The celebrations are just non-stop these days. Yesterday it was Father’s Day, the week before it was Z’s Bday/our anniversary/6 months til the wedding day.

Seeing as how Z was away at National Guard training for his birthday, the celebration was a bit delayed. I had an idea in mind for a little DIY craft project for the occasion.

I completely stole the idea from Tina over at Carrots and Cake. She did this for her husband’s birthday and it seemed so simple, yet meaningful. Each of the 9 gift bags is filled with a small gift or treat. Tina was hardcore and put in an item starting with the specific letter on the bag. That is quite tricky, but if you’re feeling ambitious, go for it!

This craft couldn’t be more simple. Here’s what you need to know…

Supplies

• 1 Happy Birthday banner ($2 from Target).
• 9 Assorted gift bags ($1 from Dollar General).
• Scissors
• Tape
• Gifts!

Instructions

Step 1: Cut apart letters from banner.

Step 2: Using tape (or other adhesive) attached letters to bag.

Step 3: Fill bag with treats!

Here’s what I put in:

• Nalgene water bottle
• Maple bacon chocolate (he’s been eyeing it for months!)
• Hot honey crunch snack mix
• Chocolate: Nutella & go, Justin’s Dark Chocolate PB Cups
• Sweet mango chips
• Dunkin Donuts hazelnut coffee

The 9th bag had a “look on the second shelf of the fridge” note. There he found Sinless Samoas. A Girl Scout cookie-inspired recipe from Eating Bird Food that he’s been wanting me to make for awhile now.

~ dates, almond butter, toasted coconut, chocolate chips ~

Set-Up & Surprise

I lined up the bags in our guestroom and laid out all the cards that had come in the mail for him while he was gone.

Needless to say, Z was thoroughly surprised and had a great time opening each card and discovering the treats in each bag.

His Mom even sent a letter with two pictures from his 1st Birthday. You should see the curls he had!

I had just as much fun putting this all together as Z did opening it. The best part is that it’s totally customizable and can be filled with whatever types of gifts your special someone might enjoy.

If you’re looking for an easy birthday surprise, give this a try!

I want to know…

What was one thing you got for your last birthday?