Dear Diary

There may not be a single special boy (or partner for that matter) in my life this holiday season, but I still can’t help but love shopping for all things handsome man. I am powerless not to spoil the imaginary man of my dreams, and if you have a real live one by your side I encourage you to spoil on my behalf.

Whether this gift is to help you with a father, son, boyfriend or just friend, I like to think we’ve included a great selection of items that would impress just about anyone you’re shopping for, especially a deserving prince! Though after the year we have had it’s entirely possible A LOT of men will be receiving coal…

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1. Baxter of California White Wood #3 Candle / 2. Le Labo Hinoki Shower Gel & Body Lotion / 3. Woodlot Cinder Soap Bar / 4. Cinnamon Projects Insense / 5. Baxter of California Comb / 6. Sugarfina Pale Ale Pints / 7. Milk and Honey – Rupi Kaur / 8. Baxter of California Hard Cream Pomade / 9. Gaston Luga Backpack / 10. Grimm Artisan Ales / 11. Richer Poorer socks / 12. Aesop Hand Balm

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Get Creative

Happy Easter Weekend! After a *very* long hiatus Paige of Studio Bicyclette and I finally joined forces once again to make some holiday magic. A year ago we got together almost weekly to work on fun projects, but gradually life got in the way, and our sunny tea and treat filled afternoons faded into the past. This month we decided it was time to revive our studio day tradition, and though we both live in new apartments on opposite sides of the city, we found a way to make it work just in time for the most pastel holiday of all.

Brainstorming a fun new Easter idea wasn’t easy- so much has already been done in the realm of pretty baskets and nest-topped cupcakes, and we really wanted to put our own twist on the holiday. After a bit of deliberation, Paige remembered she had been storing away Christmas cracker supplies for months, and with that our Easter Cracker DIY was born.

When we first set out to make these we though they’d be crazy simple, but it turns out it’s actually really hard to find thorough instructions online. After a bit of very confusing trial and error, we finally smoothed over the process, and I’m happy to say the final product is actually quite easy to make. f you aren’t able to find the proper cracker piece in time, don’t worry- this DIY will still work without them, you’ll just be missing that loud “pop” sound.

The best part about this craft is picking out the stuffing, and we highly recommend you get creative. Try writing out “fortunes” on pastel paper, splurging on special treats, and maybe even adding a touch of sparkle. The sky is really the limit when it comes to cracker magic, and all the pastel goodies in stores this time of year make the hunt that much more fun!

Scroll down for directions

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What You’ll Need //

DIY Christmas cracker strips
Paper towel rolls
Wrapping paper
Ribbons
Glue
Filling (Chocolate, special notes, makeup, tiny jewels, etc.)

Directions //

1. Cut paper towel rolls so you have a middle section that’s 10 cm long. Cut the remaining piece of the paper towel roll in half (they don’t have to be perfectly even)

2. Cut your paper to 20 x 30 cm. We used pink and blue matte wrapping paper, but you can try all sorts of wrappings as long as they are thick enough to hold shape.

3. Lay a piece of paper flat and glue the cracker strip at each end to the paper.

4. Lay 3 rolls (middle 10cm piece and two ends) in a row just below the cracker strip and glue only the middle roll in place.

5. Roll up the paper around all three rolls, securing it with a thin strip of glue down the entire length of paper at the end.

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6. Wait for the glue to dry, then carefully pull the two end rolls out about halfway, and twist the paper to seal the ends.

7. Secure the twisted paper on one end with ribbons, and remove the roll on that side. Start filling your cracker through the open end with whatever treats you prefer. Then twist the open end closed and again, seal with a ribbon and remove the roll.

8. And there you have it! You can use these crackers in your place settings at dinner, hand them out to your best friends at brunch, or simply enjoy them with your nearest and dearest post-Easter egg hunt!

If you’d prefer a video, we found this charming Christmas DIY quite helpful!