These gifts under $30 are cuter than Cupid and a perfect present for any gal-pal, Secret Cupid office draw, “just a friend” or even your own little cherub at home. They may not scream “It’s Valentine’s Day!” but hey, let’s leave that task to the lovebirds. Give a nod to the holiday in a thoughtful and whimsical way with these “sweet something” gift ideas:

Handmade Paper Scrolls

Give a grown-up Valentine in festive flair with these elegant paper notes made in India. ($3.99 at World Market)

Mechanical Music Box

Making sweet music has never been easier, or more adorable, than with this little mechanical music box. ($8.00 at Urban Outfitters)

Invisible Ink Pen Kit

This how-to booklet and invisible ink kit are perfect for penning a secret love letter or trying your hand at amateur espionage. ($20.00 at Amazon.com)

Candy Confetti Bracelet

Share the sweetness of candy, minus the calories, with this on-trend friendship bracelet. ($10.33 from Helloberry on Etsy)

Custom Holiday Pop-Tarts Gift Box

Breakfast in bed is great for a beau, but a custom box of holiday Pop-Tarts is also fun tribute to the most important meal of the day. ($14.95 at PopTartsWorld.com)

The Valentine Bird

Hacky Sack meets Beanie Baby in this precious handmade memento, perfect for an old friend or schoolmate. ($26.00 from Sabahnur on Etsy)

Fish Corkscrew

Sure, there are lots of fish in the sea, but this handy corkscrew has to be the most original way to pop open a bottle of wine on Valentine’s Day. ($16.00 at Urban Outfitters)

Wire Scalp Massager

No need to invest in an expensive spa day to give the gift of relaxation. This Wire Scalp Massager is probably the most cost-effective way to pamper a friend. ($2.98 at Amazon.com)

Venus Fly Trap Plant

A spunky alternative to the standard bouquet of roses, this Venus Fly Trap is a humorous way to commemorate the day. ($4.69 at Amazon.com)

Mini Easel Chalkboard

Don’t let the sweet talk stop at Valentine’s Day. Use this Mini Easel Chalkboard to leave thoughtful memos year round. ($6.99 at World Market)

Whoever the recipient, these sweet somethings are a gesture of gratitude to suit any budget. For more ideas, see the rest of our Valentine’s Day Gift Guide on the Elfster Shop page.

Check out the rest of the Gift Guide!

Photo credits: aussiegall

• I invented the Naughty List…

• People tell me I look like Cupid.

• You bring out the Yeti in me!

• I don’t wiggle my ears for just anyone, you know.

• Tiny hands give better backrubs.

• I think I just got struck by Cupid’s antler… And yes, I mean “antler”.

• Is it chilly in here? ‘Cuz you give me snow flurries!

• Santa’s busy… You can sit on my lap!

• My nose may be cold, but my heart is warm.

• There’s no height limit on love!

We could go on, but let’s hear some of your best elf pick-up lines!

Photo credit: Rainbow Photos!

In celebration of all things “dude”, today we hold an event so manly, so swaggering, that the only price for admission is a well-articulated grunt.  But be forewarned…  The Lumberjack Jamboree is no hayride!

If all this “He-Elf” talk has got you just the teensiest bit intimidated, you might want to read-up on how to beef-up your Christmas holiday. To put some hair on your chin, we recommend a heaping helping of these hearty Elfster blog articles:

Man-Up at the Mall: A Guy’s Holiday Game Plan

Left-Brain Tips for the Right “Guy” Gift

DIY for Dads

Now, back to our live coverage of the Lumberjack Jamboree…

Current Standings

Splitting a Sequoia-sized candy cane with a single swing of the axe put Elf Ed in an early lead this morning. Secure in his First Place position, Ed has now moved on to the “Mulberry Bush Massacre”. Here, he must not only resist the urge to skip around the bush, but also uproot it with his bare hands, hurling it straight into next Christmas!

Second Place belongs to Elf Steph who is busy whittling a deluxe set of Lincoln Logs as we speak. She may have nimble fingers, but her determination is as stoic as Honest Abe himself.

Elf Julie is working her way into Third Place sawing Yule Logs like there’s no tomorrow. But with her skillful hacking hand, she might just come back for a surprise victory!

Stay tuned for more Elf Week coverage in the next few days. Tomorrow’s event: The Reindeer Rally!

Photo credits: kevindooley , Darin Barry

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

makes 12 muffins

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice mix (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and lining a muffin pan with liners. In a large bowl, mix together the almond milk, vegetable oil, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract until smooth. In a different bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix to combine, and add in the chocolate chips. Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix together until combined, but don’t over work it! Spoon the batter into the muffin pan and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Photo and recipe: Another One Bites the Crust

Photos and recipe courtesy of

If you’re Chinese or know anyone who is, you’ve probably noticed the big red boxes of mooncakes springing up in stores and homes around the world. The gorgeous boxes contain intricately made and packaged sweets that are sure to make you salivate! Thanks to the popularization of these decadent cakes, you can now find unique and modern adaptations, using chocolate, ice cream, pistachios, cheese or espresso beans! Seems like everyone wants to get on the moon cake train!

Mooncakes not only symbolize the moon at one of its roundest nights, but was used as a sacrifice for the upcoming change in seasons. If you’re interested in making your own and don’t mind a challenging (but oh, so worth it) recipe for “snow skin” mooncakes, we have just the thing!

Ingredients

makes about 21 medium moon cakes

Skin

• 40g wheat starch (tang mien flour)
• 300g fried glutinous rice flour (koh fun)
• 245g icing sugar
• 65g shortening (I used melted copha, a vegetable shortening)
• 350ml cold water
• matcha powder
• yam/taro powder
• vanilla extract

Custard (fake egg yolk)

• 100g sugar
• 25g corn flour
• 20g low protein flour
• 20g custard powder
• 50ml coconut milk
• 80ml milk
• 1 egg yolk
• 10g butter, melted
• few drops of yellow coloring

Filling

• 250g  of taro paste, or any other flavors you prefer
  Chinese markets generally sell pastes of lotus seed, green tea and red bean, to name a few

Directions

1. Make the custard first. Sift all the dry ingredients.
2. Add the liquid ingredients apart from the butter.
3. Add the melted butter when all is mixed.
4. Steam for 30 mins or until cooked.
5. Let cool, then roll into little balls that resemble egg yolks.
6. For the snow skin, sift all the dry ingredients together.
7. Split into bowls for as many flavors you’re making.
8. Add matcha powder and other powders to bowls.
9. Split the water into the bowls equally, as with the shortening.
10. Add vanilla extract to taste.
11. Mix until a dough is formed. If too sticky, add more fried glutinous rice flour until it can be handled.
12. Wrap some of the filling around each ‘egg yolk’. Then wrap some of the snow skin around that. (I used the matcha snowskin with green tea paste, the vanilla snowskin with white lotus paste and the yam/taro snowskin with the taro paste). You should now have a three layered ball (outer snowskin, filling and inner custard ‘egg yolk’).
13. Dust with fried glutinous rice flour. Dust the mooncake molds as well. Press gently into the molds and carefully remove.
14. Refrigerate overnight, consume within a week.

An all-American rendition of Oreo cookies and vanilla ice cream from Healthy Food For Living.

Green tea and red bean ice cream between pillowy Japanese pancakes (dorayaki) from my buttery fingers.

French matcha macarons with pistachio ice cream at Kirbie’s Cravings might be our definition of heaven.Airy Italian pizzelle cookies and Nutella add sweet texture to gelato at The Italian Dish.

‘Tis the season for graduations! Chances are you probably know quite a few people finishing up school and embarking on the next phase of life these few weeks. Traditional presents such as flowers and cards and cash are lovely, but there’s always room to throw in a creative sweet treat! Send them into the real world with with these chocolate graduation cap lollipops. They’re much better tasting (and more chic) than the real thing!

Materials

Sour Gummy Belts

Peanut Butter Cups

Small chocolate squares (such as Godiva)

lollipop sticks

Directions

1. Melt a bit of chocolate to use as the “glue” for your caps.
2. Cut gummy belts into strips. These will become the tassle.
3. Unwrap PB cups and place on a sheet of wax paper a dip the end of a lollipop stick in some melted chocolate and carefully insert into the candy cups. If they are too cold, the cups will split apart. Just insert the sticks about halfway and let dry.
4. Unwrap a chocolate square and spread or pipe some melted chocolate on top. Glue on a short piece of the candy belt and top with a mini chocolate chip in the same color to match.
5. When the tops are dry, glue them on the candy cups using some more of the melted chocolate and insert into a styrofoam block to finish drying

Photo and instructions courtesy of Design*Sponge

This homemade lotion moisturizes your skin after all those winter months, and brings you fragrance of a thousand roses at the same time! Perfect for a Mother’s Day present, all it takes is olive oil, water and a little bit of emulsifying wax to create a rich, natural lotion for a couple bucks. Both rosewater or essential oils can be used, and you can always add in a little extra sandalwood or green tea for a more complex scent!

Materials

• pyrex measuring cup
• canning jars
• 1 1/4 cup hot water (I substituted with 1/4 cup rose water)
• 1/4 cup oil (olive or other emollient oils) I used grapeseed oil.
• 1/4 cup emulsifying wax
• essential oils if wanted
• 

Directions

1. Combine wax and oil in measuring cup.
2. Heat on stove top slowly, until melted. Add several drops (around 20) of essential oils. In separate container, microwave water for one minute.
3. Pour hot water into melted wax/oil mixture. It should turn opaque and require no stirring.
4. Pour hot lotion into jars and seal. Let set overnight.
5. As your lotion contains no preservatives, be sure to refrigerate and be on the lookout for mold. [Some lotions without preservatives can go bad as quickly as one to two weeks, so be sure to toss anything if bubbles, lumps or mold appear]

Notice all the new baby birds chirping outside yet? Whether you’re bathing in sunshine or it’s still feeling like a popsicle, these felt birds will brighten any room or car. The template is easy to trace and cut, and in minutes you can make dozens of versatile birdies for any craft. String them together or stick them on some foraged branches, and say hello to Spring!

Materials

• Thick felt (3mm)
• Leather punch
• String
• small wooden beads (6mm)
• scissors
• a drawing of a bird
• pencil
• thin metal wire

Directions

1. Cut out the bird.
2. Punch the holes so that you can mark their position on the felt later.
3. Place the bird on the felt and trace with a pencil.
4. Cut out the bird.
5. Mark the position of the holes with a pencil on the birds.
6. Take the leather punch and punch out the marked spots. Don’t punch them too close to the edges so that the holes won’t rip when you put the thread through later on.
7. Cut 2 pieces of thread about 12cm or 4,5″ long.
8. Cut a little piece of thin metal wire, to help pull the thread through the tiny holes.
9. Fold the metal wire double and put the thread in between so that it’s stuck. Pull the metal wire through the hole.
10. Then pull the two ends through the loop.
11. Make a knot at the ends.
12. Pull the thread through one hole and via the back through the other hole.
13. Then thread a wooden bead on each end and tie the knot.

Turn those rubber foam drawer linings into artsy coasters for your coffee table with just a few materials! These are faster and easier to make than your morning cup of joe, and can be as fancy or simple as you’d like. With a pair of scissors and a craft punch, you can design them yourself and why stop at coasters? Matching placemats would be adorable!

Materials

• scissors
• cutting mat
• grip drawer liner (this is found with other contact paper and drawer lining products in hardware stores)
• craft hole paper punch (this allows you to punch holes anywhere on a sheet of paper. it usually comes with three size tips for making small, medium, and large holes)
• hammer

Instructions

1. find something circular to trace that is a good coaster size. unroll your grip liner sheet and trace the circle shape on the backside of the material.
2. find something circular with a smaller circumference and center it inside the bigger circle. trace this on the back as well.
3. using the small circle as a guide, punch 8 large holes, spaced evenly along the circle’s circumference. to punch the holes, place the punch down on the surface of the materials and tap it firmly with the hammer. lift up to see a clean hole. if the materials did not come off completely, place the punch down in the exact same place and tap harder with the hammer.
4. punch 5 medium size holes evenly spaced around each large hole, like petals of a flower.
5. punch two small holes on either side of each “flower” you just punched, along the line of the circle you traced.
6. now you can add holes of various sizes anywhere you’d like. you can also vary this pattern to create different lace patterns.
7. use your scissors to cut out the large circle shape. if you want petal shaped edges, then cut around the flowers you punched, leaving about 1/2 inch of space between the flowers and the edge.
8. repeat all steps three more times to get four matching coasters (or make each coaster different).