Doily Gift Bags {DIY}

   Before I left for England I wanted to do something special for my amazing friend Emily. So for her birthday present (which was right after I left) I made her seven gift bags. She gets to open a new one on the first of each month & she has one for each month I'm away!

   Emily did something similar for me. She wrote me a letter for each month I'm in England. They encourage me & make me laugh the first of every month.

   My mum also wanted to do something similar for one of her close friends (who happens to be Emily's mum) and made a bag for each month with a recipe & some (non-parishable) food items. 

   These monthly gifts are so fun. If it's for someone you won't see for awhile, each gift/letter they open means one less month till they see you again! Toward the end of each month I find myself counting down the days till I can open my next letter! I also get excited for her to see what I've gifted her that month.

   My love langue is gift giving & I adore DIY projects. So this has me written all over it! I'm enjoying it so much that I'm thinking about doing it for presents in the future. It gives your friend something to look forward to & a monthly reminder of how much they mean to you.

   Since I needed to make seven bags they had to be simple & inexpensive, but I still wanted them to be cute. I saw these bags {here} & knew they were just what I was looking for. I tweaked them a bit & added a few touches here & there. They resulted in these Doily Gift Bags!

Supplies:

• Brown paper bags
• Paper doilies 
• Ribbon
• Small tags
• Hole punch
• Stapler 
• Scissors  

1. Make a card to go in each bag with the month on one side & a note about the gift on the other

 2. Label tag with the month the bag is to be opened in

3. Place the gift(s) & card in bag & staple closed

4. Fold the paper doily in half & straddle it over the top of the bag

6. Place two hole punches in the middle of the doily about an inch apart 

4. Thread ribbon through holes and gently tie a bow

7. Thread tag strings through doily holes & tie a little knot

8. Cut sides off doily 

9. Admire your beautiful gift bag

10. Give to a special friend!

   I won't say exactly what I put in Emily's seven bags since she still has several to open. But here are some ideas for filling your bags!

Something to use:

• Candle
• Box of stationary
• Bookmarks {here} {here}

Something to decorate:

• Christmas ornament
• Hooped embroidery {here}
• Photos of the two of you
• Painted picture 
• Garland {here} {here}

Something to wear:

• Scarf
• Headband
• Jewelry {here} {here} {here}

Something to eat:

• Chocolate bar
• Box of tea
• Cookies in a Jar {here}

   The possibilities are endless! You can even make themed gift bags. How about things that smell good? Candles, lotions, & potpourri. Or be like my mum & have a food theme. Recipes & ingredients.

  So choose a friend to bless & go buy some paper bags & doilies! Do you have any other themed gift ideas? Let me know about your brilliant ideas in the comments!

My Cheery Abode

   I love decorating. Before we even got to Cambridge I was dreaming up ideas of how to decorate my room to make it happy. I've done a lot to it since I last wrote about it here. I'm quite please with how it's turned out! 

   I've mentioned a couple of times how I was sewing a bunting. Well I'm pleased to say I finally finished it this past Monday! It's been in the works for like, three months. In my defense, I sewed it all by hand. This is no wimpy bunting either, I'll be able to take it home with me. It was a labor of love, but worth it. It adds so much lovely color! 

   One of the reasons why I wanted to sew a bunting was because it would be a cheap & easy way to add lots of color! Well it turned out to be neither cheap or easy, but it was worth it in the end.

   Another new addition to my room is my Favorite Things wall! I'm hanging photos, cards, & anything I find inspirational or cute there. This project was much easier and cheaper than my bunting (no offense bunting). All you need are:

• A few thumbtacks
• Some string
• Mini clothespins
• Stuff to hang up! 

   It makes me so happy. I plan on adding another string & changing out the cards & photos often.

   Also, my seriously awesome dad bought me this beautiful comforter! It's pretty much my favorite. I'll be able to take it back home too, since it's just a duvet cover.

   Aaaaaand he also bought me twinkle lights! You remember my sob story about my twinkle lights I brought from home & burned up? Yeah, well dad was sweet & got me some new ones. (I'm slightly obsessed with twinkle lights, in case you haven't figured that out.) 

I have seriously awesome friends who send me owl post and hedgehog cards. Mah fave. 

Flowers are always a good idea. Especially zinnias. 

   I'm super happy how cheery my room looks now! Doing DIY projects is my fave. Here are a few other DIYs I'm thinking about trying out!

• This cute Book Page Bunting
• Fluffy Pom Pom Push Pins
• Happy Scrap Fabric Tassels
• Pretty Fabric Hoops

   Are there any brilliant decorating DIY projects that you've done in the past or are dying to try out?