Gift Card Wrapper

   My husband's cousin is having her Sweet 16th birthday tomorrow and I got stuck with the task of figuring out what it is that a 16 year old girl wants for her birthday (besides a car). When I was 16 years old I didn't have a party. I recall spending the evening with some alcohol and my then boyfriend. It was about a month later that I was expelled from high school and so started my down ward spiral into depression... My point is, I didn't have a Sweet 16. I didn't have much of a youth, so shopping for a young woman... is extremely tricky.
   I considered buying her a CD, but then it occured to me she spends much more time on YouTube on her cell phone than near a CD player. (I don't think she even owns one.) I then considered buying her an Itunes gift card, but again, she's on YouTube A LOT so it seemed like a waste. My husband just wanted to get her a card with some money or Wal*Mart gift card in it, but that just seemed kind of lame to me. I would imagine that a 16 year old having a Sweet 16 would like to have a more interesting birthday present than just a gift card stuffed inside some cheap, lame card.
   I really resisted the idea of buy her a gift card, but in the end it would the only thing I could think of (and my husband... really was no help). I brought the problem up to my sister and she gave me a wonderful idea. She told me about seeing some interesting ways to wrap gift cards on Pinterest. I decided to check it out and found a Pin on giving a Star Bucks giftcard INSIDE of a Star Bucks coffee cup. I thought it was ingenious, but I don't have a Star Bucks in our little town. I pondered it a few more hours and then it hit me. Roxberry! Roxberry is our local smoothie shop that my husband and I have taken our cousin a few times. She LOVES smoothies. We rushed on down there and bought her a $20. That should buy her five smoothies. Not too fancy, but it was all we could afford and I do think she'll be thrilled. Now... on to the wrapping.

   While at Roxberry, I picked up a 16 oz container and straw.

 

 

   When I got home I gathered a few tools and got started. I first filled the cup up with some tissue paper wrapped around the gift card.

 

  

   Next, took the straw and poked a whole into it with a needle. I had to poke it a few times to try and make it large enough for the ribbon. I used a crochet needle to pull a strand of thread through the hole. Then I used some black contruction paper and stickers to create the Happy 16th Birthday. On the back is written: The perfect treat for such a sweet 16. (My dear hubby finally contributed that.) I cute around the edges with some zigzag line scissors for a cute effect. I punched a whole in it and tied it to the straw with the ribbon. I had to cut the straw in half because it didn't want to push down into the tissue and gift card.

 

  

   I absolutely LOVE the way it turned out. I don't think I will EVER give a gift card or money in a card ever again. This was WAY too cute and really only took a few minutes to do. I love it so much I really don't want to give it to her! :( I know she'll love it though so I'll part with it. I took plenty of photos to remember it anyway. My husband was very pleased with it as well. She's not a horribly spoiled teen so I'm certain she's going to love it.

 

   Eek! It seems to be 1:41 AM! Time flies when you're crafting and blogging! Thank goodness for Saturday morning sleep ins!