Cute Way to Gift a Pair of Socks

We gift simple items like mittens and socks to friends, family, and their kids. Both mittens and socks make inexpensive gifts. A couple of years ago I posted how I turned pairs of mittens and chocolate bars into cute snowmen.

This year I'm turning pairs of socks into cute little "cupcakes." The cupcakes were simple to make, requiring no real skill. I had everything I needed on hand, and they came together quickly. What more could I ask for, right?

What I used:

For each sock cupcake:

• 1 pair of crew length socks (no show would also work, knee highs could be too thick once rolled)
• 1 rubber band
• 1 white paper coffee cup
• scissors, both paper scissors and pinking shears (for the cup's edge)
• a toothpick
• a red pom pom (for a cherry on top)
• hot glue
• ribbon for the cup

optional

• cellophane wrap
• twist tie

How I made them

1-I cut about 1-inch from the top of the coffee cup, then zig-zagged the edge with the pinking shears.

2-I laid the socks out, overlapping the long edge of one onto the other by about 1/4-inch. I then rolled the socks up slightly at an angle to produce a swirl effect. 

3-I used the rubber band to secure the socks, adjusting the swirls as needed. I then popped the pair into the trimmed cup.

4-I made a dot of hot glue on the pom pom and poked a toothpick into it as far as I could get it. I then trimmed the pointy end off the toothpick so it wouldn't damage the socks. 

I poked the pom pom toothpick into the center of the swirl of socks.

5-I added a ribbon bow to the paper cup to make it festive for the occasion, securing the back of the ribbon onto the cup with hot glue.

The gift is basically done at this point. For presentation, I also wrapped my "cupcakes" in cellophane, securing with a gold twist tie. We save cellophane from other gifts and wrappings, so I always have a few pieces on hand. I wrapped the cupcake in a long rectangular piece of cellophane, up and around on both front and back, taping it in place on the backside while the "cupcake" laid on its front.

So easy. Yet it makes a pair of socks as a gift look actually fun!

My Quick and Easy Christmas-y Outdoor Wall Planters

So, if you recall, I filled our wall troughs with autumn floral, greenery, and mini pumpkins in early September. I had stuck a bunch of floral picks into brown spray-painted chunks of styrofoam.

The other day I pulled those blocks of styrofoam out, leaving the floral arrangements intact, and stored them in a dry place until next September. I left the supporting white styrofoam in place in the planters to help support our Christmas arrangements.

Today I took a few minutes to go clip some cedar and fir branches in the yard and gathered some red plastic ornaments, pine cones, and ribbon from my decorating  and craft stash.

I laid the evergreen branches on top of the white styrofoam, arranging a few smaller cedar pieces upright to add a little height, then topped the greens with pinecones and ornaments. Adding a plaid ribbon bow to each was the final touch. I spent less than 30 minutes, including finding everything and cleaning up. And here's how they turned out.

It may be simple, but it adds a little bit of color to the front porch and was my favorite price -- free. 

Later this week, I'll do something similar on the mantel in the family room, using evergreen branches from our yard, pinecones, more plastic ornaments, and some fairy lights that I stretched out on the mantel as part of our fall decor.