Easy and Inexpensive Hostess Gifts

In days gone by,it was considered impolite to go to someone's house for dinner or a party and not take a small gift for the hostess (or the host!). The gift didn't have to be anything special or very expensive, just something that said Thank you to your hostess.

It can be very easy, and not at all expensive, to renew that happy custom. And speaking from personal experience, it is so much fun to watch her face when you hand her a little gift!

Keep Gift Items on Hand

It is relatively simple to keep a few things on hand that make nice little gifts. You don't need to spend a fortune either---and here's how you do it:

Buy trial-sized items! You can find hand lotions, small bottles of spray perfume, bars of moisturizing soap, etc. I've even found very small bottles and tubes of bath gel, body lotion, and after-bath spray all in the same scent---these make a perfect hostess gift set!

Look for 2-for, 3-for, and 4-for sales! I watch for sales and coupons, especially BOGO (Buy One, Get One) or sales that offer a one-price-for-several items. Look for anything in the Health and Beauty category: nail files, bathtub puffs, fancy soaps, scented sprays, and lotions. Another idea would be looking for sales of scented candles and other small decorative or universally useful items. Walgreens, Eckerd's, and CVS drug stores are great for their sales and coupons, especially right before and after a holiday.

Shop in dollar stores! Bargain stores or dollar stores are great places to find things like small wicker baskets, votive candle holders, and really inexpensive wrapping paper, gift bags, and bows and ribbons.

Keep your eyes open! Anytime I'm in a store like Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target, or even the local grocery market, I watch for sales of hings---anything that would make a nice little something to wrap up as a gift.

Keep Wrapping Paper and Ribbons on Hand

Think issue paper and curl ribbon! I keep plenty of tissue paper, in a variety or colors and patterns, on hand. It is very inexpensive and makes for an easy way to wrap just a tube of lotion or a bottle of scented spray because you can wist the ends together and then tie with a ribbon. It is also a good idea to have at least one type of Birthday wrapping paper, as well---for those impromptu Birthday parties, or if you suddenly remember that it's your next-door neighbor's (or your boss's!) birthday.

I have just about every color of curl ribbon on hand, as well (you know, the kind that you can curl by pulling it across the flat edge of a scissor blade). Any gift can be made to look very festive, especially if you use several colors of curl ribbon that compliment the color of the tissue paper, or match the color of the gift item! I recently put together a small gift set of lavender scented bath items, all of which were purple-colored, and wrapped in silver tissue paper tied with purple and silver curl ribbon. It was very attractive and no one would have known that it probably cost me less than $5.

Put the gift in a basket or bag! Any gift, no matter how small (even a single votive candle in a 50-cent plain glass votive holder) can look like a million dollars---if you present it nicely. I like to put small items in a little wicker basket or a plain-colored gift bag that is stuffed with tissue paper that I've put through a shredder (you can buy really inexpensive paper shredders, I've seen them for less than $10). Remember to color-coordinate the wrapping paper and the gift item!

Be Creative! Think Fun!

A hostess gift can be anything, put in anything, wrapped in anything! Think outside the box---or rather think INSIDE the...bucket, shoebox, plastic container, empty oatmeal container, etc. Don't limit yourself---or the gift!

We recently spent a weekend at the beach with friends. For a hostess gift, I bought a small tube of Aloe gel, a tube of Aloe bath gel, and a little pump bottle of After Tan body lotion. I went to a dollar store and bought a plastic bucket and a shovel (the kind that kids use to play in the sand). I tissue-wrapped the few little times, shredded beige tissue paper to make sand to put in the bucket, nestled the wrapped items in the shredded paper, stuck in the shovel, ran several streamers of curl ribbon that matched the color of the bucket through the handle of the bucket---and I had a perfect Weekend at the Beach hostess gift! I spent less than $8 and my girlfriend laughed and thoroughly enjoyed digging into her bucket and searching for the little presents in the tissue paper sand!

For a friend who is very culinary-minded, I found a package of different-sized wooden spoons on sale for $1 and added to that a small spice jar of cinnamon and a bag of brown sugar, and I plopped everything in an empty Quaker's Oatmeal container (after emptying and wiping out with a damp paper towel). I printed out a recipe for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies on an index card and punched a hole in one side. After looping several turns of blue and red curl ribbons around the container, I strung the recipe card through one end of ribbon, tied it off, and then curled all the ends of the ribbons. She was delighted with her special hostess gift. Cost? About $6.

If you need a gift for your host, you can apply all these same ideas---just with a man in mind! Surprisingly, men can be appreciative of nail files, clippers, fold-up comb, a lint brush, etc. For a host who is sports-minded, get a tube of BENGAY and wrap it in an ACE bandage!

Remember: It's Not the Gift, It's the Thought That Counts!

Giving a gift that comes from the heart---and not from the wallet---is what your hostess will appreciate the most. Take the time to select individual items, instead of buying pre-packaged sets. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, it doesn't have to be anything expensive---all you need are a few little items, put them together with a little bit of thought, and you have a delightful hostess gift!

About The Author

Jan K., The Proofer is freelance proofreader and copyeditor. Visit http://www.janktheproofer.com for more information. Visit Jan K., the Proofers sister sites: Moms Break at http://www.MomsBreak.com for free printable projects and crafts. Jans Dough at http://www.jansdough.com for free printable recipes for Sourdough Bread and more. For free content articles, visit http://freecontent.janktheproofer.com.

Article © Copyright 2005. All rights reserved.

jkproof@bellsouth.net

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How to Make Key Rings from Your Favorite Photos Great Gift Idea

Looking for a memorable gift or party favor? Try this fun computer crafts set. Everything is included to make 6 high quality key rings from your images or photos. They're reasonably priced, and pretty easy to make.

Here's what the set includes:

• 6 clear plastic key ring blanks
• 18 printable sticker inserts
• 2 printer test sheets
• 1 alignment test sheet
• Software on CD
• Instruction manual

I was surprised at how nice my finished key rings looked. They looked store-bought, except they had pictures of my family in them. The photo area is a clear glossy plastic square, and the attached key ring is silver. They seem sturdy and well-made.

This craft kit is very straight-forward and includes step by step instructions. First, you install the software from the CD. This went smoothly for me. The computer requirements are modest and should work on older computers - Windows 95 or higher and 64 MB RAM.

The software is easy to use, for photo software. First, you pick the paper size. The included sticker inserts are on paper size A5, which can print six key rings at once. The paper can be cut in half to make size A6, but I didn't try that.

The software opens to a screen showing 6 blank spots, that can fit 2 photos each. Then you use the import feature to bring in your photos. There are many options to adjust your photos. You can add text and shapes to the images. The software includes 200 backgrounds and clipart images to further enhance your creations.

As with most computer crafts, you must take some time to work out how to do each of these things. The instruction manual covers each option, but you can try them all out to see how they work. There is a multiple-undo feature, so you can remove any changes that you've made.

If you are already comfortable using image software like Adobe Photoshop Elements, I would use that first. Size your photos to 40mm x 40 mm to fill the square with some overlap that will be trimmed off when you print. That worked great for me.

After you're happy with your photos on-screen, you can print a test page. The kit contains 2 printer test sheets. The software automatically sets your printer to the correct paper size. I put the small A5 test sheet in my printer paper tray and printed on their test sheet. The kit comes with a clear overlay to help you verify the alignment. If the boxes on the overlay match the photos underneath, then your printer should print correctly on the sticker inserts.

Everything looked great, so I put in the sticker paper and printed away. Now, the easy part - I peeled the sticker off the sheet and folded it in half. This created a flat double-sided mini-photo that fit inside the key ring. I clicked the cover into place, and, wow, it looked great!

Just like printing address labels, you do not have to print out all 6 sticker inserts at once. The software lets you pick which spots on the stickers to print. For my first try, I made just one key ring. For the next five key rings, I skipped the first box that I'd already printed. I put photos in the remaining five spots and it printed fine.

Like most computer crafts, getting the image just how and where you want it is the only tricky part. The rest was simple and fun. Personalized photo key rings would make memorable holiday gifts, party or wedding favors, and great promotions for your arts and crafts business.

www.pixifun.com Find out more at their website.

Wendy Litten is the editor of AllCrafts.net, the Crafts Network.. Find crafts projects in holiday crafts, kids crafts, crochet, knitting, dolls, rubber stamps and much more! 25+ craft categories. New free projects added weekly!

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Listen Up: How Noise Can Harm Your Hearing

The good news is that you don't have to lose your hearing as you age. The bad news is, you will - unless you limit your exposure to high noise levels. The most preventable cause of hearing loss is the cumulative effect of noise. The following suggestions and decibel (dB) chart will help you gauge your exposure to noise and reduce your risk of hearing loss:

• Wear ear plugs when operating noisy equipment (i.e. lawn mower, motorboat or power tools).
• Set car, home and portable stereos to below half volume. Beware of music levels in exercise classes, concerts and bars.
• Look for a product recommended for quiet operation when shopping for a fan, air conditioner or other household appliance.
• Don't buy noisy toys. Some toy musical instruments emit dangerous sound levels, while cap guns and firecrackers, exploding near the ear, can damage hearing even if you only hear them once.
• Any noise which makes your ears ring, a condition called tinnitus, is too loud.
• Protect your ears if you hunt or shoot guns. Acoustic trauma - immediate, severe and persistent hearing loss - is directly linked to gunfire.
• If your workplace is noisy, ensure that ear protectors are provided, and wear them.
• Make sure printers, copiers and other noisy office machines aren't grouped together.
• Wear ear plugs at rock concerts.
• Avoid places where you cannot talk comfortably with another person who is three feet away.
• Wear ear protectors for loud hobbies like snowmobiling or woodworking.

How Loud is Too Loud? Use this Decibel Chart to Gauge Noise Level Effects

• Normal breathing, 10 dB - Just audible
• Quiet office, refrigerator, 50 dB - Comfortable
• Vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, inside a car, 70 dB - Intrusive, interferes with telephone conversation
• Average city traffic, alarm clock, 80 dB - Annoying, intrusive, interferes with conversation
• Electric razor, many industrial work places, 85 dB - Level at which hearing damage (8 hours) begins
• Subway, motorcycle, lawn mower, 90 dB - Very annoying
• Average portable cd player set above half volume, 95 dB -
• Repeated exposure risks permanent hearing loss
• Chain saw, subway train, garbage truck, 100 dB - Damage after 15 minutes exposure
• Inboard motorboat, power saw, highly amplified rock music, pneumatic drill, 110 dB - Regular exposure of 1 minute risks permanent hearing loss
• Thunderclap (nearby), jet engine (at take off), very loud nightclub, 120 dB - Threshold of pain
• Shotgun firing, air-raid siren, 130 dB - May cause acoustic trauma

Chart Source: Canadian Hearing Society Foundation

Noise pollution is increasing, with city noise doubling every decade. However, by limiting the noise that you and your children are exposed to, you can help protect yourself, and them, from future hearing loss.

Copyright 2005 Jane Lake

About The Author

Jane Lake is a professional feature writer whose articles has appeared in Canadian Living, Exchange Business Magazine, Highlights, Modern Woman, and You. She is the editor and publisher of the popular craft site, http://www.allfreecrafts.com, and http://www.allfreeprintables.com which offers printable recipe cards, shopping lists and more.

editor@allfreecrafts.com

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Paper Craft Profits

Alot of people may not realize just how much society utilizes printable products. I think printable items can be one of those products we take for granted at times. There have been many times I myself have been in need of a chart or record keeping template and have been hard pressed to find a good one among the free ones that are offered online. So I found myself creating my own. I also become interested in designing printable products for crafting.

In the crafting industry printable products can take on many forms. With the computer crafting industry booming printable items are in sought out by crafters. Products such as:

? Altered Art
? Decoupage
? Tags
? Collage
? Gift Tags
? Greeting Cards
? Book Marks
? Printable items for fabric printing
? Scrapbook templates and elements
? Templates for gift boxes, envelopes, and various paper crafts.

Just to name a few. Besides the crafting industry there is also a market for other types of printable items like business related products such as:

? Charts
? Templates
? Calendars
? Stationery
? Thank you notes
? Organizational printable items
? Supply list templates
? Contact list templates

There is also a growing need for home schooling printable products as well as those geared towards children in general in the form of color pages, skill building products and many more. With a market only limited by ones imagination it's easy to see that profits could be achieved from designing and offering printable products.

Some of the benefits of offering printable items are:

1. The ideas can be limitless and the only limit is your own imagination.
2. Once created they can be sold over and over, thus creating a product that has endless resell value.
3. There is a growing need for a variety of printable products.
4. Printable product sales can be automated on the internet through various sites that offer this service.
5. Automated sales of printable products create less work for the designer.

The price of printable products can vary depending on the printable itself. If it?s a simple business template or single printable image, the price may be between $2-$3 dollars. More complex products such as a premade scrapbook page may cost anywhere from $10-$15 dollars. The great thing about designing printable product though is once you have a product designed and ready for sale, the work is done and the product can be resold repeatedly.

So if you have always wanted to expand your current business by designing printable items or start a new business now is the time!

Kelle Arvay is the founder and developed http://www.InstantPrintables.com a website where customers can purchase and download printable paper craft templates, patterns and free printables. In addition she is the co-publisher of Creative Times magazine, http://www.creativetimesmagazine.com. She has developed a multiple effective ways of marketing her business with great success.

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Listen Up: How Noise Can Harm Your Hearing

Publishing Guidelines: Permission is granted to reproduce
this article electronically, provided you leave the byline
intact, don't change the content, and make the links to
AllFreeCrafts and AllFreePrintables into clickable links.
Please email me (editor@allfreecrafts.com) with a link to
the published article. For print publications, please
contact me for terms.

Listen Up: How Noise Can Harm Your Hearing
by Jane Lake

The good news is that you don't have to lose your hearing as
you age. The bad news is, you will - unless you limit your
exposure to high noise levels. The most preventable cause of
hearing loss is the cumulative effect of noise. The following
suggestions and decibel (dB) chart will help you gauge your
exposure to noise and reduce your risk of hearing loss:

* Wear ear plugs when operating noisy equipment (i.e. lawn
mower, motorboat or power tools).
* Set car, home and portable stereos to below half volume.
Beware of music levels in exercise classes, concerts and
bars.
* Look for a product recommended for quiet operation when
shopping for a fan, air conditioner or other household
appliance.
* Don't buy noisy toys. Some toy musical instruments emit
dangerous sound levels, while cap guns and firecrackers,
exploding near the ear, can damage hearing even if you only
hear them once.
* Any noise which makes your ears ring, a condition called
tinnitus, is too loud.
* Protect your ears if you hunt or shoot guns. Acoustic
trauma - immediate, severe and persistent hearing loss - is
directly linked to gunfire.
* If your workplace is noisy, ensure that ear protectors are
provided, and wear them.
* Make sure printers, copiers and other noisy office
machines aren't grouped together.
* Wear ear plugs at rock concerts.
* Avoid places where you cannot talk comfortably with
another person who is three feet away.
* Wear ear protectors for loud hobbies like snowmobiling or
woodworking.

How Loud is Too Loud? Use this Decibel Chart to Gauge Noise
Level Effects

Normal breathing, 10 dB - Just audible
Quiet office, refrigerator, 50 dB - Comfortable
Vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, inside a car, 70 dB - Intrusive,
interferes with telephone conversation
Average city traffic, alarm clock, 80 dB - Annoying,
intrusive, interferes with conversation
Electric razor, many industrial work places, 85 dB - Level
at which hearing damage (8 hours) begins
Subway, motorcycle, lawn mower, 90 dB - Very annoying
Average portable cd player set above half volume, 95 dB -
Repeated exposure risks permanent hearing loss
Chain saw, subway train, garbage truck, 100 dB - Damage
after 15 minutes exposure
Inboard motorboat, power saw, highly amplified rock music,
pneumatic drill, 110 dB - Regular exposure of 1 minute risks
permanent hearing loss
Thunderclap (nearby), jet engine (at take off), very loud
nightclub, 120 dB - Threshold of pain
Shotgun firing, air-raid siren, 130 dB - May cause acoustic
trauma
Chart Source: Canadian Hearing Society Foundation

Noise pollution is increasing, with city noise doubling
every decade. However, by limiting the noise that you and
your children are exposed to, you can help protect yourself,
and them, from future hearing loss.
Copyright 2005 Jane Lake
this article electronically, provided you leave the byline
intact, don't change the content, and make the links to
AllFreeCrafts and AllFreePrintables into clickable links.
Please email me (editor@allfreecrafts.com) with a link to
the published article. For print publications, please
contact me for terms.

Listen Up: How Noise Can Harm Your Hearing
by Jane Lake

The good news is that you don't have to lose your hearing as
you age. The bad news is, you will - unless you limit your
exposure to high noise levels. The most preventable cause of
hearing loss is the cumulative effect of noise. The following
suggestions and decibel (dB) chart will help you gauge your
exposure to noise and reduce your risk of hearing loss:

* Wear ear plugs when operating noisy equipment (i.e. lawn
mower, motorboat or power tools).
* Set car, home and portable stereos to below half volume.
Beware of music levels in exercise classes, concerts and
bars.
* Look for a product recommended for quiet operation when
shopping for a fan, air conditioner or other household
appliance.
* Don't buy noisy toys. Some toy musical instruments emit
dangerous sound levels, while cap guns and firecrackers,
exploding near the ear, can damage hearing even if you only
hear them once.
* Any noise which makes your ears ring, a condition called
tinnitus, is too loud.
* Protect your ears if you hunt or shoot guns. Acoustic
trauma - immediate, severe and persistent hearing loss - is
directly linked to gunfire.
* If your workplace is noisy, ensure that ear protectors are
provided, and wear them.
* Make sure printers, copiers and other noisy office
machines aren't grouped together.
* Wear ear plugs at rock concerts.
* Avoid places where you cannot talk comfortably with
another person who is three feet away.
* Wear ear protectors for loud hobbies like snowmobiling or
woodworking.

How Loud is Too Loud? Use this Decibel Chart to Gauge Noise
Level Effects

Normal breathing, 10 dB - Just audible
Quiet office, refrigerator, 50 dB - Comfortable
Vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, inside a car, 70 dB - Intrusive,
interferes with telephone conversation
Average city traffic, alarm clock, 80 dB - Annoying,
intrusive, interferes with conversation
Electric razor, many industrial work places, 85 dB - Level
at which hearing damage (8 hours) begins
Subway, motorcycle, lawn mower, 90 dB - Very annoying
Average portable cd player set above half volume, 95 dB -
Repeated exposure risks permanent hearing loss
Chain saw, subway train, garbage truck, 100 dB - Damage
after 15 minutes exposure
Inboard motorboat, power saw, highly amplified rock music,
pneumatic drill, 110 dB - Regular exposure of 1 minute risks
permanent hearing loss
Thunderclap (nearby), jet engine (at take off), very loud
nightclub, 120 dB - Threshold of pain
Shotgun firing, air-raid siren, 130 dB - May cause acoustic
trauma
Chart Source: Canadian Hearing Society Foundation

Noise pollution is increasing, with city noise doubling
every decade. However, by limiting the noise that you and
your children are exposed to, you can help protect yourself,
and them, from future hearing loss.
Copyright 2005 Jane Lake

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jane Lake is a professional feature writer whose articles has appeared in Canadian Living, Exchange Business Magazine, Highlights, Modern Woman, and You. She is the editor and publisher of the popular craft site, http://www.allfreecrafts.com, and http://www.allfreeprintables.com which offers printable recipe cards, shopping lists and more.

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10 Wise Ways To Make Money With Adobe PDF

1. Write an ebook and sell it

Obviously this is the ultimate method of making money - your own book in digital downloadable format.

There are many excellent courses on the Internet showing you how to write your own ebook.

The major advantage is you can have an army of affiliates promoting it for you.

The downside is writing it.

2. Create an OPC ebook

OPC means Other People's Content, and it's about the fastest way to get an ebook on the market. Instead of taking months to write a book, you can have one ready in a few hours.

The strategy is simple: Create a book from a collection of existing articles where the authors have granted reprint permission.

(You can get tens of thousands of these articles from 'article banks' - just type article bank or article directory into Google and take your choice.

Give the ebook a snappy title, market it to the right target group, and hey presto you're in business.

You make your money either by selling the ebook, or from commissions via affiliate links within the ebook, or both.

TIP - It may be worthwhile sending an email to the author of each article, letting them know what you're doing and getting their agreement. This avoids any misunderstandings later.

3. Write a downloadable tips guide

Short, practical easy-to-follow information will always be in demand.

Write a series of quick tips related to your business. Then compile them into Adobe PDF format so the reader can have a handy reference guide on her desktop.

Include a link to your website or an affiliate link to someone else's.

4. Offer a transcript from an interview

This is a great strategy for promoting affiliate programs.

Why not interview one of your merchant partners? Interview them over the phone, record it and get it transcribed into a PDF ebook.

If the merchant doesn't agree to a phone interview, then ask if they'll do an email interview instead.

Use the interview ebook to build credibility for both you and the merchant, and to pre-sell the product to your prospects.

5. Create an online business card

Who says business cards have to be printed on stiff card? Why not have a downloadable one.

HINT - Give it a bit of a creative twist. Something that will get people talking and passing on to other targeted people.

6. Create a downloadable newsletter

Start a newsletter.

This idea is old hat to anyone who's been marketing online for more than a week, but it's worth considering anyway.

Unlike an email newsletter, PDF files have a much longer shelf life on the average customer's computer.

If you haven't got a newsletter then consider starting one. Weekly, monthly, quarterly. Whatever. Just give visitors something to remember you.

7. Make your company brochure downloadable.

Time is everything nowadays.

Don't let your prospect have to wait for a brochure in the mail.

Don't let them leave your website empty-handed either.

Let them download your brochure.

Make it printable, too. (Who knows, they might pass it around. Or take it to meetings.)

8. Create success stories related to your business

Think outside the sell, sell, sell box. Take a more journalistic approach to promoting your business. Give readers what they want. Good stories.

Everyone loves to hear happy stories, especially inspirational ones.

This could even become a regular newsletter. (Do the words sponsored by trigger any ideas...?)

9. Create a viral ebook for your affiliates

If you're a merchant who runs an affiliate program, you can almost always create some kind of information product targeted towards your customers' needs.

Anyone selling golf clubs, for example, could write a op 10 putting tips mini-guide in Adobe PDF format.

Then let your affiliates brand it with their affiliate link and promote it to their lists.

10. Create a downloadable free resource

Heard about the mega-popular crafts website?

The company offer free downloadable crafts patterns in PDF format.

Of course the site also sells the materials needed to make the thing.

(Pretty 'crafty', huh?)

About the Author

Find more information about how to make money with Adobe PDF (and get a very cool FREE download script too) at: http://www.easypdfdownload.com

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