Another fish extender gift

A few posts back I mentioned that we’d just returned from another Disney cruise–this one aboard the beautiful Disney Fantasy.  As has become tradition, we did indeed participate in the fish extender gift exchange.  A few readers have asked for details on the gift, so I’m posting it today.

We went super simple this time and gave a “Disneyfied” notebook and personalized pen.  One thing I’ve learned, though, is that packaging can make or break just about any gift, so I wanted to make sure that ours was cute.  I think it turned out nicely, don’t you?

The notebooks were purchased at Target for $1.64 each.  They were just plain, spiral-bound memo books with black covers.  A simple sprinkling of pixie dust transformed them into these.

I simply cut a sheet of black cardstock to fit.  From there, I glued on red and yellow cardstock to resemble Mickey’s wardrobe and added the two white circles as stand-ins for Mickey’s buttons.  I used my punch to cut out the red Mickey head and glued it in the corner.  Lastly, I applied some Mickey ear stickers (not shown in the second photo) at the bottom of the notebook just for detail.  The ball point pens were custom ordered (very inexpensively thanks to a Groupon) from Vistaprint with our cruise meet group name and cruise dates printed on a tropical background.

To finish, I placed each notebook and pen into a plastic treat bag, tied with coordinating ribbon and placed a “Happy Cruising, From the Maranich Family” sticker in the corner.

To see our previous fish extender gifts see:

Magnets
6 Fish extender gift ideas
Hot chocolate mix-ins

10 comments

  1. Ah… these are so cute and you are crafty. You must be on the DISgroups.

    I told DH next cruise, I am opting out of FE gifts as I stress so much over it, but then I would miss out on all these lovely items from others. And DD would just miss finding the surprise each time she walk back to the room.

    1. I know how you feel. I’ve threatened to opt out of FE groups, too, if only because it’s a pain to lug all that stuff across the country. But alas, I’ve yet to follow through on that threat!

  2. We’re cruising in December and I’m stressing about what to give! These are cute, I’ll have to add this to the list of possibles. :) I keep thinking I’ll give it up as well, but the kids love getting “mail” every time we get back to the rooms!

  3. I’m on the West coast, and driving to the port for the Wonder is a whole different ballgame than packing up and flying to another coast with a suitcase filled with FE gifts, especially when yu have to pay per suitcase. I would think long and hard about doing the FEs again, or at least really simplify, if I had to fly for a cruise. Your idea was perfect.

  4. okay so not only am I going to steal this ( I am going on my first cruise may 2015, but I have been stressing since this is my first FE) but I am also making this into a smash book for myself (my bf and I are going on the 14 night panama canal repositioning cruise!!!!) thank you for the amazing idea!!!

  5. where did you get the mickey ear stickers for the bottom of the notebook?

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