A Present for Cookie Lovers!

Every girl loves sweet treats so why not treat her to a lovely new cookie jar with some bite size yummy-ness inside?

If your girlfriend loves cookies or biscuits or brownies or flapjack or any treats that you can cut into small sizes then why not make her some as a present and put them in a beautiful jar - she'll love it! The picture below shows some cookies that were a present for a friend of mine. They're really easy to make and you can find a recipe in this post here (I used 2/3 of the recipe and made nearly 40 cookies). Pick 2 or 3 shapes and then 2 or 3 colours for icing and go wild with decorating them. If she prefers brownies or any other kind of biscuits then try and make those if you can! If you're not a brilliant baker then you could try looking in local stores and independent bakeries to see if they sell any good quality, homemade biscuits or treats that you could use. Then all you have to do is buy a really pretty jar or biscuit tin or box and put them all inside. Add a really pretty ribbon around the top and it's finished!

Aren't they just so cute with the little eyes on! They're really easy to make and look absolutely beautiful when they're inside a pretty jar so try something new and bake a few cookies.

If you can't find a pretty jar or only need a little present then you can make a little bag instead. You can download the template for the packets from here and you'll need to buy cellophane bags (9'x3'x2') which you place inside. If you want to make them look like the ones below then punch two holes near the top and thread some ribbon through and tie it neatly in a bow.

Love from lila xx

Get Some Feedback...

Whether you think your present was perfect or not, why not ask her what she really thought?

Sometimes we know we've given really bad presents. Sometimes we know we've given really great presents. And sometimes we're just not sure. Whether you think your present was terrible, brilliant or just so-so, why not ask her what she thought? I know that it may not be great to hear that your present sucked when you thought that it was brilliant, but surely knowing that it was bad would help you improve in the future? Even if it was really bad, I'm sure that your girlfriend wouldn't be so harsh that she would outright say it was the worst present in the world! She's more likely to say something like, 'well, I could see that you put thought into it' or 'it wasn't terrible, it was just...'.


I'm not saying that you have to ask her, just in case she didn't like it, but I'm sure that deep down you do want to give her great presents! The only way to do that is to take criticism and improve next time. You could even ask her if there was anything she'd change about Valentine's day - just make sure to remember that for next year! And most importantly, if you thought your present from her was absolutely amazing - make sure to tell her!

Love from lila xx


P.S. I hope you had a lovely Valentine's day.

Valentine's Day Wrapping Ideas

If you're not particularly good at wrapping then this is a must read post! It'll also be useful if you're looking for an extra idea or two for the day.

Like the title suggests, this post will give you a few ideas for beautiful wrapping. As much as we will love the presents inside, it's nice if they look good on the outside too! Sound familiar? So take a look back at the post I wrote on Christmas wrapping as it'll give you the basics of wrapping. This post will show you how to make your wrapped presents beautiful!

Firstly I would strongly advise buying some double sided tape to wrap the presents and avoid unsightly tape everywhere! It really does make a huge difference.

My second note on wrapping is that I rarely use patterned paper. I prefer plain papers which are easier and more effective to decorate. I bought a roll of brown kraft/postal paper a while ago from Ebay which is so useful to have. Instead of having 10 different rolls of wrapping paper, I just keep the brown paper on hand and decorate it appropriately for the occasion!

My third tip is to head to your local haberdashery (that's where you can buy fabric and ribbon!) and buy a few metres of different ribbons, plain and patterned that you can use to wrap presents with.


So working from the left and moving clockwise...

1. This is homemade wrapping paper. All I did was design something in MS publisher and print it off! Easy-peasy. If you'd like this one with lips on then just click here. Then I added a tissue paper flower on top  (the tutorial can be found here - I layered 4 light pink, 4 dark pink and 2 smaller yellow). If you don't like that flower then take a look back at my very first post for lots of different homemade flower ideas.
2. This has just been wrapped in plain brown paper with a ribbon (secured with double sided sticky tape) running straight across the middle.
3. Firstly I roughly measured out the size of the present and then chose where I wanted my design. Then I drew out the hearts in pencil. After that I spread the glue into the shape, don't forget to go over the lines otherwise you'll still be able to see them (!), and sprinkle a huge pile of glitter on top (you don't want to miss a spot!) and leave it to dry. I'd advise doing all of this without the present underneath in case the glue leaks through. Finally, wait until it's dried, shake off the glitter and wrap your present very carefully, trying not to touch the glitter at all.
4. This one is just simply wrapped in plain paper with a line drawn and 'i love you' written in a completely joined up script. Then I added a little sticky heart where the dot would be on the 'i'.
5. This one took the most effort so don't expect this one to be done in a minute! Again, roughly work out the size of your present and where the front would be. Then on the inside, draw out a mirror image of the text that you want written. Then get a craft/stanley knife and cut out the words being extra careful of fingers! Take it slowly as the more intricate the letter, the more likely it is to rip whilst being cut out. Then all you need to do is back it with some coloured paper or tissue paper and wrap the present.
6. Finally this one has been wrapped in purple wrapping paper and tied with a bow. If you plan to do this one, this is an easy one to replicate for all presents, making a really effective, coordinated look.

Hopefully that will have given you a few ideas for beautiful wrapping that will impress your girlfriend.

Next I'm going to give you some help in putting together a Valentine's banner like the one below. I originally got the idea from here and put together my own version of the background.

You know how I like to make everything as easy as possible for you? This could be one of the easiest things you will ever make! All you need to do is print off the template onto card, cut it out, make a little cut on each side of the shape and thread the ribbon through all of the letters in the correct order. Then hang it up somewhere on the day!

Finally, if you're feeling adventurous, you could even bake a cake for the day. Again, I'll make it nice and easy for you! 

You don't need to bake the cake from scratch (I won't tell anyone!) so you could buy a box mix. If you do decide to make your own then here is a simple recipe for a victoria sponge cake or here is the recipe for the cake I made above which is purple, alternatively but much more difficult is a red velvet cake (with some extra Valentine's link ideas) which will look amazing as a Valentine's cake! Once your cake (boxed or from scratch) is cooked and cooled, slice the halves so that they are flat. Spread one half with jam and the other half with buttercream (from Lindy Smith's 'The Contemporary Cake Decorating Bible') and very carefully place them together. Then use a sieve to sprinkle icing sugar over the top so that it is completely covered with white. Rinse out the sieve and leave it to dry. Then cut out some shapes, I already had hearts cut but you could use anything (heart shapes, a message) that you can cut out or that you have on hand, and arrange them on your cake. Then dry off the sieve and sprinkle the cake and shapes with cocoa powder. Next you need to really carefully pick up the shapes leaving your design clear to see.

And if you missed last week's or the week before's blog then you should definitely check them out! Last week was a little romantic cards idea and the week before had the link to a youtube playlist full of romantic, cheesy and just plain lovely songs with some ideas of how to use them. I've already put the link above but if you don't want to give the classic chocolate and flowers then have a look at my very first post to get some new ideas to mix it up!


Finally here are some links to previous posts that may help you out...

• How to turn a takeaway into a Romantic Date Night
• How to turn a DVD present into a Movie Night
• How to bring her Favourite Film To Life
• A few thoughts on Female Indecisiveness
• How to make love vouchers
• How to start a collection for her as a present
• How to write anniversary cards (or Valentine's!)
• A printable list of her favourite things

And some links to posts from other blogs or sites...

• How to make a scratch off card
• 18 homemade Valentine's Card Ideas
• 20 homemade present ideas from A Beautiful Mess

Love from lila xx

Valentine's Cards

If you want to plan an extra special treat for your girlfriend (or boyfriend) then this post is a must-read!

For this year's Valentine's day, on top of the presents that I've bought my boyfriend, I'm planning an extra surprise. I'm preparing 10 little envelopes containing thoughtful little presents, statements of things I love about him and a few other little ideas.

I haven't quite decided how I'm going to present them to him yet but my current thought is to plan a film or episode of our favourite tv program to watch and then edit it so that it pauses 10 times and a question about our relationship comes on the screen. The answer will then be one of the numbers written on the envelopes, which if he answers the question correctly, he'll be able to open. Easy?!

I think that I should probably give you some concrete ideas now, so that you can go off and make your own. So what I'll do is show you the ones I've already made and then talk you through them. If you don't know where to find blank pre-made cards then you can buy them in lots of card and craft shops and these ones are from The Works.

Starting from the middle card on the left and working clockwise in a spiral pattern...

• The card with the ribbon around the top that says 'All my love' has one of the things I love about him written inside.
• The next card has a heart shape cut out, surrounded by shiny diamantes. Behind the cut out heart shape I've put red tissue paper. Inside is an instruction to hold the card up to the light and then says something about him that makes my heart glow (along the lines of how good he is to me and looks after me!).
• The calendar and 'folder' contains 365 kisses (scanned lipstick kisses) which are each individually dated and are to be stuck onto the calendar. Next year I'm planning to make a collage of them all to hang up on the wall. This is more of a girl to guy gift but you could just write 'X' for a kiss or draw hugs and do the same.
• The next card has lots of 0s and 1s written on it which if you haven't worked out already is binary code. It says 'I Love You'. The bottom of the card then suggests that he opens the card to read the translation from binary. Inside is an 'I Love You' banner that will be posted on next week's blog.
• Next is a card that says 'You're a (diamond) boyfriend' and inside has a picture of us. I've then cut him out and in the space where he would have been I've written 'You complete my picture' so that he can place his half of the photo back into the whole (how cheesy!). If you didn't want to do this, you could perhaps just frame a picture of you two and give that to her instead.
• The next card has a glitter heart on the front and has one of the things I love about him written inside. I'm also planning to make some jelly heart sweets to go with the 'you make my heart turn to jelly' which is written inside. Making your own jelly hearts is a little ambitious so alternatively you could buy a bag of haribo and take out all of the hearts or change the phrase to 'you make my heart melt' and buy her some chocolate hearts.
• Finally this card says 'You (rock) my world' with a stone of lapis lazuli. Inside I've written about the properties of lapis which include love, protection, power and healing. There are lots of alternatives out there so you should be able to find one that you think she'll love that has some equally meaningful properties.

There are lots of things you could write in the cards, and even more if you're going for cheesy! So think about why you love her or what's great about you two and then try and think about a little present that symbolises that. Then all you have to do is put the idea and the present into a card and you're done!

What I'm really hoping that you do after reading this blog is get inspired to make your own series of cards which will show your girlfriend how much you love her and even make her laugh (if you go for the cheesy ones like me!). If you don't want to go all the way to 10 cards, why not at least make her one card to go with one of her presents?

Love from lila xx

Music For Love

Well everyone, yesterday left you with 3 weeks to go before Valentine's day! Are you ready?

If you haven't planned anything yet, hopefully a youtube playlist of over 100 songs (yes, I really did sit down and think of that many songs!) will get you all inspired for Valentine's day.

Click here to be transported to the playlist!

I hope you read my blog post from two weeks ago, but if you didn't then I'd suggest reading it and perhaps using one of the songs to find the perfect words to tell her how you feel. If you're not planning to make something like I suggested in the blog, then why not just use the playlist as background music on the day? Or you could pick your favourites and make your own playlist that you link her to on the day, or you could make her a cd with all of yours/her favourites on!

The playlist may have a lot of songs in it that you're not really fond of but it is really designed to offer as many suggestions that appeal to as many people as possible. So feel free to edit the selection and make what you will with it!


Love from lila xx

Frame Your Memories...

Valentine's Day is the perfect time to give the present of a memory, so read down for one of the easiest present ideas I'll ever give you!

Today if you're lucky it's snowed near you, making a beautiful background for photos. So fetch your girlfriend, put your wellies on, get wrapped up, grab your camera and head out in the snow for a snowball fight, maybe some snow angels but best of all, some beautiful pictures of the two of you having fun together!

If you don't feel like going out in the cold today then stay in and have a look through all of the photos you have of the two of you together.

Then all you have to do is pick your favourite and frame it. This is where you have to splurge a little because, whether it's plain and simple or intricate and unique, a good quality, beautiful frame is the most important part of the present/gesture.

When you wrap it, make sure to wrap it in bubble wrap or tissue paper first to protect it and then find the perfect paper and make the outside look as beautiful as the inside (if you need some help with wrapping ideas then check back in a few weeks!).


See? I told you it was easy!

Love from lila xx

Speaking The Truth...

With Valentine's day so close (don't panic!), it's probably time you started thinking about some presents. Read on for a really cute way of telling her how much you love her, without saying anything at all!

Sometimes it's hard to tell someone how much we love them, and how they make us feel, with words. Let's face it, we can't all be fantastic writers who can put together a little speech and say it out loud to the person we love that will make them melt in an instant, with very little effort and stress. That means that sometimes we have to turn to others' words in order to have such an effect on someone but that doesn't have to be plain and boring. There's also a very good chance that someone will have already said what you want to say, more eloquently and more beautifully than anyone else ever could. This post will show you a few sources for romantic and loving words and some ways of presenting them.


Firstly, you can find romantic quotes or passages from...

• books
• songs
• poems
• films
• tv programs
• famous quotes
• and many other places - use your head!

When you've chosen your quote, whether it's just a sentence or a whole paragraph, you need to decide how you're going to present it. You could...

• just write it in her card
• design something by hand or on the computer with the words (and some artistic decoration) and frame it for the wall

• do something similar but onto a canvas - check this blog post out for some help

• record your own version of the song (and post it on youtube)
• recreate the scene (alone or with her) - you could even cut the original movie, replace the scene with your recreation, and play it to her as normal on Valentines, surprising her with your own special scene

• make a video of photos of you (with reference to the lyrics or words)

If you're not sure where to start then here are some lovely quotes from songs, films or books that will start your search for the perfect words...

• 'I love that you get cold when it’s 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle in your nose when you’re looking at me like I’m nuts. I love that after I spend a day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night.' When Harry Met Sally
• 'It was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together...and I knew it. I knew it the very first time I touched her. It was like coming home...only to no home I’d ever known.' Sleepless in Seattle
• 'I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.' Pride and Prejudice
• 'Could you be the most beautiful girl in the world, It's plain to see you're the reason that God made a girl.' Prince - Most Beautiful Girl in the World

These are just a few ideas of what you can do but if you take some time to think about her favourite films or books then I'm sure you'll be able to come up with some quotes or scenes that she'll just love. Not only because they're from her favourite films, but because you've paid attention to her favourite things and made them into something beautiful that she can keep forever. So just remember that you never have to struggle to find the right words to say and how to phrase them because someone has probably already said it more beautifully than you could. So use that to help you tell her exactly how you feel.

Love from lila xx

P.S. Only 34 days until Valentine's day.

Relationship Resolutions

Everyone knows that the new year is all about making resolutions of things to do and not to do. Why not try making some relationship resolutions?

I thought that a nice idea to start the year would be to make some little resolutions of things to do and not to do. So I put together a few designs for 'his and hers' resolution printables so that you can write some for each other.

There are two sides to the resolutions. Firstly, try and think of 5 things that you do that annoys or upsets your partner and list them in the 'stop' side. Then, on the other side, try and think of 5 things that you don't do enough (or at all!) that makes your partner happy and write them into the 'do more of' side. If you're not sure what you do or don't do, then why not include your partner in the process and write them together. That way you can be sure that your resolutions are things that really matter to the other person!

 

You can either print the design that you like (onto card) or just open them up in Photoshop (/something similar) and add your resolutions electronically, then email them to her! If you don't like my designs, then why not make your own or even just buy some nice card and write out something like - 'these are five things I will try not to do in 2013 and these are five things that I will try harder to do in 2013' and sign it, with love.

Writing the resolutions is only part of the process though. Why not keep a copy of your resolutions yourself so that you can see what you've promised to do/not and try and keep them! If you're really confident that you can stick to them then you could even come up with some rewards or forfeits for each month/the year to do together. So if for example you do a really good job (at her discretion of course!) of sticking to your 'do more of' resolutions then she could treat you to dinner out, or vice versa. If you don't stick to your 'stop' resolutions then your forfeit could be doing the cleaning or washing up (when she says) for the whole month! It doesn't have to be serious, it can just be a bit of fun to make you both realise some of the things that you do or say to the other that upsets them or makes them happy. so make it fun. Make the rewards romantic activities that you can both enjoy together.


That's all from me today, so all that I want to say is that I hope that the new year brings love and happiness to everyone regardless of whether they're in a relationship or not. To those of you in relationships, I hope that 2013 will be the best year that you've ever had together.

Love from lila xx

Romantic Christmas Presents

I was lucky enough to receive an art print in my favourite colour and a pair of shoes I've been hinting about all year from my man. As a little challenge to see how all of the other men did this year, why not post a comment telling everyone what your most romantic christmas present was - past or present!

Love from lila xx

Merry Christmas!

Love from lila xx

Christmas Wrapping Tips

Well, you know how much I like to help you all out so here it is...

To learn the essentials of gift wrapping, check out the video below to learn how to wrap a box-shaped object such as a book or dvd.

If you have a look on YouTube you'll find lots of videos with lots of different variations on how to wrap a present. This one uses double sided tape which, if you have it, makes your present look clean-cut. If you don't have it then it's not a problem but try to place the tape you do have neatly.

If you want to add a bow then watch the video below for an idea on how to do it.

If you've got any awkwardly shaped presents then the best way to wrap them would be to put them into a box so that you've got a nice square shape to wrap (and it's adds to the surprise of what's inside!). Sometimes plain wrapping paper can look the best, teamed with a nice pretty ribbon or just a shop bought bow! One easy, plain wrapping paper that you can keep handy for all occasions is brown parcel paper which is strong and looks really neat. Not only that, you can also write on it and stick things to it really easy making it perfect for personalising! If you're looking for some creative paper ideas then you could use tissue paper, old maps, sheet music, magazines and newspaper.

If you're stuck for present ideas then why not put together a movie night kit or start her a collection? If you haven't already read last week's post about gift giving then it's a must! And if you haven't started buying presents yet, don't forget to take this handy list of her favourite things with you and go shopping - time's running out!


All that's left to say is happy wrapping! (I'm sorry the video's so terrible but hopefully it should get you into the Christmas spirit!)

Love from lila xx

What To Buy Her For Christmas?

Are you having trouble deciding on christmas presents? Read on for a few ideas...


Present buying is always difficult but if you stick to the six 'rules' or categories below (and get a bit inventive) then you should find present buying a lot easier, with presents that she'll love! So think about buying her something...

1. she wants,
2. she needs,
3. she can wear,
4. she can read,
5. she can watch,
6. and hand/homemade.

That seems pretty straightforward right? Well, here's an explanation of each one (in case it wasn't as straightforward as it looks) and a few ways of being a little interpretive with the presents!

Something she wants: if you haven't read my post about reading her hints then it might be a good idea to check that out first, then you'll know when she's trying to hint about presents she might like for christmas. If you haven't picked up on any hints then you'll have to try and think of something she wants all by yourself!

Something she needs: means something she may (or may not) have mentioned as needing to buy at some point that's important for something she does. This could be a book she needs for her course, new make-up (choose wisely - take the old one with you if you can and check that she wants a direct replacement), something for her computer, some stationery or some chocolate!

Something she can wear: get inspired, something she can wear could include make-up, clothes (including hats, scarves, gloves), accessories (handbags etc), perfume or even shoes!

Something she can read: could include something easy like a book or it could be a framed love letter or some song lyrics. If you choose something like a book then you could buy her one that you know she likes, or you could buy her something from a similar author, a book related to her hobby, a book related to a new hobby (with some of the equipment she may need) or even just a book from a new genre that you think she may enjoy.

Something she can watch: is where you can get really inventive. You could buy her a cinema ticket or a ticket to a sports game or you could even just buy her a DVD but dress it up as a movie night kit. If you're feeling really creative you could make a video of pictures of you and some of her favourite songs and burn it to CD.

Something hand/homemade: is the section where you can get really romantic. The something homemade could be something that you've made and she can eat such as cookies, cakes or dinner. It could even be her card (check out this post for tips on what to write in her card), some love vouchers or 'love letters'. You can find lots of handmade things in shops these days so keep your eyes peeled. Oxfam have some handmade gifts such as aprons, pretty bowls and jewellery but you'll be able to find lots of things, especially around christmas. You can often find local crafts at christmas fairs which always make lovely presents. If you don't find anything in particular that you think she'll like then you could just buy her some quality chocolates from a local shop.

You'll notice that quite a few ideas cross over into two or more sections. That's absolutely fine as the 'rules' are really just ideas to get your present-buying juices flowing!

If you need any extra help then you can check out this post, where you can find a handy list to carry with you so that you know what her favourites are. You could also start her a collection, you can find a post here.

Don't think that these 'rules' only apply to girlfriends either, you can use it for absolutely anyone but I hope this has at least given you a few ideas to get you started on your christmas shopping so get out there and get buying some brilliant presents! Good luck.

Love from lila xx

Yummy Biscuit Recipe

You can't beat a good biscuit so if you fancy trying out some baking then why not make these delicious biscuits?

The recipe's really easy to follow and the biscuits are absolutely delicious. They're so yummy that they don't even need to be decorated but if you do feel like brightening them up a little then some tinted royal icing (you can buy the powder from good supermarkets) would be perfect! My recipe is below and is adapted from one on BBC Good Food. To decorate them, pick a few different shapes for the biscuits and and a few different colours for the royal icing, pop the icing in a piping bag and get creative!

If you need some inspiration then there are some easy ideas below. You can find the original blog posts from the decorated cookie here and here.

I took inspiration from the first picture and made the cookies below - they're not perfect but that's why they're so great. It doesn't matter if your biscuits don't turn out as perfectly as the ones above because they're made by an expert. If you make biscuits for your girlfriend or anyone else then I'm sure they'll love them no matter how they turn out because it's true that it's the thought that counts!

If you want to make the little eyeballs to give your cookies some character then read on because they're really easy to make. Get some baking parchment, some white royal icing and some black royal icing. Then squeeze a tiny dot of white onto the parchment, then a tiny dot of black straight afterward (then they'll blend into 1 shape). To speed the process up then you can pipe about 20-30 white circles, then black and continue until you've used all of your icing. Leave them to dry for about 24 hours, peel them off of your baking parchment and stick them to your cookies with a little bit of royal icing. These cookies are really easy to make and look really cute - they make perfect presents too! If you want some suggestions for how to give them as presents then keep your eyes peeled for a future post...

Love from lila xx

Are You Really Sure You Know What She Likes?

Present buying can be difficult so why not use this list as a starting point to knowing what she likes?

Have you ever gone into a shop and not been able to decide between colour options or flavours for a present? Armed with this list you should be better prepared for deciding what she would love most when you start the dreaded present buying! Before you go asking her what she likes (so that you can complete the list!) have a read of the notes below so that you understand what I mean by each one and then have a look at the list of ways that you can find the answers without necessarily telling her what you're up to.

Here are some notes on the items on the list.

• Chocolate Flavour = Dark/Milk/White
• Chocolate Brand = Galaxy/Dairy Milk/Green & Blacks/Lindt etc
• Takeaway Style = Chinese/Indian/Pizza etc
• Designer (Clothing Store) = Ben de Lisi at Debenhams/Ted Baker etc
• Accessory Designer = Ted Baker/Radley etc for Handbags/Purses etc
• Earring Style = Hoop/Stud/Dangly
• Jewellery Material = Gold/Silver/Platinum etc
• Animal Print = Zebra/Leopard/Tiger etc
• Pen Style = Gel/Roller/Biro/Fountain

Hopefully all of the others are self explanatory. On top of those favourites there are also a few more essential things that you need to know before you go out shopping!

• Clothes Size - both top and bottom (sometimes they can vary)
• Shoe Size
• Bra Size
• Knicker Size and Style - thong/brazilian/short etc (this can vary from clothes size so ask specifically!)
• and Leg Length and Waist (in case you intend to buy her some jeans)

You can get her answers to the list in one of three ways.

1. Casually asking her one or two per day and filling in the list bit by bit.
2. Asking her outright for her answers to each one (or asking her to fill in the list). You can tell her that it's for your present buying assistance or not.
3. Making it into a challenge to see who can answer the most questions correctly about the other (don't forget to save hers with the correct answers!).

It's also a good idea to ask regularly as she's likely to change her mind frequently but I hope that armed with this list you will feel much better prepared for the dreaded christmas (and birthday, and anniversary and valentines) shopping now so get out there and get buying stuff that you know she's going to love! Good luck as always.

Love from lila xx

Spell It Out...

If you're having trouble thinking of a christmas present for a friend or your girlfriend, then why not make them something to put on display in their room?

You can use any words or name and decorate it in any way you like, making it perfectly personalised! The set in the photo below was a birthday present for our friend, called Joe who is a big fan of superhero films. If you wanted to make one to give as a present then you can buy papier mache letters (or shapes - a love heart?) from good craft shops and decorate them with paper, wrapping paper, photos, fabric, paint or anything else you can think of. If you choose letters then you could spell out their name, 'love', 'me & you' or just about anything at all!

So if you fancy making her something special and unique this christmas then why not spell out how you feel about her? She'll love that it's personalised and she'll love that you put the effort into making her something special and unique!

Love from lila xx