So one of the things I'm good at (luckily!) is how to make something out of nothing.  With our income situation being more than depressing over the past few years I've had to come up with all sorts of ideas for gifts as it's either make something or just simply smile real big and help do the dishes at the high volume of baby showers, bridal showers, birthday parties, grad parties, congrats parties and farewell parties we are invited to.

Recently I gave someone a rock.  I know, not very creative but I was desperate.  It turned out to be ok as the recipient was leaving for a mission and I told him it was a Tennessee rock that he could keep it in his pocket and whenever he felt homesick he could rub it with his fingers and feel close to home.  I mean, I would like that as a gift.  And it was a pretty rock too.

So this week it was a baby shower.  Fortunately I'm a pack rat when it comes to craft supplies and I keep very random things that at one time I looked at and my ADD told me it was pretty and it needed to be saved from a lonely existence.  I did spend money which kills me but it's going to go a long way.  I went to the local lumber store and found an 8' 4x4 that was untreated and bought it for $8.00.  I brought it home and had my husband cut it down to a bunch of 4" squares with his chop saw.  I used the hand sander and buffed the corners and the edges and then brought one block into the house to be decorated.  Here's what I came up with from my ADD collection and a few painting skills.  When you break the price down it cost me .30 and it was very well received!