DIY: Christmas Candy Hearts

While those candy hearts with messages on them have become so common around the Valentine's Day the truth is they aren't that great. We all love the cute idea but the cheap mass produced candies are faulty to the point that we might even feel bad giving them to someone! They don't taste that good, the messages are often faded, and the candies are mostly worn out or broken. So how can you preserve the adorable idea, personalize it and make the gifts last longer than a day? Easy, buy making these candy hearts for your darling out of polymer clay. They wont be edible but they will surely be cherished more than the originals were. You can even put your own short messages on them to surprise your loved one. And what is even better, now you don't have to wait for Valentines day to come around you can make a little twist and do these for your hunny on Christmas as well! 
What you will need to create your own clay candy hearts:
- Polymer clay in green and red, one block is about two dollars in your arts and crafts store, cheaper online.
- A straight edge knife or a craft blade.
- A few toothpicks.
- If you wish to make a mold of the hearts then you will need the Sculpey Mold Maker. If not then you can just shape your candy heart by hand.
- Red paint, tempera works fine.
- A super thin paint brush, or if you want just use the toothpick to draw on the messages.
- Baking tray and an oven, not a microwave!
- A list of short messages to put on the clay hearts.
- A packet of the actual candy hearts, for reference...and a snack.
How to create your own clay candy hearts:
- First make sure you have a nice clean surface to work on, you don't want hairs or other bits getting into your clay.
- If you are using a mold to create your hearts follow the instructions on the box for how to actually make the mold. Also make sure, when you are making it, that you press in the non letter side of the candy into it so you have a clean slate later on.
- In case you don't want to use a mold just form the hearts by hand, use the actual candy as reference. Its not hard and really you don't need a mold unless you are making a great number of them.
- After your hearts have been formed just let them sit a bit to harden, so they are not as mushy from your fingers.
- Alright now the messages, I personally do them with paint and a toothpick, freehand. Some people print them out then use rubbing alcohol to create transfers.
- Pick a short message and then carefully write it on the heart. The more unique and personal to the receiver of the hearts the better.
- Let the paint dry completely.
- Line the hearts up on the baking sheet and bake according to the manufacturers instructions.
The clay hearts are now complete. As for packaging, it all depends on you but here are a few examples... You can buy a pack of real stuff, carefully open it put the clay ones in among the real ones and re-seal the bag. It takes a little practice but its a nifty idea when you get it. You can also put them in small boxes from craft stores or in a Valentine's Day themed cellophane goodie bag.

On the road drivers: Stocking stuffer ideas for those back home

For those of you constantly on the road it must be hard being away from your family. You probably have a lot of missed holidays and weekends away from home going on. To top it all off buying Christmas presents is quite a limited task. You are left to the mercy of the very few truck welcoming places, even Walmart is deciding to put up the "this tall" bars on their lot entrances so semi trucks can't enter. So you are pretty much left with what? The truck stops you frequent, which all carry the same stuff more or less.

You can get around this problem with a little spontaneous planing. Yes that is right, spontaneous planing. How the hell does that work you ask. Well a month or two before Christmas you make a plan to spontaneously buy a thing or two in each state, city or peculiar truck stop you come by. If the money is tight don't fret at the thought of buying a ton of stuff. These are small but very dear items, the stocking suffers, not big gifts. So none of it should be expensive.
And what to get? Well it all depends on who you have on your list. But here are a few things I have come across which I don't see every day. They might prove to be interesting gifts for someone you know.

If you are heading out East, maybe to CT, NY, Maine, etc. grab a few cubes of the delicious fudge...or Deer Poop. I'm all for the goodness of fudge but the Dear Poop (most often nuts or raisins covered in chocolate) bags make for a great gag gift.

Apparently Montana has Deer Poop too!

In case you are going down south towards Florida and such you can get an alligator foot, or a head even. They range from tiny made into a key chain to quite big and are real. If you move on over towards Arizona you can get another key chain item, this time its heads and rattles of the rattle snakes. I don't know about you but little things like that are so cool to me, especially if it is something new that I haven't been around. Another thing is the Native American tea from the tee-pee on the border of NM and AZ on I-40.

Up north, in the Dakotas maybe? Get any of the Buffalo sausages or other cured meats. If you drive through Salt Lake City, Utah stop buy and get some of the salt from the lake. It is a great souvenir and it takes a minute or two to get free of charge.

These are just a very few pieces I found peculiar in my travels and couldn't resist buying. Wherever you go you will be sure to find a souvenir trinket for your loved ones back home.