of this idea because I would be totally thrilled if I got one hehe! (hint hint to my sisters! Lets swap some of these jars for christmas!)

Thank you so much for having me today Ashley!

We would be thrilled to have you all over at our blog! Come on over and be inspired!

I hope you all have a fun safe holiday season! Remember it's about being with the ones you love, not how much you spend on the gift :)

SHINE ON!