new here and in need of advice/inspiration

[weirdnessdk]

Hi! what a great timing: this group is in the spotlight just as i am in need of a birthday present for a pen pal! :D

so... here's the thing: my pen pal's birthday is on june 3rd and i want to give her something that shows how grateful i am for our friendship (as well as i'd feel so bad if i gave her nothing now that i know that she'll give me

Comments

[pullmytrigger]

What are you craft "comfort zones"?

What kinds of things does she like?

[weirdnessdk]

hmm... my craft comfort zones are... collage-making (mainly on notebooks and boxes... but that's not an option for this present), i'm about to get back to do polymer clay-thingies (i did this a lot when i was younger), drawing psychedelic patterns, scrapbooking-related things (though i haven't got a scrapbook... but making cards and things like that is something i do every now and then

[pullmytrigger]

Sometimes just talking about it helps :).

I'm afraid my crafting abilities lean towards fabric so my ideas probably won't be very helpful to you ;). I usually suggest making a bag/purse. They're easy and people like them.

For what it is worth I really like the recipe book idea. Perhaps you could get a "write your own cookbook" and redecorate the outside of it? Or just decorate a three ring binder with special pages that you've made.

[weirdnessdk]

yeah I was thinking something like that with the recipe book idea. Making a cookbook is actually not that bad now that i think about it! I think that's what i'm gonna do. and if i REALLY like how it turns out i'm probably gonna pist pictures of it here too! :D

[fishnet_hamster]

Is she a fan of The Beatles? As I'm sure you already, Beatles fans can never have too much Beatles-related stuff =)

If she's not a Beatles fan, then maybe you can something related to music that she does like. If she's getting something related to your favorite band, it'd be cool to get her something related to her favorite band, you know?

[sailorsaturn]

When I used to do the penpal deal (not anymore because my little penpal is in her early 20s and doesn't do stuff like that anymore; I have her on Facebook tho), I used to do the matching DIY necklace/friendship bracelet route.

Plenty of materials you can get from a beading/craft store, plus you can personalize it in anyway you like. If this person is a very special friend, I'd take it a notch and make your own locket (you can sometimes buy parts in a crafting store) and just pay for the engraving. Then when you're done making whatever gift you want, use some recycled paper that's been printed on one side and just flip it over and decorate using stamps with glitter glue to personalize your own gift-wrapping paper.

I used to love making dorky stuff like that when I was growing up. Still would whenever I could and um... not drained from my other priorities (work, raising kids, making sure my husband doesn't run amok, lol)

[kolizeon]

If she likes cats, maybe sculpt her a cat candle holder? You can get a little candle jar and just sculpt a little kitty curled up around it sleeping? Best luck.