This is one of my favorite ways to deliver a manicure or pedicure gift card for Mother’s Day, birthday, wedding day, and beyond.

A mani/pedi gift card is a fabulous gift for any occasion. But once redeemed, the polish wears off the gift rather quickly. Deliver the gift card in a kid-stamped holder, however, and the recipient will have a keepsake that is still around when the last coat fades.

Get Stampin’ or Snapin’

For a pedicure gift card, stamp the kids’ feet or take pictures of their little piggy toes. Put the finished product in a nice frame or just make a construction paper card out of it. The artwork doesn’t have to be fancy. Then insert a pedicure gift card and write, “From our feet to yours!”

For a manicure, use the hands instead. “From our fingers to yours,” is just as sweet. Get creative. Like the butterfly shown above, think of all that handstamp art your kids brought home from kindergarten. Let’s see…thumbprint ladybugs, handprint turkeys, two-hand spiders, and more. A quick search of “kid handprint art” on Google should give you plent of ideas.

Get Inspired

There are many ways to deliver “hands” and “feet” to mom on Mother’s Day. I’ve seen handprint pendants, tiles, and more. This clay print from The Artful Crafter would be perfect for the mother of a small child.

If your kids are older, get creative. My 7-year-old boy has his daddy’s feet and it’s not pretty (just being honest here.) I’d love to capture those flat arches in a photo, stamp, or clay impression to really savour how cute they are now (before they turn into big, flat, man feet.)

At a recent baby shower I attended, mounds of diaper boxes topped the gift table. While I appreciate the practicality of giving diapers, this is not a gift that is easily returned if it’s the wrong size. Babies born early will need smaller diapers. Babies born in my family will skip newborn and small sizes altogether.

Plus, multiple diaper boxes are difficult to lug home from the shower and can be difficult to store.

Diaper Gift Card

Get a gift card for Diapers at a drug-store, Target, Wal-Mart, Amazon, or the grocery store. Many of these places have gift cards with graphics showing new baby designs.

Then pair the diaper gift card with a box of wipes or your favorite rash cream (mine is Bag Balm).

Stretch Gift with Coupons

Here’s the creative part. Go crazy looking for diaper coupons. They are available in the newspaper, magazines, the pediatrician’s office, online, etc. Gather all kinds, regardless of the brand.

Deliver this stack of coupons with your diaper gift card. Diapers are expensive, but new moms don’t often have time to be coupon clipping. Since you did the work for her, she’ll be able to stretch the diaper gift card even further. Your service will be remembered.

More Baby Ideas

I just updated the New Baby section on Gift Card Girlfriend, so look here for more gift card ideas. I love those that are practical and still give you the opportunity to add a personal touch.

I just spent most of the day at the LDS Family History center in Oakland helping a friend track down her ancestors. She’s going on a trip next month to Germany and wanted to know more about her heritage before embarking on the journey.

Online tools

Although the real help we received came from the genealogist at the center who helped us crack the code, the tools we used are available to everyone online. Primarily, we used Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org. Both have online tutorials to get you started.

Make History a Gift

I hadn’t thought about giving the gift of history as a bon voyage present until today. But watching my friend gather information that will ultimately shape her journey, help her decide where to visit, and move churches and gravesites to the top of a list previously filled only with tourist attractions inspired me. Now I think a kickstart into family history would be a wonderful gift for anyone taking a trip or starting an even bigger journey.

Consider a gift subscription to Ancestry.com for the following:

• Family Vacation – maybe they’ll find new places to visit.
• Newly Married – for the merging of family trees.
• New Baby – learn more about the gene pool you’re drawing from.
• Graduation – he passed world history, now it’s time for personal study.
• Significant birthday – find out who you really are.
• Anniversary – genealogy is more fun to do in pairs.
• Bereavement – maybe not immediately, but it can be therapeutic to find out more about the people waiting for us on the other side.

Make it Personal

While at the Family History center, the computers were abuzz with people searching, pondering, and digging for clues. And there was no shortage of personal stories either. Consider delivering a gift of history with a personal narrative of your own. Tell about the first time you met this person, character traits you admire about him, or your hope for the future in finding his past. Tie the gift card and your thoughts onto branches of a potted tree that can be planted to commemorate this occasion.

My sister sent me a link to this Date Night in a Bag gift idea and I love it. But not for the reason you might think. Date Night to Me My husband and I love going to the movies. But we found a bowl of popcorn and shows on the DVR to be much more practical after the brood started growing.

Source: thedatingdivas.com via Shelley on Pinterest

Think Baby

I love this idea for a baby shower because heaven knows when that newborn arrives, mom and dad won’t have a second to themselves for about 18 years. They will have to create date night in a bag, on the couch, with a fox, in a box, and whatever else ways they can figure.

I can honestly say that my husband and I probably wouldn’t swap this bag back and forth. But I do think it would make a fabulous gift. And the gals at The Dating Divas include several other date night suggestions. Each, would also make terrific baby shower or wedding day gifts. Thanks for sharing, ladies!

Found this gift card recycling idea on Pinterest and loved it. Though you need a binding system (don’t have one…can’t imagine how much binding you do in order to buy one), I do love the idea of it. But I would make this idea with a NEW gift card instead. (Just don’t bind through the magstripe).

Source: thegreenbeanscrafterole.blogspot.com via Jocelyn on Pinterest

Two Gifts in One

Not only does the recipient get a gift card, but they get a little notebook to use as well. It’s two gifts in one. Plus, the gift card will not easily get lost or be forgotten about in the wallet. They’ll probably be carrying it in their purse anyway.

Take It A Step Further

If you’re going to make this idea, then I would take it a step further with the following suggestions:

• Make it reloadable. Use a reloadable gift card so the recipient can use the gift card more than once.
• Make it a photobook instead. Bind the gift card with wallet-size photos of the kids. Perfect for Grandma.
• Add store coupons. Get new mom a gift card to Babies R Us and fill the booklet with every diaper coupon you can find.
• Add coupons of your own. Give a gift card to the movies and include a babysitting coupon inside.
• Multiple coupons. As long as you’re binding things, why not put dinner, movie, and dessert all in one handy date night notebook?
• Group Gift. Have everyone contribute a gift card to the “book.” Imagine leaving a baby or wedding shower with a prized book of gift cards!

Great for Teachers, Coaches, Graduates…Anybody

This would make a great gift card for teachers or coaches. Deliver a gift card to the office supply store (teacher) or sporting goods store (coach). Bind with a note of thanks from each of the kids.

Send graduate to school with a book he’ll for sure want to crack open. Help new moms and newlyweds by stuffing their wallet with gifts cards in this highly manageable system.

Now, where can I get a binding thingamajig?

Quite possibly the cutest version of the Cookie Dough jar I’ve ever seen. It’s a seriously great gift on it’s own. But you know me…gotta think gift card. How to Add a Gift Card Let’s play on that “dough” theme. Add a gift card and write the words, “Thought you could use a little extra dough.” As is, the idea works for any gift card and for any occasion. But here are a few ocassions when money is particularly useful: Graduation. Visa or Mastercard gift card is perfect for grad. Wedding. Gift card to Bed, Bath & Beyond sounds about right. New Baby. Gift card to Target or Babies R Us. Moving. Gift card to Home Depot or other home-inspired store. Holidays. A gift card around the holidays would be welcome in my home! You can write, “Thought you could use a little extra dough on your wedding day” or more generic, “Everyone can use a little extra dough this time of year.” Either way, what a great message and fun way to deliver a little extra dough in a fun, personal, thoughtful way. Happy Gift Carding!

Source: flickr.com via Shauna on Pinterest Source: southernliving.com via Brennaon Pinterest

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