Recipe Gifts: easy creative gifting

I can't think of anyone who doesn't need a creative gift idea--something unique that will stand out, be both useful and fun, that nobody else will duplicate.

Today I'm excited to share with you some recipe gifts that are:

• creative and 100% unique because I designed them myself
• easy gifts because you just click & give

I personally really like giving recipe gifts.  This might be because I have collected recipes for so long that I get to be picky and only keep the best. But I think it's also because recipes are both useful and fun.  

I have incorporated recipes into these gifts, something you can have professionally printed (except in the case of the last one, which is print-at-home) that I think would be perfect for kids going off to college or work, someone with a birthday, or just a fun neighbor/friend/co-worker gift for Christmas or Valentine's Day.  I'll include links for easy ordering, too.  

I've got 4 gifts to share with you here (1 with 2 different types to choose from), and I'd love to know in the comments which is your favorite!  I can't wait to show you:

Mug Recipe Mugs

What They Are:  Mug recipes are single-serving recipes made with a few ingredients, a large mug, and a microwave.  I've designed these 15-oz. mugs with an easy, single-serving recipe right on it! 

French Toast in a Mug for breakfast!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup in a mug for lunch!

What to Know:  The ceramic mugs are dishwasher-safe as well as microwave-safe.  This 15-oz. size is perfect for mug recipes (including the additional ones below!).  

How to Gift:  Find the French Toast in a Mug mug here and the Loaded Baked Potato Soup in a Mug mug here, then follow the ordering instructions at the right.  I always wait for a 50% off sale (they happen once a month for 7-10 days), but you do you.  😁

Mug Recipe Cards

What They Are:  As you know, mug recipes are single-serving recipes made with a few ingredients, a large mug, and a microwave.  I created these cards as a small collection to include breakfast, lunch or dinner, and dessert recipes that can all be made in a mug!  Each 2-sided 5x7 greeting card has two recipes for a quick, single-serving breakfast you can make in a mug! 

breakfast-in-a-mug recipe cards

lunch/dinner-in-a-mug recipe cards

dessert-in-a-mug recipe cards

What to Know:   After receiving your professionally-printed cards, simply cut the cards in half and you'll have two recipe-card-size recipes.  Cards after cutting are 3.5 x 5.  Cards come in sets of 10, so you'll have plenty to gift and share.  You can see mine below.  (I gave these to the kids from our church when they graduated from high school one year.)

all 3 sets of mug recipe cards - front and back

all 3 recipe cards after I cut them, for a total of 6 recipes

How to Gift:  Find the Breakfast Mug Recipe cards here, and/or the Lunch/Dinner Recipe cards here, and/or the Dessert Mug Recipe cards here.  Follow the directions at the right to order them.  I like to wait for a 50% off sale, so check the price shown and see if it's 50% off currently.

Candy Cane Meringues Recipe Cards

What They Are:  Well, they just happen to be one of my favorite homemade treats at Christmastime, that's what!  This is a favorite recipe that I made to gift to friends at Christmas, and because I'd made them for a party one of my friends went to the year before and I knew she LOVED them, I decided to gift the recipe along with the meringues.  (She was thrilled!)

Note:  These are a great, festive treat for your gluten-free friends!  

my Candy Cane Meringues recipe card design

my Candy Cane Meringue recipe cards, 
front and back, after I cut them

What to Know:   After receiving the professionally-printed cards, you'll cut the cards in half to make two recipe-card-size recipes.  Cards after cutting are 3.5 x 5.  Cards come in sets of 10, so you'll have 20 to keep, gift, and share.  You can see mine above, although I personalized mine on the back, and yours will not have my name on them (nor "from the kitchen of").  

How to Gift:  Find the Candy Cane Meringue recipe cards here.  Order them following the directions at the right.  If the cards don't show 50% off, you can check back later to catch that sale.  (Just be sure you refresh the page.)  Cut the cards in half.  Make the meringues, then gift them to the recipients along with this cute recipe.

Quick Cakes Recipe Cards

What They Are:  Quick Cakes are a collection of mug recipes, similar to the ones shown previously, only they're all made using cake mix.  They're single-serving cakes.  I think having a variety (using several recipes) is fun for parties or large gatherings where everyone can choose the type of cake they want!  

What to Know:   Unlike the other recipe gifts shown here, these cards are print-at-home.  Each of the 10 recipes is approximately the size of a playing card, so a little smaller than a regular recipe card.  You can click the downloadable Quick Cakes Recipe Card pages here to see all 10 recipes, from strawberry shortcake to chocolate lava cake, and download following the directions there at the right.  After printing, you'll cut out the cards.

the Quick Cakes Recipe Cards printed, cut,
and ready to gift with a boxed cake mix

How to Gift:  After printing at home, cut out the cards, punch a hole in the top left corner, assemble with a book ring, then gift with a box of cake mix!

NOTE:  I am a Forever affiliate called an Ambassador (a decision I made because I love it so much), so you will find affiliate links in this post. I earn a commission from anything purchased at my website, and being your Ambassador means I'm here to help you with questions, too.  If you're new to Forever and open your free account here to give it a try, you'll get a $20 welcome coupon towards anything mentioned in this post.

Which one do you think looks the most fun to gift?  Tell me in the comments.

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Christmas in July: meaningful gifts to click & give

I love Christmas in July so much that it's hard for me to remember that I didn't invent it.  

Really.  I love using the summer months when things are a little more relaxed and I'm not under any time crunches to spend time creating and planning for gifts.  And I've loved it for a long time.

Another thing I love is designing cute things for myself and then sharing them with other people.  So everything you'll see here is absolutely unique because I designed it using Forever's Artisan digital scrapbooking software program. 

I've got 5 Click & Give gifts for you that you can order today and be ready to gift in 10-14 days as well as 5 Click & Create gifts where you start with an easy, unique, creative item that's done for you, and then you add a little something to it. 

I have been working on this for a while, and I'm SO excited to share these with you!!

Directions for ordering everything you see here are detailed at the end of this post.

PRO TIP:  These items are on sale 50% off about once a month, so if it's not on sale now, check back in a week or two.  Keep reading to learn about the $20 welcome coupon, too.

FIVE CLICK & GIVE GIFTS

These creative, one-of-a-kind (because I designed them!) gifts will be easy to give with just a click.  They are ready-to-order (though you may want to keep an eye out for a 50% off sale).

#1  LETTER (CARD) TO SANTA

This first one makes a fun before-Christmas "gift." This cute 4x6 card is a fun idea to present to children at the beginning of the Christmas season.  These cards are ready to print to and be filled out.  The cards come in a set of 10 and come with envelopes for "mailing," even though you'll probably want to keep it!

This ready-to-give, designed-for-you gift is found here.

I think this would make a fun gift for grandparents!

#2 DISHWASHER MAGNET

This cute 3x4 dishwasher magnet is only a few dollars. Turned one way, it indicates clean dishes; turned the other way, it indicates dirty dishes.  

This ready-to-give, designed-for-you gift is found here.

#3 BIRTHDAY CARDS

I love how these cards turned out and have enjoyed giving them this year!  This fun card is perfect for anyone of any age.  The message inside reads "Age is merely the number of years the World has been ENJOYING you."  Cards come in a set of 10 and include envelopes.  They'll be shipped to you flat, as shown in my photo here, and then you'll fold them in half.

 

This ready-to-give, designed-for-you gift is found here.

#4 MUG-RECIPE MUG

This 15-oz. mug comes with an easy, single-serving recipe right on it!  It makes a fun and unique gift.  Great for college students, anyone living on their own, or anyone who needs a quick lunch or breakfast for one!  (The photos don't show the whole recipe, but if you click the links below, you'll see just the designs and recipes in full.)

This ready-to-give, designed-for-you project French Toast in a Mug is here.

This ready-to-give, designed-for-you project Loaded Baked Potato Soup in a Mug is here.

#5 NO SOLICITING SIGN

Credit for the message on this cute sign goes to my cousin's wife!  She is a woodworker (among other things) and burned this cute message into a wooden plaque for their front door.  The first time I saw it, I knew I needed one.  😂

This metal print is 10" wide and 8" high and has a Chromaluxe® coated glossy white aluminum finish.  Shadow Mounting hardware is included.  

This ready-to-give, designed-for-you project is here.

As you'd see it at my house.  😁

FIVE CLICK & CRAFT GIFTS

You'll start simple here by just ordering what I've created for you, but then there's a physical something you'll gift it with, too.  Some keep things pretty simple, and some get pretty crafty, so choose your favorites!

#1 CANDY CANE GAMES

This 7x5 card is a fun gift idea for families.  Two candy cane-themed card games are included on the back.  These cards come with envelopes and are ready to print.  The cards come in a set of 10, so you're ready to gift to 10 families or friends!  Gift with a box of candy canes and/or a deck of playing cards.

This designed-for-you project is found here.

Thanks to Laura and Laurie at Our Grand Lives for the two game ideas printed on these cards!  They're acknowledged on the front of the card, too. 

#2 DRY-ERASE MENU BOARD

This is one of my favorite things to gift!  Tabletop Panels are 8x10 and have an easel-stand back and a glossy surface on the front, perfect for a dry-erase marker!  Print this project at the Forever print shop, then gift with a dry erase marker! 

This designed-for-you project is found here.

Funny.  I just remembered that I did not technically design this dry-erase menu board.  I created one very similar to this one that was personalized with my family name and a quote, and then I shared it in a Facebook group.  Several people loved it and requested that a Create & Print template be designed by the Forever design team for anyone to personalize, so although this WAS my idea, it's a different take on my design.  This only matters because now you have two options for ordering this:   😊

1. If you would like to personalize your own menu board where it says "The Cromwell Family" shown above, you can do that here where you'll click the text box and enter your own text. 
2. EASY BUTTON:  If you would like to order the one I personalized with the words "Kiss the Cook," (in place of a personalized name) you can just place it in your cart here.  This goes up in the "Click & Give Gifts" category, then.  😊

#3 PERPETUAL CALENDAR BLOCKS

This would also make a fun gift for a crafter, I think, if you don't want to do the crafting part!  Just gift the 3 pages and the wooden blocks.

If you've never heard of perpetual calendars, you just arrange and rearrange sides of the blocks to give the current date along with a holiday or seasonal message.  

I've made three different styles in the past, but I've redesigned them in neutral colors for you!  You'll order the set of three 12x12 scrapbook pages, and they'll be professionally printed on thick, glossy paper so these will look sharp!

This designed-for-you project is found here.

See all the pages of the Perpetual Calendar Blocks here.  As you can see, the instructions are right on the page, and the last page includes instructions for the recipient on which blocks to use for which messages.  For this project, you'll need to order these 3 pages plus 21 2-inch blocks (or 1 3/4 if you prefer--that's what I used for my own) and some craft paint unless you want to stick with the plain wood, which also looks nice.

Or, here's a slightly different design from the one above.  You can find all three of the pages, instructions included, with details over at the right (once the project is opened) here.

These are the first blocks I ever made, which are obviously different from the ones you can order (above), but you can see how the dates and blocks look when displayed.

#4 SOAP TAGS:  We WASH You A Merry Christmas

Here's a cute and easy Christmas gift idea!  These tags are made on an 8x8 scrapbook page with cardstock thickness and are enough for 7 gifts.  Print additional pages if you need more.   Follow the directions shown.  

This designed-for-you project is found here.

I punched a hole at the top as shown after I cut out the tags, then tied the tag to the soap with ribbon. 

#5 MUG CAKE RECIPE CARDS

I have given these gifts a couple of times, and the recipients LOVE this unique gift!  These playing-card size recipes for single-serve cakes that can be made in a mug are cut out then gifted with a box of cake mix.  

This designed-for-you project is found here.

You have two printing options here for the cake mix cards.  

1. I designed these on glossy, thick 8.5x11 Artisan scrapbook pages, so you can order these like any of the other items shown and have them printed at the Forever Print shop for best quality.  This makes them a little more sturdy for repeated use as recipe cards.
2. You can click the three dots instead of the "add to cart" shopping bag icon to download a PDF version of this project and print it yourself.

NOTE:  I am a Forever affiliate, called an Ambassador, because I love Forever so much!  This means I make a commission from purchases at my website, and being your Ambassador means I'm here to help you with questions, too.

A BONUS IDEA to CLICK & PERSONALIZE & GIVE

These are not designed by me like the rest of these gift ideas, but I just can't resist!

This is such a fun way to share special moments or memories:  a tea towel for the kitchen, or a beach towel!  If you have photos from this summer's family reunion, a special family recipe to share, or any favorite photos to share, just click, personalize, and give.  

These two are beach towels (cotton/poly 30"x60") 

Find the Collect Moments template here.  Both text areas are personalizable.

Find the 6 Photo Gallery template here.  The text, photo layout, and color are customizable.

And these two are tea towels for the kitchen (waffle weave cotton/poly blend, 16"x25")

Find the Recipe Keepsake template here.  The background color is customizable.

Find the Sweet Strawberries template here.  The text is editable.

They're not as "click & give" as the other items I've shared, but "click, personalize, and give" is pretty close!  😊

ORDERING DIRECTIONS

Which gifts look like just the thing for the neighbors, friends, and family you'll be gifting to this year?  Here's how to snap up these unique, easy, and creative gifts.

1. Open a free Forever account here if you don't already have one.  (Newcomers will receive a $20 welcome coupon--just be sure you check your email for a message from FOREVER, then verify your email address and check your email again for your coupon.  It's good for 60 days.)
2. Next, come back to this post and click on any of the links provided for the items you'd like to order.  Once the project opens, you'll see a description of the project at the far right.  For projects with multiple pages or sides, you can click through them all using the thumbnails along the bottom (or bottom left.
3. There will be some little buttons along the top, between the description and the project preview itself (which looks like the photo or image I've shown here).  Click the little shopping bag icon to add the project(s) to your cart.  
4. Place your order!  This is a great option for saving 5%.  (Again, 50% off sales happen on every product about once a month, so you can wait to order if you prefer.  If you are ordering more than one type of project [mug vs. scrapbook page] they may or may not be on sale at the same time, so just choose the best overall price so you only have to pay shipping once.) 

Merry Christmas!  And Merry Christmas-in-July!  Don't forget to save this post for next year, too, by Pinning it using the image below.

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Creative Ideas for Displaying Your Business in Easy Conversation-Starters

You probably know as many people as I do who have a side gig--or a full-time business--where they can set their own schedule and work from home, such as Gold Canyon Candles, Pampered Chef, or Forever, to name some of my favorites.  Or maybe a jewelry-making or soap-making business.

These are such great options for anyone who wants to set their own schedule, work from home, etc., but they do require a certain amount of self-advertising.  You have to get yourself out there.

If you've got a business you'd like to promote, or you know someone who would, here are four creative ideas I have personally loved for displaying and advertising my business without me saying a thing!

These are great conversation starters!  I have created these items with Forever Print, which I love for its quality!  

NOTE:  I am a Forever affiliate (a decision I made because I love it so much), so you will find affiliate links in this post, from which I earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you.

#1 Water Bottle

Just about everyone carries a water bottle with them these days, and this is such an easy way to share with others what you do--almost by accident!  

Instead of family photos as this template shows, you can include photos of your products or something you love about your business.  If you want to design an image to go in one of those spots, Canva is an easy way to do that. 

Or, you can just choose one image and a template with a saying or monogram that fits you well, like this one below.  There are a lot of free templates, and new ones are added all the time.  

That said, there is a DIY option for designing your own water bottle.  You'll see below my DIY water bottle which I designed using Forever's Artisan digital scrapbooking software program.  It allows full flexibility, creativity, choice of fonts, etc.  I love and use Artisan for my digital photo-memory books each year, so if something you're designing yourself sounds ideal to you, you can learn more about Artisan here.  

If you don't think you'd use Artisan aside from a few business products like these but would still like to design your own water bottle (and ideas #2 and #4 coming up!), I do hire out my design services, so give me a holler since I already own Artisan.

WATER BOTTLE SPECS

• 17 oz.
• Insulated stainless steel water bottle with brushed aluminum spill-proof screw-on cap
• Hand-wash only. Not dishwasher or microwave safe. Not intended for hot liquids.

MY WATER BOTTLE

I did create my own water bottle using Artisan, and I LOVE how it turned out!!

Since I could put text and photos anywhere, it ended up exactly how I wanted it with lots of information.  I know it's hard to see on a photo of a round surface, so you can see the project itself in my Forever account here in order to see the whole design.

#2 A Tag with Your QR code

I love this great idea from a colleague!  You can use an ornament as a little advertisement AND include the QR code to your website, YouTube channel, or whatever you like! 

There are a lot of different ornament templates to choose from, so check them out here and play around with whatever looks good to you.  Most have a front and back so you can have an image on one side and the QR code image on another. 

This is the Benelux shape.

Or, there's a blank option for you to upload something you've designed (say, on Canva) or just a whole photo.

I love the idea of including a QR code that goes to your website!  This is my favorite QR code generator if you don't already have one because you can include your business logo in the center (just like I did, which I'll show you shortly)!  

ORNAMENT SPECS (several shapes and materials available)

• Includes red hanging ribbon (but it's easy to swap out for your own ribbon if you like)
• Materials: (aluminum) premium glossy coated white aluminum; (glass) glass with beveled edges and frosted backing; (acrylic) TBA
• Number of Sides: Double-Sided for metal (aluminum) ornaments; Single-Sided for glass; Single-Sided for acrylic
• Dimensions: Benelux Ornament 3" x 4" Rectangle Ornament 3" x 4"  Circle Ornament 3" x 3" Square Ornament 3" x 3"

MY BUSINESS TAG/ORNAMENT

I started out trying to create my business tag/ornament using the Create & Print templates, but I was using two images I'd created and saved previously, and the dimensions for what I was going for weren't quite right.  I ended up using Artisan, so you won't be surprised that I LOVE how it turned out!!

You can see that the metal ornaments are double-sided and come with a red ribbon for hanging.

I decided to go with some twine when I tied it on my bag.  

I'm so happy with how this turned out.  What an easy conversation starter.

#3 Business Books

What if you could make your own personalized, unique-to-you, better-than-a-catalog book showcasing your business?

And what if it only costs about $12?

I love this idea for a "brag book" you can carry in your purse or briefcase that is completely personalized to YOU!  Sure, put photos of your products and services in the book, but what about:

• testimonials
• quick tips
• how-tos
• what you love about your business

A simple 8x8 softbound template in the Create & Print software (all free) is $12.50 when you buy it during a 50% off sale (which happens every 3-5 weeks).  

You could try a basic template with a clean look like this one or a neutral like this one, or you could make one that's a little snappier and colorful like this one.  Feel free to explore more templates by navigating at the left once you're there.

FYI, the Create & Print software is super easy to use and very intuitive.  Putting a book together wouldn't take you very long.

I first got this idea from FOREVER.  The Home Office Team put together a step-by-step guide for using FOREVER that they printed as a nice hardbound book!  You can see all the pages by clicking the image below (that's the cover of the book) or scanning the QR code.

Once you've opened the link, you can swipe along the bottom to see all the pages.

I think this idea is genius!  How do you think it would work with YOUR business?  What would you love to share?  

Carrying a little purse-sized book is so much easier than carrying samples, and you can really bring it home if you include testimonials and experiences of people who have used and loved your product or services.

BOOK SPECS

• choose hardcover or softcover
• choose a free, professionally-designed template in easy, intuitive software (or design your own with Artisan software)
• 8x8 and 12x12 are available in most templates, but there are also 11.5x8 book sizes and 10x10 sizes, too

MY TESTIMONIALS BOOK

I love this idea so much!  I decided to ask my clients for testimonials.  I was honestly blown away at the response.  I had 2 or 3 people that I've never heard from before (never responded to an email, not active in my Facebook group, etc.) write the most amazing things about both Forever products & services and about the things I've helped them with (such as my YouTube channel tutorials) that I didn't even know about!!

I used the Hues of Summer template in the easy Create & Print template collection (which is free to use).  I chose that template because it has the colors of my business, but you can see all 4 of the Hues of templates to choose the color(s) that you'd like best.

You can "flip through" each page of this beautiful Testimonials book at this link using the thumbnails at the bottom.

Can you envision something like this for YOUR business or a friend's business?!  It would be amazing.

#4 Business Cards

Most people with businesses have business cards, yes, but you can do some special things with Artisan!  There aren't any limits to the design.

You could even do something fun like this:

Imagine a giveaway or a punch card!  The possibilities are endless.

I did a creative take on a business card years ago and created a little list of my events that people could attend!  

Now that I've moved most of my events online, I don't use these cards any more... but, come to think of it, this would be a great place for a QR code with a direct link to my blog tab listing all my upcoming events!

BUSINESS CARD SPECS

• Available in landscape or portrait orientation.
• Double-sided.
• 3"x2" or 2"x3"
• Set of 50

MY BUSINESS CARDS

Business cards are a specialty item only available in Artisan, but remember my For-Hire option if you'd like me to create something for you.  

I love these business cards because you can make yourself really stand out!

In fact, I love each of these creative ways to use these products to make yourself stand out in your business and let people know what you do before you even say anything!

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