I’m thinking a good way to spend Father’s day is to sit around one of these and sip something cold while your pork shoulder gets a good, 12-hour smoke.

If you try this, please come back and tell me. I want to hear about it.

I’ve always thought a crop of flowers right outside mom’s window is the perfect Mother’s Day gift. If you think so too, get the how-to for this window box that cost an entire $3.12 from the lovely ladies at HowDoesShe.
And not that I would ever use this blog to drop a hint, no, I’m not that enterprising. Or maybe I am. But either way, aren’t these DIY planters amazing? I want a full set. (I’d also go for this simpler version).

And I couldn’t end this post without adding these two. If you insist on having the freshest herbs for your outdoor dining, you can have your way at home or on a picnic. You may not want to permanently redesign Mom’s bike for Mother’s Day, maybe a temporary portable herb garden would be best.

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p.s. Did you hear about the new Divine Twine in the works? Pretty colors like cotton candy. Yum. I can’t wait.

At long last, here is the much-requested thrifted cake stand tutorial. This was a gift I made for my S-I-L for Christmas, and I’ve been wanting to make one for myself ever since. Of course, in my world, finishing a craft without a deadline is impossible. So I used last week’s tea party as the day by which it had to happen.

If you’d rather buy than DIY, head over to Style Garden. She finds the most beautiful pieces and matches them expertly. I’ve actually tried to buy from her myself, but her work is in demand and she was too swamped at the time.  If you want to buy now, you’ll find several in her shop, you lucky duck!

Because my S-I-L is quite the party hostess, I thought I’d like to come up with a version where the plates could be switched out.  You know, like the wristwatch you had in middle school with the interchangeable wrist bands (there are a few of those I’d still like to own). So keep your eyes open for more pretty plates, because you can switch out plates as your parties demand. Any plate with a hole drilled in the middle will do. Or add a tier by using a longer allthread and a few more candlestick segments. It’s all occasion!

So then, if you’re up for a little shopping and assembling, let’s get started.

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p.s. If you’re new to Giver’s Log, welcome! Be sure to check out my other DIYs, things like edible cupcake stands, or find all kinds of great giftable DIYs from around the web on my gift inspiration board.

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Shop. First, let’s go shopping, the very fun kind of shopping. This is a good excuse to stop by your favorite thrift stores, flea markets, and houseware shops. Go in search of pieces that will make your heart go pitter pat. Here’s what you’ll need:

• A drawer pull you think is pretty. For me, this was a good excuse to stop by Anthropologie.
• An allthread to match, so it will screw into the drawer pull. Pick these up at any hardware store.
• A bolt and washer that fits, for screwing on at the bottom.
• Paint, if you so choose.
• A drill and bit for drilling a hole in the plates (more on this below).
• A candlestick (or pieces of multiple candlesticks) with a hole through the center. Some have a visible hole, others need to be unscrewed and have the center dowel removed. When in doubt, try unscrewing.
• A set of plates, melamine or ceramic will do.

I believe the drawer pull cost me $8. Everything else combined totaled a whopping $4.88.
Make sure your allthread and drawer pull are the same width. If your drawer pull has a rod like mine, you should be able to unscrew so the allthread can screw directly into the pull. It took a little torque but we got ours out. Pick up two allthreads if you’re going to want to change between two and three tiers with your cake stand. You’ll need an allthread for each different height.
Remember the hollow candlesticks I picked up for this tutorial? I’ve had no problem finding several every time I thrift. And especially if you’re planning to paint, you can use as many pieces from as many candlesticks as you like.
Paint. Time to get busy. If you’re planning to paint the candlestick, disasemble it and paint.

Drill. Next you’ll need to drill a hole right through the center of the plate. Both times I’ve sent Brent out to the workshop to take care of this for me. Though I do like the chance to use a power tool every now and then. His advice is to use a wood bit for drilling through melamine and a ceramic bit for ceramic. He also suggests picking up an extra plate. That way if one plate cracks a bit, you have a second chance. You can drill a few extra holes in your broken plate and get a little practice. He taped the plate right in the center, then drilled through there.

Assemble. Now you get to thread your whole creation together. Likely the allthread will be too long, so you’ll need to cut it off. If you want to alternate between two and three tiers, make sure you get an allthread that will be the right length for each. Finally, thread the washer on and screw the bolt on the bottom.

And there you have it. A pretty tiered cupcake stand, and an excuse to have everyone over for a party. Once the party’s over, just disassemble and store it flat until the next shindig.

Spring fever is creeping in over here. We are all peeking out the window at the rain (today is our Mario party, looks like it may have to happen indoors) and waiting until we can burst outside and ride bikes and hike and picnic and play. I want to lounge in my hammock, bask in the sunshine, and read The Secret Garden. Doesn’t that sound nice?

On the topic of outdoor play, I have a something to share with you, and someone to introduce you to. Mark and Heather are a very impressive couple. Heather is a quilter and turns out beautiful quilts like nobody’s business. While browsing through quilt after quilt of hers, and having one of those moments when I ask “how does she get it all done?” I came across some handy work by her husband. How fun is this?

This is the actual skate ramp Mark built in their backyard. You are looking at some lucky kids in this picture.

Incase you’d like to transform your yard into a skater’s paradise, I found a couple places with great plans:
DIY Skate: How to Make Ramps, Ledges, and More
Free Halfpipe Plans

If you know a man who gives good gifts and think it might work for this feature, I want to know. Share the story with me so we can congratulate him formerly and officially. (Maybe I should mail out certificates, wouldn’t that be official?)

Have you seen this? Made by Joel (first brought to my attention at ohdeedoh) is a blog by Joel of things he makes for his family. Here is Joel himself in a truly inspiring playhouse he raised in the backyard.

And here is one other favorite of mine, curled paper animation. I am trying this today. It will make me much more popular with my kids.

I’d love to keep this series going, to congratulate more men for cool gifts they’ve given. So if you have a gift from a guy to gush about, I’m your huckleberry.

I know this has been blogged a time or two already, but I find it so romantic I have to add it here. Average Jane Crafter’s husband made her a telescope of her very own. Yes, that’s right, he made it. Isn’t it beautiful? And what could be more romantic than an evening of stargazing? (Through something you made!!!)

Don’t forget to go here and enter my $100 Bed & Breakfast giveaway.
Just stop by this post and
1. Mention an inn you like, or
2. Mention a favorite item from my gift or wrapping guides, or
3. Twitter about it, or
4. Post about it on your blog along with a favorite local shop or restaurant of yours.
Winner chosen tomorrow.

Mel thought the Taughannock Farms Inn looked dreamy.

A few more snow favorites while I’m still in this stage of being happy it’s winter here.
These beauties are by Mountain Boy, an eco-friendly Colorado sledmaker. Love their “boggans.” And everything else they do. Visit their site, you’ll be glad you did.

So many fun options from Pelican. Get the snow scooter here and the covered baby sled here too.

Or DIY a sled. Get inspiration for a cardboard model here, or get several free patterns for the authentic wood version here.

Finally, a couple favorite snow toys. Scrap the sled all together and just get pull-over snow shorts, or raise an igloo with this igloo maker, get the snowball blaster and get serious about that snowball fight.

And now I’m off to have some bruleed oatmeal. Happy winter.

We have a family Christmas project to work on today. I wanted to do something meaningful for our baby’s first Christmas, but was having a hard time coming up with just the thing. After seeing this post from Amy of The Idea Room over at How Does She, inspiration struck! Today we’ll be making our baby a custom CD. Every member of the family gets to pick a story to read or a song to play for him. I’m so excited.  (I’m thinking of altering this free CD template found here.)

For our little recording session I’ll be using Garage Band on my MacBook, but if you’d like to record your own personalized CD, you have several choices of free audio recording software. Audacity seems to be a good one.

And since we’re on the topic, here are a few other keepsakes that would make a great first Christmas gift.
1. Give baby an album to fill with pics of people who love her.
2. Make a sweet little handprint, get the DIY here or buy a kit, available here.
3. Get a personalized melamine plate (found via here)
4. or sweet booties.
5. Give a piggy bank (more piggy banks here) along with his first stock certificate.
6. Have a blanket personalized
7. or pick out the perfect rocking horse.

1. Get or make her first Christmas ornament (I have reason to believe our baby may be getting one made by Grandma, yea!)
2. or get her started on her first growth chart like this one found via here (more beautiful growth charts here).
3. Have you ever heard of an add-a-pearl necklace? I love the idea.
4. Give a beautiful book
5. or personalized music box.
6. Love this personalized pendant (found via here) that also works to imprint a wax seal on a closed envelope.
7. Or make a personalized stocking, isn’t this one gorgeous? (found via here)

A few stocking stuffers a man could make.

Bristlebots, I totally want a pair of these.
DIY Tripods. Are you reading this post, honey?
The mint catapult, which will make it way more fun the next time you ask “can I offer you a mint?”
The pocket grill. Do you think it would work for roasting chestnuts?

And a few more stocking stuffers a man could love.

A whole new way to pass the salt and pepper.
Golf dice game, for the days you can’t get to the course.
Rolleiflex’s Mini Digi Camera.
MAKE magazine’s welcome bundle. You get a year of this awesome zine + the best of MAKE + the Maker’s Notebook. Or start him off easy with this book. Fun for days and days.

We women love a man who can DIY.

O! to be a kid with this secret get away, found via here.

Incredible, right? I’m pretty sure organizational gifts are a sure way to please any woman. This work of organizational genius created by Something’s Hiding in Here.

the trebuchet
the lemonade stand
the go kart
these flutes
the rocking horse
the pinball machine

We have been in creative overdrive here. A week ago I made my husband take a solemn oath not visit my blog until after Father’s Day. And every day after he walks out the door the art supplies come back out and the kids and I get crafting. We’ve been working on projects both for him and grandpas. I feel like Santa’s elves. My kids have gotten a big kick out of some of the projects, like coming up with sneaky clever questions for our crossword puzzle. But once the final projects are done, hopefully today, it will be nice to take a little break and try to find some hammock time for summer reading.

This final Father’s Day DIY is a bit of a twist on a Father’s Day gift. It’s a little something the kids can wear to make dad feel loved. My daughter is planning to wear it while she serves Dad breakfast, huevos rancheros with homemade hot sauce.

We used the fantastic tutorial for a DIY screen-printed Tshirt posted this spring in Tangled & True. Everything went exactly according to plans. I love when projects work out that way. Visit the original tutorial for the full details, but the process was simple. Trace a design onto freezer paper, use an exacto to cut out the parts that will be painted (saving the little “islands” that need to be put back in the center of letters or designs), iron your newly made stencil to the shirt, and then paint using a brayer. The stencil adhered well and came off easily while the paint was still wet, and we had no problem getting nice crisp lines.

If you’d like to use the same design I did, I’ll post it here for download: Adoro a papi, screenprint stencil (169)

If you prefer printable fashion that dad can wear, try making matching Ts (Old Navy is having a half-off all meanswear sale right now!) Happy printing!

I hope you had a great mother’s day. We did. I didn’t fully understand, growing up, what an honor it is to be part of this club of womenhood. Now to join this group who leaves notes in lunches and goes to school board meetings and looks out for neighbors, it’s like a shirt I never thought would fit and am so thrilled to see it does.

I’ve was surprised with a little Mother’s Day treat from a fellow mom. I hope I remember to try this next year. What a great little rally of support. I think it is so completely wonderful. We munched on our treat outside in the amazing spring weather. My hubbie mowed a crooked race trail through our field which the kids took at full speed. And, since it was the perfect weather for lawn games, we decided to make one of our own: giant pick up sticks.

We started with 5/16-inch dowels. The only problem is they need a tapered end, or during the game you will have a rough time picking up the final few sticks. If you can get your hands on a belt sander this will be a quick job. I did 16 dowels in under ten minutes, and was careful to make them tapered but not sharp.

We used acrylic paint that was slightly watered down to paint both ends of the dowels. For pick up sticks proper you need 1 black (25 points), 7 red (10 points), 7 blue (5 points), 8 green (2 points), and 7 yellow (1 point). But we took some artistic liberties.

I put together a quick canvas carrying bag, and then we were ready for a little friendly competition.

I’ve thrown together a new gift guides page, incase you’re like me and like to see as many ideas as possible in one glance.

It only took two years of living in the country. We finally put up a tire swing. Our first fall here I was all gung-ho, and I researched and bought everything, but we lacked a really tall ladder. Luckily my husband got ambitious this spring and got our awesome neighbor over here with his. It’s been great. We have the best conversations with the kids out there, as we nudge the swing back and forth and the kids enjoy the ride and the breeze.

The best how to for putting up a tire swing was from FamilyFun. I just made sure every piece had a minimum 250-lb. load limit. Oh, and don’t get galvanized chain. Apparently that’s bad for the kids. But I was able to get a free used truck tire from a tire store, and everything else was easy.