5 thoughtful Mother's Day gifts for the forgetful

Here's the thing - I'm very bad at remembering important dates. I often forget someone's Birthday or a holiday. I always mean to be very prepared, and I love giving meaningful gifts, but it always sort of happens that I just forget to prepare. So, usually, I end up getting my gifts last minute. It's an awful habit, I know. And, I'm doing my best to change it, but if you're a little bit like me, here are a few ides to help you out of that pickle and still give a thoughtful gift this Mother's Day.

1. Give your time! I'm sure that all our Moms would appreciate some more time with us. Everyone's lives are so busy these days. There hardly seams to be time to even visit family. Go and hang out with your Mom! Take her to a cafe or spa, or to see a play. I'm sure she would greatly appreciate that.

2. Donate on her behalf. I know Mother's are givers, and everyone keeps saying to give to Mother's on that day, but in the light of recent events in the world, it might not be a bad idea to take the opportunity to help our Mother's give even more to the world.

3. Make a family photo. When was the last time you had a family photo taken? I know that doesn't happen all too often in our family. Or, maybe take a photo with your siblings. It would be a nice addition to the ones of you when you were little. We've tried to do it every couple of years, and my Mom has them beside each other. It's fun to see how we've grown.
Why not have a photographer pay a quick visit to you on Mother's Day? Or, take a trip to a studio near by.

4. Plant a tree. A tree has a special meaning. It's a symbol of life, and I'm sure your Mother would love a reminder of the life she helped create into this world every time she looks at the your tree.

5. Give her an experience. I think things are over-valued. Most of us don't need more things. Yes, those scented candles are a nice touch, but our experiences are what build us. So, enrich her life with a new experience. Whether it's a gift card to her first Yoga lesson, a ticket to the opera, or a crafting course (wink wink!), she'll love experiencing something new.

I hope you'll remember to (at least) call your Mom on Sunday, and let her know how appreciated and loved she is.

xo. Hanna

Quick Handmade Gift Ideas (in 3 hours or less)

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9

Happy weekend, you guys! Yesterday (ok, technically it was 2 days ago) I wrote about 5 ways to give meaningful gift, and today I'm digging deeper into handmade gifts. Yes, they're my all time favorite gifts to give. I so appreciate it whenever someone takes the time to make me something, and I love giving things I've made specially for the people I love. But, there's an obvious but, isn't there? Handmade does tend to take up way more time than a trip to the mall, or shopping online (all though, yes, finding something specific can also be tricky and time-consuming). All I'm saying is that it can feel over-whelming. So, here are some ideas for handmade gifts that can be created in 3 hours or less. (I sorted them into categories, so I could squeeze more in).

1. Jewelry - unlike garment-sewing, jewelry making takes a lot less time and commitment. And, there are so many cute and easy, beginner-friendly projects out there. Also, it's one of those gifts that no women is ever really bummed about (I've never heard a girl say "Ah, man, these earrings I got are so lame"). You can check out all my past jewelry tutorials right here. And, I linked all the wonderful jewelry projects seen above right below the picture.

top left // top right // bottom left // bottom right

2. Accessories - if the person doesn't wear a lot of jewelry, you could go for other accessories like bags, scarves, headpieces. You can browse my past projects in the DIY accessories section. You could make a cute clutch (like this or this), a pencil case, a business card holder (likes this or this), a (sun)glasses case, a pouch, a wallet, or something to hold tech in (like this iPad case). There are a lot of of great tutorials to choose from. Lately I've been searching Pinterest instead of Google for DIY tutorials.

left // middle // right

3. House ware. Who doesn't need a new personalized mug (I love this one and these), or tea towels, or pot holders, place mats, throw pillows, or pretty decor (like these cute trees, or these ornaments)? You can always customize a store bought items by adding a painted pattern, or writing, or screen print.

left // middle // right

4. Stationary. I think that snail mail is definitely going to make a comeback, so why not make a bunch of recycled or custom envelopes. Maybe add in some hand-painted pencils, and a notebook, or create custom stickers (tutorial coming next week) to go with the set. I'm definitely a sucker for pretty stationary.

I hope you got some ideas for quick and easy handmade gifts. I know I did :)

xo. Hanna

5 Thoughtful Gift Ideas

Giving meaningful gifts is not always easy, and the stress of finding just the right one for your loved one can sometimes bring down your holiday spirit. But, what we forget sometimes, is that giving is more about the emotion than about the monetary value of the gift itself. The thought you put into the gift is what really matters. So, here are 10 ideas for a meaningful, thought-filled gift.

1. Make something. That's obvious, right. I mean, Pearls & Scissors is a craft blog, so of course my first suggestion is to make a handmade gift. And, it doesn't have to be something big that takes you hours and hours to make. Who has time for that, right? Nevertheless, you could still create something unique and personal with only a couple of hours. I'll post loads of ideas tomorrow, so stay tuned.

2. Give something you already have. I remember when one of my friends got a used book for Christmas one year. The book was given to her by a friend who had already read that book. So, he gave away the very book that he enjoyed reading, and thought she would enjoy, too. I know we are taught that you shouldn't give someone your old stuff as a gift, but I say that's just stupid. If it's something I'm not using, and I know it would be something they would love, why not give it to them as a gift. Also, do we really need to generate more stuff into this world? This way the gift is both meaningful and sustainable. Plus, Christmas can be financially draining, and that's more stress we don't need, especially during the holidays. So, it's a win-win-win.
You could give away a CD you enjoyed listening to, a book you read that you'd love to share, or that set of coffee mugs that's been sitting unused (to a college graduate with a new apartment). You could even personalize the mugs and combine #1 with #2.

3. Give your time. Ah, time is the real gold these days, isn't it? It feels that we have less and less of it, so it's become one of our most valued possessions. I think we don't spend enough time with our loved ones, so why not give them tickets to a concert you could see together, a date-package full of dates to go on together over the course of the year, or your expertise (for example, I could give crafting time, or blog design time). Or, when you live far away, a ticket to see you could be the perfect gift.

4. Donate on their behalf. Some people are especially hard to give presents to. They seem to have everything already. Why not donate to charity on their behalf, or go and plant some trees in their name. That's the real holiday spirit, now isn't it?

5. Give knowledge and experiences. I don't know about you, but I'm a total nerd when it comes to learning. I love to learn new stuff, and experience something I haven't before. Knowledge is so much more valuable than having a lot of stuff. You could give (e-)courses, (e-)books, classes, or private lessons. And, who knows, you might help them find their passion, take their business on a new level, or help them on their path to a more fulfilling life. It's the gift that keeps on giving!

BONUS:
6. If none of the above are applicable, you can always find something pretty, unique, eco-friendly and handmade on Etsy. Stuff is nice sometimes, and it's even nicer when you get to support a small business in the process :).

These are my ideas for giving something truly valuable this holiday season. I'll share a lot of quick handmade gift ideas tomorrow, and If you have more ideas, please share them in the comments!

xo. Hanna