Tag Archives: gift ideas

Gift Guide: Fair Trade Edition

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For all those who are aren’t done with their Christmas shopping yet (which includes myself), I encourage you to take a look at these fair trade companies that give back to the community.

For those who do not know what fair trade means…
Fair Trade: a movement whose goal is to help producers in developing countries to get a fair price for their products so as to reduce poverty, provide for the ethical treatment of workers and farmers, and promote environmentally sustainable practices (Merriam-Webster)

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Krochet Kids
This organization provides jobs to women in Peru and Uganda through the making of handmade knitted goods. I am so impressed with the high quality and the variety of product styles that they offer.
Here are my picks:

Krochetkids.org

Hat: The Watchman $23.95 // Scarf: The Quinn $47.95

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Burnish Imports
I adore Burnish Imports and their collection of unique jewelry. According to their mission statement, they strive to support Maasai women by providing “a broader range of job opportunities, 
higher employment benefits, and deeper community transformation.” 
My picks:

1. Gold Tiny Strand  $28

Burnish Imports

2. Purple Spiral Bracelet $26

Burnish Imports

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Raven and Lily
This organization helps employ women in Ethiopia, India, Cambodia, and the U.S. giving them the blessing of a stable income, benefits, and education in order to support themselves and their families.

My picks:

1. Set of 3 Travel Journals $24

Raven and Lily

2. Jacquelina: Striped Infinity Scarf $32

Raven and Lily

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Invisible Children
All the proceeds made go to the protection and rehabilitation of children in Africa who were abducted and forced to serve as soldiers.

My Picks

1. Peace and Action T-Shirt $25

Invisible Children

2. Liberty Triangle Pocket $30

Invisible Children

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Project Repat

Now this organization provides a job opportunity for those with disabilities. You send in all your old memorable t-shirts and they turns all your old t-shirts into a lovely keepsake quilt. Such a great idea for a graduation present or for any other milestones in life!

Project Repat

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I hope that this post inspires you to shop in a way that positively makes a difference. 🙂

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BTW, if you haven’t check out my GIVEAWAY, please do so! I am extending the entry date to THURSDAY, Dec. 19 (so that I can get it to you in time for Christmas).

DIY Fridays – Magnetic Bottle Caps (Plus my first Giveaway!)

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So I keep getting requests for DIY projects, so here you go! Look out every Friday for a post about little projects and/or activities that you can do over the weekend to get your crafting-fix. These projects may be something that I personally have done, or something that I found randomly that I thought you might enjoy.

Today’s post is about a project that I did a couple years ago for my family for Christmas. I come from a humungous family and so it’s hard and expensive to buy everyone gifts. So that year, I decided to make something sentimental as well as cost efficient — Bottlecap Magnets!

You can fill the bottle caps with any picture/paper you want! And if you get the bottle caps that fan out, it makes a great “frame”.

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*For these I used Izze bottle caps because they were twist offs. Notice that they don’t fan out.

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*These I bought online (link below)

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Materials:
1. Bottle Caps (You can either save them or buy them!)
2. 1-inch circle punch
3. Resin (can be found at Michael’s)
4. Plastic cup and spoon
5. Tupperware or box of some sort as a cover
6. Hot Glue
7. Mini Circular magnets (can be found at Michael’s)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Using the circle punch, punch out pictures and/or pretty paper.

2. Follow instructions on the Resin bottles to create the mixture.

3. Place the paper circles that you just punched out into the bottle caps. Carefully pour the resin into the bottle cap. I suggest using a plastic spoon to pour it in so that you won’t be in danger of having an overflow.

4. Make sure that there are no air bubbles by breathing on them. Yes, I said breathing. The heat from your breath will smooth out the bubbles. (Keep an eye out. You may need to do this every so often just to make sure the bubbles don’t come back.)

5. Place the tupperware or box of some sort over them to keep dirt and other air particles from ruining it. You will probably have to wait overnight or a day or two to make sure it sets completely.
6. After it sets, hot glue the circular magnets onto the back, and there you go!

Packaging ideas: Check out Thrifty and Thriving and how she packages her homemade magnets. Also, she uses clear marbles to make her magnets instead. Check it out!

*Sorry for the lack of step-by-step pictures. If you come across any problems while doing the project, feel free to contact me!

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GIVEAWAY

Now for the giveaway! Christmas is around the corner and so I am offering my readers a chance to win a great stocking stuffer!

This giveaway is for a set of 3 handmade blank cards and envelopes from Cross And Dot. They are hand-stamped and embossed and definitely made with love. 🙂

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* Only the “Bicycle” set is part of the giveaway. Sorry!

To Enter:

1. Like the Snippetswithalex Facebook Page.
2. Leave a comment on this post with your name, email, and your favorite Snippetswithalex blogpost thus far and why.
3. For an extra entry, share the Facebook page on your FB timeline!

Giveaway will end Tuesday, Dec. 17th and the winner will be posted on Wednesday, Dec. 18 and will receive their gift in the mail in time for Christmas!

Happy Holidays!