10.06.2012

date night scratch-offs


For our first anniversary, I wanted to make a sweet little gift for my husband that was fun yet practical. These date card scratch-offs were just the ticket. These will help us with the "what do you want to do tonight?"..."I don't care, whatever you want to do" moments.
_______________________________________________
Here's what you'll need to make your own:

scratch off templates (here & here)
scissors or paper cutter
clear contact paper
dish soap
silver paint
paint brush
_______________________________________________

First, start by cutting your date cards apart (there are little light guide lines printed on the cards to help you out). Once they're cut, fill in the blocks with your date ideas. I used a computer to do mine but I think handwritten dates would be just as cute (if not cuter). Tips: if you use a lighter pen, you won't need as many coats of paint to cover your options. (NOTE: I've blurred out my date options so my husband won't see... He'll just have to wait and scratch them off later).


Next, cut your contact paper into small squares just big enough to cover your date boxes. Peel and stick your contact paper in place.


After all of your contact paper is applied, make your paint mixture by mixing 2 parts paint to 1 part dish soap. Make sure you mix it around really well so that the soap and paint are well blended.


Apply 2-3 coats of paint over your contact paper (or however many coats it takes to cover your hand written date ideas). I used a metallic paint and I feel like the coverage was not as good as a normal paint. I had to do 4 coats. Oh well - lesson learned.


Allow your scratch offs to fully dry and you have a fun, unique gift! These scratch offs were accompanied by a "date jar"... I filled this with money, movie tickets, groupons, etc... perfect for those nights that we feel like we shouldn't go out and spend a lot money. We can simply grab a few bucks out of the jar and have ourselves a little date.


Images I used to make the coupons were found here:
hamburgermovie reelcherry pie"recipe book"bedbicyclepopcorn, & car
Photobucket
[p.s. this post may be linked to any number of these blogs]

13 comments:

  1. I'm so glad I ran across this--my fiance and I had one of those "What do you want to do," "I don't know, what do you want to do?" moments today--and we ended up doing nothing! I'm definitely trying this out! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. oh good! I'm so glad you like them :) Thanks for stopping by.

      Delete
  2. What a fun idea! It can be hard to decide what to do for a date night. This would be such a huge help!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yes - it can be very hard to decide what to do. These help with the guessing game :) Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  3. Umm...this idea is SOOOO cute! I might just have to copy it :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! Grab the printables and make your own :) Let me know how they turn out! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a sweet comment.

      Delete
  4. What a cute idea! Bryan and I are currently in a "whatever you want to do" funk. No anniversary is coming up, but I may just have to make these anyway!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Katie! Adam and I get in that funk too... I'm hoping these date cards will help. They're a good "just for fun" gift as well!

      Delete
  5. That looks great! My husband and I have always had a rule that we exchange handmade gifts at Christmas, spending less than $20. This would be perfect!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What a great tradition. So far the date cards have been a hit with my husband :) Have fun if you decide to make your own!

      Delete
  6. This is an AMAZING idea!! Super fun!!!! I wanna try this!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I will for sure be trying this! My hubby after12 years and three kids really feels we don't have the time for silly date nights.. but I think if I put a different spin on it he will change his mind.. Thanks for such a great idea..

    ReplyDelete
  8. Revisiting this one for xmas. So excited. My husband and I make our own gifts as one commentor mentioned. It take the focus off the material but still can end up being "stuff". This is going to be great (and we tend to get competitive on how much $$ we spend. Totally can do this one for FREE!!!)

    ReplyDelete

All comments will be answered/responded to by email. Please make sure your email address is linked up to your account so I can reply. Thanks for leaving me some love :)