More Coupon Book Gift Ideas

Coupon Books are a great way to make a personal (and inexpensive) gift for anyone on your list! I posted a link to a Valentine's Day coupon book template last year and it was so popular that I thought it was time to dig up some more great templates and ideas! So here's a list of a few more of my favorites:

Some of these ideas may be technically for "Mother's Day Coupons" or "Valentine's Coupons" but by using festive paper you can easily transform any of these into "Christmas Coupons."

FiskarsCraft.com gives easy instructions for this adorable Christmas coupon book!

This fortune cookie coupon box is one of my favorites! Okay, it's technically for Valentine's Day Coupons, but swap out the pink hearts for some Christmas paper and voila! The Frugal Crafter has excellent step-by-step instructions for making the fortune cookies & the box (or you could just buy a similar box at a craft store and save some time).

Kodak.com has some great printable coupon cards that can be quickly bound together.

From Martha Stewart, these flower templates have little circle for each coupon. So cute!

I love this idea: bind together envelopes to make the coupon book! Get the simple instructions for this envelope book from Martha Stewart.

Have little ones? Help them give their favorite gift to Mom or Dad this year: time spent with them! Simple instructions for this kids coupon book from Martha Stewart.

Instead of a book, try folding some origami shapes with hidden coupons inside! These functional airplane coupons from Martha Stewart make takes coupon books to new heights!

Christmas Dinner Prep: Place Card Holders

Christmas is one of the special times of year when we break out the "good dishes", cloth embroidered napkins and silverware actually made from silver. I love setting a really fancy table for dinner parties and there is no shortage of ideas on the internet to made your Christmas feast fabulously fashionable. Now is the time to plan out your spread and table settings, especially if you plan on making special items.

Even if your dinner is low-profile, it's fun adding little last-minute tidbits for some flair. I made these leaf place cards in about 3 1/2 minutes.

Supplies: leaves + Sharpie = the end!

Instructions: gather leaves from outside, write names. Done!

Here are some other place card holder ideas that I just LOVE. Many of these you can make yourself!

Caroling Snowmen place card holders will serenade your guests with delight! 2 Styrofoam balls with some pins and ribbon and you're practically done!

styrofoam balls + pins + ribbon

Instructions: glue 2 styrofoam balls together, wrap ribbon around head and pin in place. Decorate face. Pin name cards in place. Done!

Martha Stewart has several great ideas, like this Tree place card holder. Quick, easy, free.

greenery sprigs + branches + name stars

Instructions: saw narrow branches into rounds for the base. Drill holes through rounds. Insert and glue greenery sprigs. Glue name stars to top. Done!

I'm not gonna lie, these Pop-Up place card holders might be reserved for the more talented crafter - with a lot of time on their hands! But take on the challenge and your guests will gush about your creativity.

Super-easy Ornament Place Card Holders

Ornament + wire + name card

Instructions: glue the name card to the ornament wire. Done.

OR

Curl the ornament hook to make a place to slip in the name card. Done.

(photo from Beau Coup)

Cookie place cards. Yum!

Cookie + Icing + Name Card

Instructions: bake or buy cookies, decorate, then place on dinner plates and tuck name card under a corner.

OR

Use the icing to write guests' names right on the cookie. Done!

(photo from Country Living)

paper plate + pen

Instructions: cut out Angel Place Cards according to instructions and template from Martha Stewart. Write guests' names. Done!

Pottery Barn offers these adorable silver-finished reindeer place card holders and they're on sale right now!

Not ready to spend your party budget on silver place card holders? Make them from acorns for FREE! :)

acorns + twigs + name cards

Instructions: glue twigs to acorns and shape like photo. Glue name cards to reindeer. Done!

Twig place card holders from Kindling.

wood limbs + name cards

Instructions: using a saw (electric or handheld) cut small wood limbs to 2"-3" lengths, all the same or vary for interest. Then cut a slit in one end about 1/4" deep. Insert name cards. Done!

I'm loving smooth river rocks for all sorts of projects lately - they're just so soothing to me. Little Things Favors brings us these river rock place card holders.

river rocks + tile cutter + name cards

Instructions: wearing safety goggles and gloves, use the tile cutter to slice a groove deep enough into the river rocks to hold a name card. Insert name cards. Done!

Having lived on an island twice now, I can't help but include these seashells in the mix. They may not scream "holidays" but not everyone lives in snow-filled winter wonderlands and these seashell place card holders from Beau Coup just might be the right touch to your Christmas Luau. :)

seashells + tile cutter + name cards

Instructions: similar to river rock place cards, don your safety gear and cut small slits into various seashells either found on the beach or purchased from a craft store. Insert name cards. Done!

Hand-carved pewter acorn place card holders from Kavik's Accents.

Know of other great place card holder ideas? Leave a link in the comments!

All Aboard the Table Train!

This is what I've spent the past week building: a Train Table! My mother-in-law runs one of the best day care centers in the bay area (www.BabyMacbean.com) and she surprised the babies with all this fun! And surprised me with the joy of assembling the table, buildings and track. :) I glued the track and buildings to the table so they can't tear it up, but left all the street signs, trees, people, cars, airplanes, trains, etc free-flowing for the babies' tiny hands to grab and play.

The name-brand train tables like Thomas the Train or Brio can cost hundreds of dollars. This set, complete with everything in the photos, was about $130+shipping. The trains and tracks are interchangeable with Thomas and Brio sets. IKEA also sells trains and tracks that are interchangeable as well, and very inexpensive. :)

(Here is the exact train table Claudia purchased from Amazon.com)