Tag Archives: ideas

A Fun Way to Take Your Kids’ Halloween Costume to the Next Level

September 23, 2015 - posted by Jerica Parker

BANG! PEW PEW!! ARRGG!

Yep… it’s that time of year again. Kids running around dressed up, pretending they’re pirates or cowboys with their imaginary swords and guns. Well, let’s make their game of pretend a reality! No… not with REAL swords or guns… but here at Smith and Edwards we have Wooden Toy Swords and Rubber Band Guns that your kids will just love!

Some kids enjoying the rubber band shooting gallery at our Fall Kickoff

Kolt and Tynisha enjoying the rubber band shooting gallery at our Fall Kickoff

Kids dream of having their own gun or sword as a part of their Halloween get-up: from pirates to soldiers to their favorite comic book character. Yes – all the wooden guns feature the orange plastic safety tip!

The best part is that you can decorate these wooden toys however you like! It’s all part of the fun to let your kids paint, color, and design their own personalized swords or shields. And when you do, send us in photos of your creations! We would love to see them :)

Check out all our different models of Wooden Swords, Shields, and Rubber Band Guns.

The jeep in the surplus department has seen some serious fights!

So make your child’s Halloween costume complete this year with cute additions such as these wooden toys. Even if it’s not Halloween, these are great gifts for your child to play their heart out anytime.

Smith and Edwards employees Chris and Kevin show us that you are never too old for pretend

Looking for more creative ideas for this Halloween? Melissa and Ashley, part of the team here at Smith and Edwards, has awesome ideas on Halloween Mason Jar Decorations.

Explore all our wooden toy swords and rubber band guns!

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A Sweet Teacher’s Gift Idea

May 22, 2015 - posted by Rose Marion

Teachers don’t get enough credit! And as we reach the end of the school year, we want to do something for them…. that isn’t ANOTHER apple-decorated knick-knack.

Sara here at Smith & Edwards came up with the sweetest idea for her son & daughter’s teachers.

How to Make this Sweet Teacher’s Gift

You only need 3 items to make this sweet gift that your child’s teacher will surely appreciate:

Tulle
StemGem Strawberry Huller
A carton of strawberries!

Strawberry teacher gifts for the ender of the year

What a sweet teacher’s gift idea!

So simple, but so thoughtful. When you get to the end of the school year, it’s all about keeping it simple. And your teacher will love it.

Love the tags Sara used? She turned them into a free printable that you can download!

Click here to download the printable (299kb). It has 4 tags & directions. Thanks, Sara!

Love it? Pin it!

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Ladies’ Turquoise & Aztec Outfit Inspiration for Spring

March 5, 2015 - posted by Misti Kosoff

Need a little spring outfit inspiration? This outfit is all about turquoise and that fun, edgy Aztec pattern you see everywhere now. Dress it up with shiny or antiqued silver, while keeping warm in soft knit cardigan by Stetson. Check out your Aztec outfit inspiration for this month:

This is your perfect outfit going into spring!

Put this so-soft Stetson acrylic/wool blend Aztec cardigan on over a fun lightweight chiffon Aztec-print tank. Pair them with Cowgirl Tuff turquoise stitch amazing fit jeans.

Then, top it off with the perfect silver Aztec-inspired jewelry: pictured, Montana Silversmiths antiqued silver filigree cuff and Rock 47 Aztec chevron necklace and earrings set.

It’s all about the accessories: choose Tony Lama boots (get them online!) and a black leather belt with just the right amount of bling – this belt is studded with turquoise chips, crystals, and silver spots. Finish with a Nine West black bag and an Aztec beaded headband.

Wow, a little Aztec overload – but put it all together and it makes for a fun, stylish, comfortable go-to outfit.

When you come in to Smith & Edwards, you’ll find all these fun clothes in the Clothing department. You’ll get even more fun spring outfit ideas when you’re here! The gorgeous belt, headband, purse, & the Rock 47 and Montana Silversmiths jewelry are located in the Western department.

Love this outfit? Please remember to Pin it or share it on Facebook so you can come back to it again & again!

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Crafty Bloggers’ Valentine Tulle Challenge!

February 2, 2015 - posted by Amy Griffiths

For many of us, we get just about as excited for Valentine’s Day as we do for Christmas. It’s not so much about the gifts as it is about decorating! Reds, Whites, and Pinks, oh my!

I found some incredible ladies who love it just as much as I do. I call them the crafty bloggers because they are so talented and have their own darling blogs in which they share their ideas and creations with others.

The Challenge

Here’s what I told them: We’ll give each of you 3 rolls of tulle (pink, red, and white of course) and you can be as creative as you want with it. You can use other items but the tulle should be a main supply/focal point used. The trick is to see the fun ways you can use tulle for Valentine’s Day or decorating.

I’ve been so excited to see what they’ve come up with! Ready for the unveiling? Let’s check them out!

The Reveal

Click the image to get step-by-step instructions on how to make a tulle valentine bunting of your own!

Next we’ve got Staci from The Potters-Place.

Click on the image to find out what she did to create this look.

Last but not least we’ve got Natalie from The Creative Mom.

Click on the image to get a tutorial on how you can make a wreath like this one.

Nice job ladies! Thank you so much for taking the Crafty Blogger’s Valentine Tulle Challenge. I feel even more inspired to get out the tulle and start crafting!

Your Turn

So what about you? What do you think about these projects? Are there any that you want to try? Let me know in the comments below. Send pictures if you try something on your own. I’d love to show them off on our brag board!

You can check out my Valentine’s Project Idea here to find out how to make this fun, quick, and easy tulle ornament. You get step-by-step instructions that will hopefully help inspire your creative juices to flow as well as the great ideas above.

If you would like to be a part of our next bloggers’ challenge, leave a comment below. Happy crafting!

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Clever Valentine Ideas for Your Sweetheart

January 30, 2015 - posted by Amy Griffiths

Flowers? Chocolates? That’s so been done. This year give your sweetie something that not only declares your love but that’s clever and useful too. Keep scrolling for our top picks that are bound to bring a smile to his or her face.

His & Hers Giveaways

But first – enter to win these sweet His & Hers Valentines’ Giveaways from us!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Special Gifts for your Sweetheart from Smith and Edwards

What says I love you more than Smith and Edwards gun mugs? Okay, there might be something out there, but you know your Valentine will love these! Tell her, “Shoot, I’d marry you all over again!”

Find the black one here and the pink one here.

Tell him you couldn’t survive without him with a very cool and high quality survival kit by Ultimate Survival Technology.

Find more 1st aid kits and supplies here.

Tell her she’s the light of your life with a Lumaspot Rhythm lantern she’s going to love. Not only is it durable and dependable, it comes with color changing LED disco lights with MP3 compatibility. I love this thing!

Find more lighting options here.

If you know your Valentine loves to fish, tell him that out of all the fish in the sea, you’ve made a great catch! Then give him a box of new fishing lures and jigs you know he’ll love.

Find more fishing tackle and bait here as well as the perfect Smith and Edwards compartment box here.

For the avid outdoorsman, tell him he’s found the way straight to your heart. Then give him a high quality compass like this one from Brunton.

Find more compasses here.

To really spice things up, tell her she’s one hot mama and give her some Hot & Spicy jerky seasoning from Nesco. You may want to throw in some Supreme Hot Sauce as well!

Find jerky guns here and more seasonings here.

If he’s a good ole western boy, tell him he makes your heart sing and give him some classic western music.

Find more western music CD’s here.

They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. With this heart mold from Tovolo you can remind him how much you love him all year long.

You can’t go wrong with a Stainless Steel Magnetic Bracelet by Sabona® for him or her. When you’ve got a gift this classy, there’s no need to write something clever! The bracelet speaks for itself – top quality, well made, and gorgeous!

Find more styles of Sabona® bracelets here. And make sure you entered to WIN one a Sabona bracelet at the top of this post!

Hope this gives you some new ideas for your Sweetheart. Got some clever valentine ideas of your own? Please share them by commenting below. We’d love to hear what you’ve done!

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Easy Valentine’s Craft Idea

January 9, 2015 - posted by Amy Griffiths

February is right around the corner and you know what that means….Valentine’s Day! I’m a sucker for Valentine’s Day. It’s not so much the presents as it is the colors, decorating, and celebrating those I love.

To share my love for the season I’m going to share an easy Valentine’s craft idea. It’s made with one of my favorite supplies to use…..tulle! It’s so versatile, never loses its shape, and the colors are so vibrant! Adults and kids alike will have fun making these. They are fabulous for 4-H craft projects as well as many other youth groups activities.

Back in December I gave you a peek at this tulle project idea, but in honor of those sweet ones in our lives you now get a step-by-step tutorial. This one is designed for Valentines but it’s a terrific project anytime of year by just mixing up the colors.

Supplies you need:

5 colors of tulle (I used Silver Gray, Fuchsia, Flamingo Pink, Pink, and White)
Regular size canning jar lid and ring
Scissors
Ruler

To begin this project you need to cut:
Eight 6″ pieces of Silver Gray, Flamingo Pink, Pink, and White
Six 6″ pieces of Fuchsia
One 12″ piece of Fuchsia

Let’s get started!

The first thing you’ll want to do is make a loop with one of your 6″ pieces of tulle. Place it outside the ring and thread your ends over the ring, through the loop, and pull. This knot is also known as a Larks Head Knot.

Continue making knots in the pattern of colors you want to use.

I like to make the hanging loop after I’ve tied about half of the knots on the ring. You make this by tying both ends in double knots over the ring. The knot will look different than the others but it blends in beautifully when it’s all done.

Tie more lark head knots in between your double knots, just like you were doing in the beginning. Continue to follow your original color pattern.

Finish tying until all your tulle is used and your ring is completely covered. They should fit nice and snug so you can no longer see the ring.

Now is the time that I cut out my picture to place in the ornament. It needs to be about 2.5″ in diameter. You can fasten the photo to the center of your lid with a scrapbooking adhesive, but I prefer without.

Before I insert my picture I like to pull all the knots forward, towards the top of the ring. Then I insert the picture from the back end, pushing the lid in behind it for a nice backing. Not a big deal, but I like the look better when it’s done.

You’re almost done! Now all you need to do is “fluff” your tulle. For each knot I pull the ends of the tulle in opposite directions til you are happy with the overall look.

Now that’s a Valentine to be proud of!

Now what?

Now that you’ve found a source of inspiration for a project of your own, check out our tulle here for a bigger selection of regular and glitter tulle that will make your projects pop with color. Then send us pictures of your finished projects to info@smithandedwards.com so we can show them off!

Come play with us on Pinterest! Follow us to get more creative ideas and be sure to pin this image so your friends can get inspired too. Share the love this Valentine’s Day!

Hugs & Kisses!

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Last Minute Gift Ideas – Under $10!

December 12, 2014 - posted by Amy Griffiths

It’s getting close. You can almost hear the faint jingle bells from Santa’s sleigh. Are you ready?

If you are anything like me you’ve still got some last minute gifts to look for. There are neighbors, co-workers something for the babysitter, and especially those stockings. Why did we think it was such a good idea to have such big stockings!

Time may be running out but you can still find some really fun gifts that they’re going to love. And all under $10!

Pez Dispensers

The kids will go crazy for Pez in their favorite characters. Frozen’s Elsa, Anna, and Olaf along with other favorites like Cars, Toy Story, Rudolf and more will be the hit of the morning. They are only $1.29 each in-store or get the set of 3 Frozen characters of online only for just $3.79 through 12/27/14.

Redneck Repair Kit

This clever gift is as humorous as it is useful! On sale now for only $9.99 through 12/27/14. In-store and online

Poo-Pourri

Nope. Not a misspelling. This ultra popular gift is the gift that keeps on giving. Sure it brings a chuckle when the gift is unwrapped, but when it’s actually used you’ll be glad you have it and be back for more! Lots of scents to choose from. In-store only

Red Santa Hats

These are not your ordinary Santa hat! These adorable caps have a velcro closure in the back so you can stuff them with sweet treats, small gifts, or any fun little surprise. They are also a darling decorations just by themselves. You’re not going to believe it. Only $.99 for a set of 4 through 12/27/14!

Fingernail Polish/Makeup Kits

We have some darling kits that your girls both young and old are going to love! They’re a great bargain starting at only $3.99 through 12/27/14. In-store only

Mini Branding Irons

What a fun way to monogram! Don’t think these are just for the kids. Your super stud will start branding everything he owns, starting with his steak with these cool irons. You may not want to turn your back to him for the first week though, to make sure you’re not next! In-store and online for just $5.99-$8.99 through 12/27/14.

Camouflage Bandages

Always a winner, these camo bandages are just what the doctor ordered. My kids actually ask for bandages in their stockings! In-store only

Flashlights

Okay, the idea isn’t new but they are always a favorite. It seems the kids and dad can never get enough, yet they’re never around when we need them!

At Smith and Edwards you’ll be able to find any flashlight you need, with tons to choose from. The mini ones are great for stockings and the kiddos, while dad will really get excited about a mighty King’s Camo Mongo, or maybe something big and bright from Mag-Lite. You just can’t go wrong with a flashlight. Prices start at 2/$5 through 12/27/14. In-store only

Spatulas

You can never have too many spatulas, especially when they are so pretty! You won’t believe the selection of colors and styles we’ve got. In-store you’ll find 33 colors of this one style alone! You’re sure to find her/his favorite color. In-store and online

Bonus Gift Idea: DIY Tulle Ornament

And for those of you who like to add a personal touch, try out this super easy and inexpensive tulle ornament. All you need is some rolls of 6″ tulle, a regular canning jar ring, a canning lid, and a photo you want to use. That’s it!

Update: Due to requests, I made this project into a tutorial! Click here for the Sweetheart Ornament How-To.

Start by cutting 21 pieces of tulle 8″ long, and one 12″ piece. I used three different colors, so I cut 7 pieces of each.

Hold your ring upside down and make a loop on the back side with your tulle. On the front side, pull your 2 ends through the loop and pull. Both ends should be facing down.

Keep tying your tulle around your ring until it is full. Take your 12″ piece of tulle and tie in a regular knot by the sides of the corresponding color you chose. (Here I used the green, so I tied it right next to the greens so it would blend in.)

Cut your photo just smaller than the canning ring. Glue it to the ring and push it in place from the back.

Ta-da! You’re done. They’ll love it and you’ll want to make more for your tree next year! (Wouldn’t it be darling with cute little Christmas sayings inside all over your tree?!)

You’ll find a terrific selection of glitter and regular tulle at great prices both in-store and online

Hope this gives you some fun last minute gift ideas! May you be able to rest soon, sit back, relax, and enjoy the rest of the Christmas season with friends and family.

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Rejuvenate your Home with new Paint Palettes!

December 14, 2013 - posted by Rose Marion

Lots of hardware and home improvement stores have paint departments with all those wonderful rainbows of paint chips.

If you’re building your own home, starting to personalize your new house, or finally getting around to touching up after the kids have flown the nest – you know how important those color swatches are, and how much time you can spend with them!

Picking Paint Palettes

One of my favorite things to do when I’m trying to pick paint colors – it’s a long-term decision! – is go to Pinterest and search for paint color palettes and inspiration. I love the colors people have already put together – much better than trying to hope the colors I choose will play nicely together!

And you know what? The paint counter at Smith & Edwards has several color palettes already created in gorgeous combinations with paint chips right in the palette! You’ve got to come in and see them! Take home a sample and tack it to the wall so you can visualize how your living room would look in a brand new coat of paint.

Valspar color trio palettes at Smith & Edwards

Smith & Edwards’ new Valspar color trio palettes

Clark+Kensington paint chips, top, and room color paint palettes

Perfect “mood” palettes from Clark and Kensington

This one’s my favorite – I’m picking colors for our living room and dining room, and this is what I’m settled on: a vanilla-cream on the walls, and white trim. Look at the great options I can use for accents!

Plus I can take this palette when I’m shopping for bookshelves, choosing photos to hang on the walls, and picking out our new couch to make sure everything complements the room.

Smith & Edwards Paint Department gets a Makeover!

These new color palettes are just a tiny part of the big changes in our paint department! That’s right, after years of helping thousands of Utah homeowners improve their home’s appearance – we’ve gotten a makeover, too!

Check out the amazing new lighting – much easier to see true colors and match paints:
(old and new paint counter)

Before…

After…

It’s so bright and clean… we love it! How about you?

The reason for our remodel? We’ve brought in a new line of paint, Valspar, which is a premium paint. It’s got amazing pigments that give you brighter, more vibrant color!

Valspar comes in 2 grades. Aspire is a mid grade paint that’s similar to Clark+Kensington and is pretty durable. Optimus is the high-end Valspar paint and primer, and it’s incredibly durable. You can clean lipstick off flat Optimus without leaving a trace! – and it has great coverage.

Randy, our Paint department manager, will be happy to help you pick the perfect grade of paint!

And because they’re part of the same family, we can exactly color-match Valspar to Clark+Kensington and Ace Royal paints you’ve already got at home.

Clark + Kensington was recently rated #1 among leading paint brands by Consumer Reports. So you know you’re going to get the best paint for your project here at Smith & Edwards!

Sample Paint Pints

Here’s something more you can do than just tack that color palette up on your wall. Just tell us what colors you’d like to test drive, and we’ll mix them up for you and set you up with sample pints of Valspar or Clark+Kensington paint for just $4.99.

That way you can really get a feel for how the colors will affect the mood of the room, how they’ll enhance your furniture and cozy or freshen the feel of the space. You could get a sheet of chipboard and mock up what the room would look like – that way you get a much better idea than just 3″ paint chip swatches.

And while we’re probably the only ones who are excited about this, we’ve also got new displays and signage to match our new modern look! It’s like getting new sconces for us – aren’t they amazing?

(we think so!)

And since a lot of gluing seems to happen whenever there’s remodeling, we collected all our glues and plopped them right next to the paint so they’re easy to find. From E6000 to wood glues and of course Gorilla Glue, you’ll find the glue your projects need.

Come on in & visit!

And just wait… there is something exciting that Randy and the paint department can do with Valspar paints that they’ve never been able to do before! Come in and ask them about it, or wait to see the in-store demo we’ve got coming up in 2014. (Hint: it’s something to do with chalk!)

So come on in to Smith & Edwards and check out our huge range of paints and colors for home inspiration. The Paint department is just past the main entrance around aisles 19-23. Randy and Brenda can’t wait to help you find and match the perfect hues for your living room, dining room, bathroom, bedroom, or kitchen!

Smith and Edwards Paint Dept will get you the results you want!

Come on in and let’s pick out your colors!

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Amazing Holiday Gift Wrap Ideas from All Wrapped Up!

November 16, 2013 - posted by Rose Marion

Today we had an amazing demonstration in-store: Leslie Sackett and Bonnie Hohman from All Wrapped Up, a Layton-based wrapping paper company, stopped in for a couple hours to give us great ideas on Christmas gifts for kids and neighbors – and great ways to decorate those gifts, too!

Bonnie and Leslie sharing holiday gift wrap ideas today at Smith & Edwards! Check out the green polka-dot gift: sodas because you’re “Soda-lighted” to be neighbors! :)

I was blown away by how many cool ideas Leslie and Bonnie had – and these weren’t outrageous, hard-to-find gifts. These are fun, everyday items that people love to get as gifts – but Leslie and Bonnie made them look like a million bucks!

Leslie and Bonnie know all about wrapping amazing gifts because they’ve built an entire business around making gifts look great with premium wrapping paper!

Take a look:

Holiday Gift Wrap Ideas from Bonnie & Leslie:

Smith & Edwards Holiday Gift Ideas: Hot Chocolate and Pamper Yourself

On the left, give the gift of hot chocolate! A mug (these shown are from the popular “That’s All” line), hot cocoa mix, marshmallows, and you could even add candy canes!
I’ll show you a close-up of the middle fudge can – keep reading!
At far right, “Wishing you Warm & Cozy Toes this Winter” has a theme of pamper-yourself goodies. What great holiday gift ideas for neighbors, teachers, and friends!

I love this 5-gallon “game night” bucket that’s wrapped in Santa wrapping paper – it’s perfect for neighbors as well as kids! You can even add cards and your kids’ favorite games, like Sorry!, in the bucket. Perfect for young kids as well as kids who are just starting their own family themselves.

Holiday gift wrap ideas at Smith & Edwards

All you need is a 5-gallon bucket, your kids’ or your neighbors’ favorite candy, and some tulle and wrapping paper, for a great holiday gift idea!

Bonnie and Leslie are really creative, so they found some poems to attach to the gifts that are fun – you can print them out on white paper and glue them to scrapbook paper or matching wrapping paper for a really charming look.

Fudge holiday gift ideas at Smith & Edwards

This poem explains that they ran out of time to make fudge – so here are all the fixins to make their own fudge themselves! (click to view larger)

Cute M&M’s candy gift idea made with M&Ms, a poem, wrapping paper, tulle… and is that a paint can?

Yep- those are real paint cans! Use Bonnie and Leslie’s idea – you can buy never-used, brand-new paint cans here at Smith & Edwards and here on SmithandEdwards.com.

Bonnie told me, So many people will wrap their gifts in a box. But how neat is it to put your gifts in a paint can? It’s a really unique idea they’ll remember!

To make a paint-can gift, simply collect the paint cans you’ll need at Smith & Edwards, then cut the wrapping paper you’ll need to cover the outside. Tape the wrapping paper in place, wrap with tulle, and before you make the bow, slide on a hole-punched poem for a cute note that shows your neighbor how much you care!

Oh, and I’ve got to show you my favorite “neighbor gift idea”:

Neighbor gift Ice Melt at Smith and Edwards

Give your neighbors the gift of ice-free steps and driveway! Use a 5-gallon bucket or a paint can to hold the ice melt, and tie on one of our aluminum scoops, and you’re set!

Ice Melt Poem - Gift Wrap Ideas at Smith & Edwards

Here’s the poem you could use to explain your thoughtful gift of Ice Melt!

What you’ll need to make an Ice Melt Gift:

5-Gallon Bucket or new Paint Can
Ice Melt (we have 8-pound jars and 20-pound bags as low as $6.99)
Aluminum scoop
All Wrapped Up wrapping paper – now available online!
Tulle
Poem

Heck, they might snowblow your sidewalk if they like your gifts – so why not?

What Makes “All Wrapped Up” Special?

Bonnie and Leslie created All Wrapped Up out of their desire for attractive gift wrap that came in large quantities – not just in precut sheets – and was also high-quality.

This paper is thick – this is really nice paper that won’t tear around the corners of boxes – so even if your gifts get mailed cross-country, they’ll look as good as when you wrapped them! They come in rolls of 150 square feet. And the designs are all custom creations.

Plus, the wrapping paper is created right here in the USA. And All Wrapped Up’s wrapping paper is completely recyclable, made using water-soluble inks: having a “green” wrapping paper that was also well-designed and durable was important to Leslie and Bonnie.

Trust me, once you try this wrapping paper, you won’t want to go back to the other stuff!

And they might not want me telling you this, but Smith & Edwards has the BEST prices on All Wrapped Up® wrapping paper in Utah!

Thanks, Leslie and Bonnie, for a great demo today – hope to have you back soon!

Watch for them Tuesday, November 19 on Studio 5… and I’m sure we’ll be running some promotions on their top-notch wrapping paper soon!

Get FREE Wrapping Paper!

Of course, who wouldn’t love a big basket of gift wrap supplies? That’s what you can get through our Facebook page:

Click the picture to go to Facebook and enter the Giveaway! (ends next week)

Come Get Your Wrapping Paper at Smith & Edwards

Come on in to Smith & Edwards to get your hands on these great wrapping paper designs. (MV, our Sporting Goods manager, would like me to remind you that we have plenty of gifts here at Smith & Edwards, too… but that’s another post!)

We’re located at 3936 N Highway 126 in Farr West, Utah. Come see us this week!

Where’s the goods?

Come in the front door and look to your left: you’ll see Leslie and Bonnie’s great Christmas wrapping paper in baskets right at the door. (Look how much paper comes in each roll! No more running out on Christmas Eve!)

Then, keep going down that main aisle until you find yourself in Housewares, where you’ll find those aluminum scoops, tulle, and everyday wrapping paper that’s great for birthdays and more.

You’ll be right next to the Paint counter then, and you can pick up the 5-gallon buckets or new paint cans you need to package your ice melt or candy gifts.

(Where else can you find all these great-quality products in 1 place than Smith & Edwards?)

See you soon!

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