The DIY Christmas Gift

Every year Christmas shopping becomes more and more of a challenge. Bottom line: guys are MUCH harder to shop for then girls. My three brothers do not make it easy. They all have very specific tastes and although they always know what they don't like, they rarely can put their finger on things they love. Needless to say, unless they produce detailed Christmas lists, every year the presents are a gamble. 

Josh has always been the most easy going and content kid in our family. Even when he was in elementary school he would say things like, "I don't really want anything for Christmas. I have everything I need." How do you shop for someone like that? 

There is one thing Josh loves though - the Texas Longhorns. Don't ask me why. Even the sight of that burnt orange makes me gag. 

While shopping in Old Colorado City a few months ago I ran across a store full of decorative tiles and low and behold, they had Texas Longhorn tiles stacked on one of the shelves. I knew I wanted to find a way to turn them into a gift for Josh and Christmas seemed like the perfect opportunity. 

I found a nice looking box at Hobby Lobby and decided to tile the bottom of it. Then he could use the box for keys or his wallet or just a place to dump all of those random necessities that you always seem to misplace. Next I made the trip to Home Depot for some grout and a few other items. It was time for the real work to begin.

First I used the adhesive to paste the tiles into place.

After letting the adhesive sit over night, I grouted the tiles. Unfortunately I ended up having to grout them twice because after it settled the first time, there were a few cracks. 

Merry Christmas Josh! I didn't get an overwhelming response when the moment of truth arrived (although it was a bit happier than the expression captured in this photo), but I think he really did love that I made it.