Mini Hot Cocoa Cup Treat Gifts

Today, I am bringing you some holiday cheer inspiration. With the Christmas season upon us, you will search for the perfect “thinking of you” gift! Finding a nice, high-quality gift at a value price is sometimes challenging. I have a one-of-a-kind project for you that you can make or sell at crafts shows or online.

It’s a real mini coffee cup in a card stock cup holder. You can fill the espresso cups with K-cup cocoa, K-cup coffee, candies, or small chocolates. If you are selling the cups, I suggest complying with your state cottage food laws.

First, I gathered my supplies:

The Big Shot machine and the necessary die-cut shapes. They are The Stamp Doctor’s “Mini Coffee Cover” and “Mini Coffee Cup Holder Dies” and 4-ounce coffee cups with lids. You can find the cups and lids at online restaurant supply retailers or The Stamp Doctor if you are looking for smaller quantities.  

You can find the cups at retailers, like www.webrestaurantstore.com, who sell expresso cups with lids — or the Stamp Doctor for smaller mini coffee cup quantities.

For the next step, match coordinating card stock papers to 12" x 12” patterned paper. I used Hobby Lobby’s The Paper Studio snowflake paper and DCS Discount Card Stock: Textured Indigo Blue Card Stock and Lessebo Colors Premium Misty Blue 83 lb Card Stock.

My other supplies include cute glittered foam sticker snowflakes, clear Stickles glitter glue, and adhesive rhinestones.

After cutting the cup wrapper in the patterned paper, I cut the card stock cup base in Indigo Blue. I pieced my sample together and added a rhinestone to the center of the glittered snowflake. I then made sure my cellos for the project fit well — and they did. 

To finish off a cello bag, you need to make a topper. I made a folded card stock top that fit the top of the cello bag. I used Indigo Blue Card Stock and stapled the topper with Tim Holtz idea-ology Tiny Attacher Stapler.

I also die-cut a tag out of Misty Blue Card Stock and glued it to the Indigo Blue cello topper, covering the staple. I inked a “to” and “from” stamp sentiment, using an ink color that matched the Indigo Blue, and I embellished the tag with Stickles, and adhered it to the topper with a silver brad. I also added hand-punched snowflakes in white card stock.

I hope that you enjoyed this how-to and will try it. And happy holiday crafting to you!

A Bright & Merry Christmas Card

I know Thanksgiving isn’t here yet — but who else is in a merry mood? While some of you are already putting up the tree and lights and others are saying bah humbug, I love working on my Christmas cards before the holiday season begins, and now is the time!

I knew what I wanted to make — a snowflake Christmas card using white glitter paper and a couple of nontraditional colors — right on trend for the 2024 Christmas season — that is from cutcardstock.com.

Silk Glitter Opulent Opal 12x12 Card Stock, which has glitter on one side and white on the backside.

DCS Discount 8.5x11 Card Stock: Amaranth Pink, which has a matte finish.

https://www.cutcardstock.com/.../amaranth-pink-discount...

DCS Discount Card Stock: Plum Purple 8.5x11 Discount Card Stock, which has a canvas texture on one side.

I started with a few great dies that I bought from Stampin’ Up! years ago. They are a snowflake border and a lace border — very intricate die cuts that take a lot of patience — and a thick shim in the Big Shot die cut machine. At first, I was poking out the cut holes with my circuit tool, but then I remembered I had a piercing mat to help. The piercing mat “heals” after puncturing it.

For the sentiment, I had two “merry” die cuts — and tried them both out to see which one cut better. You can see which one is the winner. I also used the negative space on the cardstock, which would be covered by the purple and glitter-white layers. I love saving card stock that way.

I cut the sheets of paper to an A2 size, 4.25x5.50, and layered the card stock, putting dimensional adhesive dots between the glitter paper with the snowflakes and the purple paper with the lace trim. I did not glue down the snowflakes because I wanted to keep them raised like the base.

I am very happy with the way this card came out, and I love a nontraditional color take on a holiday card. Let me know if you used similar colors on your holiday projects!