Gift Ideas Archives - Simply Kierste

{chipboard key chain}

May
09

Y'all know how much I love personalizing anything and everything, and what could be better than a darling key chain? (I sound so Texan with that "y'all", don't I? ☺ ) As soon as I saw the new chipboard by Silhouette, I knew it would be the perfect way to make one! Seriously people, isn't that SO cute??!!! I just want to carry around my keys all day! The front has darling scrapbook paper embellished with my stamped initial, and the back features a picture of my kids, which I LOVE. (It's missing baby Caroline...time for an update!!!) These are super easy to make, and make the best gifts. Think Mother's Day, Father's Day (not as cute-sy, of course), birthdays, teachers, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: All Crafts, Birthdays, Crafts, Father's Day, Gift Ideas, Mother's Day, Silhouette | 2 Comments

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{keep calm and teach on…teacher bookmarks}

May
06

It's the season for teacher appreciation and end-of-year teacher gifts! At our school they do teacher appreciation for a full week, and I wanted to send in something small everyday, with something bigger on Friday. I was trying to think of cute ideas that were also inexpensive, and I came up with these fun bookmarks...Keep Calm and Teach On! These are super easy to make, and perfect for any teacher! {supplies} -printable (see below) -white cardstock -ribbon -distress ink -hole punch -paper trimmer {directions} 1. Download printable, and print onto white cardstock. 2. Use paper trimmer to cut them to size (2x6). I use the polka dots at the bottom as a guide for the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gift Ideas, Printables, Teachers | 4 Comments

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{footprint rug}

May
02

I am in love with capturing my children's footprints and hand prints. Seriously {LOVE}. For Mother's Day this year, I made my mom a footprint rug for her kitchen, and it is ADORABLE. That tiny little footprint, next to all of her siblings? Darling. I can't stand it, it's so cute. ☺ It's perfect. And...it's super easy! I was SO excited when I came across this rug in the kitchen aisle at Target (only $8) last week, because I knew was going to save me a lot of time not adding the border myself. It was exactly what I was looking for! The border frames the footprints perfectly, and the red makes the white lettering pop! {supplies} -kitchen rug (a plain color) -fabric … [Read more...]

Filed Under: All Crafts, Crafts, DIY Decor, Gift Ideas, Mother's Day, Silhouette, Teachers | 11 Comments

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{striped straw birthday candles}

Apr
30

It was my girls' birthday this weekend, and we had such a blast celebrating! They wanted a pink cake, which was a pretty easy request considering what they've asked for in past years. I made a simple pink cake, and when it was time for the birthday candles, it just seemed like it needed something more. I was getting out some striped straws for our hot chocolate, when I had an idea... The hole in the straw looked to be just a tad bigger than the plain birthday candles I had (just the regular white striped ones), and I decided to see if they would fit inside, and they did! It was a tight fit, but I was able to slide them in just far enough that they were secure. SO CUTE!!! It made … [Read more...]

Filed Under: All Crafts, Birthdays, Crafts, Entertaining, For the Home, Gift Ideas, Home & Family | 1 Comment

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{paper sack mother’s day card} a child’s Q&A

Apr
23

paper sack mother's day cards | simplykierste.com

At my church, I get to work with the Primary children (kids aged 3-11), and I LOVE it. Mother's Day is just a few short weeks away, and this week I designed a super fun card that I think all their moms are going to love! I wanted to make a card where they could each express some favorite things about their mom. I was talking to one of my best friends this week, and she reminded me of an idea that I have actually loved for a long time...in fact, my oldest son wrote a card like it for me when he was in preschool, and it's one of my most treasured possessions. Asking a child questions about their mom--some funny, others serious--and putting it all together in a cute package was just what I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Birthdays, Crafts, Father's Day, Gift Ideas, Home & Family, Kids' Crafts, Mother's Day, Packaging, Printables, Teachers, Thinking of You | 57 Comments

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{baby announcement hershey kiss stickers} easy tutorial included!

Mar
06

Baby Announcement Hershey Kiss Printables | simplykierste.com

I really wanted something fun to give visitors at the hospital and at home when I had the baby--something small & simple, and with her name on it. We've all seen Hershey Kiss stickers for every season & holiday, and I've always loved them, so I thought designing one as a tiny baby announcement would be PERFECT! The idea came to me when I was in Michael's, and saw bags of Hershey kisses that said "It's a Girl" and "It's a Boy". I immediately fell in love with them, and knew adding her name to the bottom was exactly what I was looking for. If you can't find them at your local Michael's store, just google them--lots of links come up where you can buy them online...or use regular … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Babies, Babies & Children, Crafts, Gift Ideas, Home & Family, Printables | 8 Comments

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{DIY easy & adorable ruffled burp rags}

Mar
01

Yesterday I promised that I would post about the Silhouette project I was working on, and I'm excited to share it. You all know that I'm about simple details that can totally change the look of a project. Well, today is a perfect example of that! I purchased some plain white burp cloths, and wanted to "fancy them up" a little. Using my Silhouette and sewing machine, and about an hour of time, I ended up with adorable ruffled burp rags! When I say easy, I mean EASY! Sewing is not my forte (although it is my goal to get better!), but these require only one straight stitch down the middle of the ruffle. Not only do I love the look of this particular ruffle style, but it's … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Babies, Babies & Children, Clothing & Accessories, Crafts, Gift Ideas, Sewing, Silhouette | Leave a Comment

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{freezer meal labels} free printables!

Feb
25

There have been lots of new babies born around here, and just this past week I took a meal to a friend who had a beautiful baby boy. I decided to create a fun label for the freezer meal that I brought her cute little family--perfect for all the information she would need to thaw and bake. I loved it so much, I decided to make several different versions, and share them with you! Whether you are taking a freezer meal or someone else, or stocking your own freezer, these are a darling way to document the directions. They are blank labels, so you could use them for treat plates, or even a ready-to-go meal you might be delivering. They'll work on aluminum foil, large plastic bags, and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Babies & Children, For the Home, Gift Ideas, Home & Family, Organization, Packaging, Printables | 4 Comments

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{over the rainbow} st. patrick’s day fun & free printable!

Feb
20

Skittles are perfect for St. Patrick's Day...all those rainbow colors! I paired them with one of my personal favorites, gold-wrapped Rolos for a super fun gift...for friends, neighbors, teachers, and more! I also created a fun tag, and free printable, just for you!!! I save all of my Crystal Light containers, which I LOVE to re-use for all sorts of gifting and organizational purposes. I love the lids, how easy the wrappers are to take off, their size & shape, and that they are see-through! If you don't have any, or want something smaller, try a jelly jar, other small mason jar, or a baby food jar/container. I layered the candy starting with the Skittles first--in rainbow … [Read more...]

Filed Under: All Crafts, Crafts, Gift Ideas, Holiday Projects, Printables, St. Patrick's Day, Teachers, Thinking of You | 8 Comments

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{you’re special…birthday jar}

Jan
25

One of my best friends in all the world had a birthday this week. And not just any birthday...the big 30!!!! I left her 6 months ago when we moved to Texas, and I was SO sad that I was going to miss this milestone. I knew I wanted to send her something to really celebrate this particular birthday, and let her know how special she is to me. So...I made her a birthday jar! It's just a simple pint-size mason jar, but it's what's inside that really counts. Tucked away inside the jar are 30 things (one for each year) about her that I love---special memories, characteristics, qualities, talents, and all those things that make a friendship what they are. I thought it was the perfect … [Read more...]