4 Men 1 Lady

a lifestyle blog about the persuit of bringing beauty to a house full of men.

Christmas gifts.

by |

I grew up in a cult-de-sac where every family was like the Cleavers. Neighbors planted flowers in the summer, hung Christmas lights in the winter, borrowed a cup of sugar when it was needed, etc. There was a long standing tradition that neighborly gifts were given during the holidays without fail. Things such as fine bottles of honey, freshly baked cookies, homemade truffles were a sampling of expected gifts.

It was always cute to see my single dad try and come up with something “lovely” to give the neighbors each Christmas. My favorite year was when he and I walked a box of Carmel Corn (from the mall) to each family. It was “yum” mixed with a bit of bachelor. Great memories.

Each year I’ve tried hard to keep up the tradition of neighborly gift giving, however, I can hardly say they’ve all been lovely.

Here’s my plan this year:

Plate found at thrift stores + …

Candlestick holders found at thrift stores + …

Epoxy =


Merry Christmas neighbor…sorry for running over your trash can the other day.

Comments

  5. LOVE LOVE LOVE!! Not only are the vintage finds unique; you paired them into one of a kind stands that can be used for so many display purposes.

    Feel free to send one my way…..=]

  15. oh i wish we were neighbors! very cute. they will love them all. i love the variety. i wonder did you have them picked specifically for someone (ie. retro vs antique etc?) if so you are such a very very thoughtful neighbor….if not, you are still?! 🙂

  19. WOW, how on earth do you come up with all these great ideas!! I am nick naming you MARTHA!! LOL

    I am stealing this idea if that’s okay? BTW I love all your unique ideas including the peg board jewellery holder you did a few posts back!

  33. i did the same thing for my friends and neighbors, and just a tip….. i had to store mine on the sunporch because i didn’t have a safe place in the house where my kids would not destroy them. the cold air did not treat them well and they did not stick properly, so i will be redoing them and crossing my fingers that my kids don’t break them! just wanted to share so you don’t have the same problem!

  34. i did the same thing for my friends and neighbors, and just a tip….. i had to store mine on the sunporch because i didn’t have a safe place in the house where my kids would not destroy them. the cold air did not treat them well and they did not stick properly, so i will be redoing them and crossing my fingers that my kids don’t break them! just wanted to share so you don’t have the same problem!

  35. i did the same thing for my friends and neighbors, and just a tip….. i had to store mine on the sunporch because i didn’t have a safe place in the house where my kids would not destroy them. the cold air did not treat them well and they did not stick properly, so i will be redoing them and crossing my fingers that my kids don’t break them! just wanted to share so you don’t have the same problem!

  36. i did the same thing for my friends and neighbors, and just a tip….. i had to store mine on the sunporch because i didn’t have a safe place in the house where my kids would not destroy them. the cold air did not treat them well and they did not stick properly, so i will be redoing them and crossing my fingers that my kids don’t break them! just wanted to share so you don’t have the same problem!

  37. i did the same thing for my friends and neighbors, and just a tip….. i had to store mine on the sunporch because i didn’t have a safe place in the house where my kids would not destroy them. the cold air did not treat them well and they did not stick properly, so i will be redoing them and crossing my fingers that my kids don’t break them! just wanted to share so you don’t have the same problem!

  41. New reader, love your blog 🙂 You are way creative! Love them…I just moved in down the street by the way, feel free to bring one over, lol!

  53. I bought the supplies for these a couple of weeks ago to make some for myself, but was nervous about gluing them because I wasn’t sure what glue would work best. Thanks for the glue advice. I also made the simple snowflakes with my kids for the tree. Thanks for such a simple idea for the kids to get involved in decorating the tree.

  55. i made one of these for my little sister’s wedding shower. my mom gave me a chipped piece of my grandmother’s china and now she has a one-of-a-kind cake plate. trouble is, i can’t get it to stay. do you have any pointers for making sure it sticks?

    thanks.

  56. Elisha,
    I put a big glob of epoxy on a paper plate. Then I dip the pedestal directly in the epoxy so it is generously covered. I then apply the pedestal directly to the plate and let it dry over night. Hope that helps and works for you. Good luck!

It is nice to meet you!

Hey there! I’m Michelle; I’m an Passionate DIY’er and in constant pursuit of how to bring beauty to my house full of men (3 boys + 1 hubby). Stick around and see what I’ve got up my hard-working sleaves!

read more