The gift shop at the Museum of Modern Art is a spectacular place to find truly unique gifts.  It is also a great source of inspiration for me.  I just saw these cool Chalkboard Napkin Rings which are so simple and absolutely GENIUS!  The fact that they are black makes them so elegant, and yet because I can write names on them with a slate pencil so they double as place cards, they can be playful and casual too!  Now, I am ALL about supporting this fabulous shop, either online or in person (my preferred mode of shopping), but $65 for a set of 4 is a bit steep.  I don’t mind forking over the cash for things that I love, but my creative juices get all fired up if that something that I love a) requires that I purchase several in order to make a real impact or use it in a practical way, and b) is simple and cost effective enough that I can replicate it myself for a fraction of the cost! 

Sorry MoMA, you know I love you.  I’ll make it up to you on my next trip to NYC.

Smooth unfinished wood napkin rings, available at Craft Parts $8/bag of 25;  Chalkboard paint, $14.99 at hardware stores everywhere or $11.16 at Order it on the Web;  Slate Pencil, $0.47 at Wisconsin History (or local art & craft supplies stores).