Start out slow and don't worry about the cutting tools. These will come in time. Do you have a craft store--like JoAnn', Michels Hobby Lobby" Some of these stores can help you. To begin with try to find an experience scrapbooker, or go to a party like Creative Memories etc. There are a excellent variety of magazine avaiable, but again I found they are all about the same. You can go to different web sites, like Creative Memories and get a free newsletter. I found a great Fiskar trimmer at Office Max at a sale price. Your scrapbook can be as big or as little as you want it to be. You will find that making cards is fun too and the ideas are related. I also take simple cheap cards and add to them--pictures, stickers etc. Go to the library and you can find information free. Ask around and you probably will find someone who either makes cards and/or scrapbooks. Just type scrapbooks in google and you will be amazed. Oriental Trading Co has a catalog free. So does Paper Wishes. Get some free catalogs and you will get so many ideas. Good luck from someone who has boxes of stuff and still collecting and will get a book made soon.

These are great ideas - I should write them down so I remember them. Yesterday my adult kids came over for Father's Day and I can always count on my DD to bring something meaningful and heartfelt and usually on a budget. She had saved several empty spice bottles and made little flower arrangements in each and then tied them with a ribbon. She gave cornflowers to DH - they're one of his favorite flowers and then she made one with various colors of astilbe for me and my DIL got drift roses. I really liked this so for my luncheon I may copy her idea. I don't want to empty spice bottles at the moment but I have a Michael's, ACMoore, JoAnn fabrics etc. near so I think I'll pick up bud vases or something similar and use them.

She has an Henri Bendel black tote/school bag with purse charms. One of them is an HB hatbox that opens! These would be too rustic, alas. The idea od sewing them on a clutch is cool, too. But if anyone knows someone who makes sandals, I think that'd be super. And this time I think her feet are done growing. Maybe I should get her a gift ctf because she might want heels?

Avoid furniture made of particle board - be sure all the pieces you buy are solid wood - solid pieces of wood, not solid wood chips with lots of glue. The off-gassing of the glue in the particle board is toxic! Also, avoid synthetic bedding in any piece you buy - use 100% cotton and 100% cotton fill in quilts, or wool blankets. And avoid polyester foam synthetic pillows - use down or latex/rubber. Polyester is plastic and off-gasses, and adds micro-plastic to the rivers and therefore our water supply when washed. Or have custom bedspreads and quilts made - use cotton or linen. And if you want to avoid toxic off-gassing for your kids health - do not buy traditional mattresses - buy 100% natural foam rubber from rubber-trees in cotton & wool coverings. latexforless.com is a great place to get great beds for reasonable prices. Traditional beds have all kinds of fire-retardant material that actual burns very fast and is toxic for the first 20 years of use (all the time you own it!). And of course carpet off-gasses for the first 10-20 years, so you do not want that in a room that anyone sleeps in - it is important to not have toxins or allergens in sleeping rooms - for some reason it is worse there than in other non-sleeping rooms. And use Zero VOC paint and do not sleep in the room for a week or so. Hope this helps you create a healthy room for your kids - healthy non-toxic items are more important that layout or color, etc.