Home » Gift » Chill Pills Gag Gift & Free Printable Labels

Chill Pills Gag Gift & Free Printable Labels

There is power in playing pretend.  Let me explain.

This winter, when Mark and I started jokingly talking about needing “chill pills” when were feeling stressed out, I seized the opportunity to make a gag gift for Mark this Christmas: an actual glass bottle of Reese’s Pieces “Chill Pills” in a glass jar, old-timey drugstore labels and all.

Chill Pills! A great gag gift idea and all you need is a glass jar, some candies, and the FREE printable labels from this Silhouette tutorial via thinkingcloset.com!

The front label reads:

“Take two or more for instantaneous relief of stress and anxiety.  Side effects may include: sudden onset smiling, uncontrollable laughter, & extreme relaxation.”

The best part is that once I created my design in Silhouette Studio, this project only took fifteen minutes to pull together.  And yet it gave Mark such a smile on Christmas morn.  He even brought it with him to Christmas dinner at his parents’ house to show it off to everyone…and divy out chill pills to all in need.  (And you know how the holidays can get; chill pills are definitely in order!)

And now, three months later, we still take our “chill pills” on a regular basis.  Especially when we feel the stresses of life crop up.  Here’s a conversation you’ll frequently hear in our household:

L:  “Does someone need a chill pill?”

M:  “YES!  Please.”  Pause.  “Make it a full dose.”

L:  “2 chill pills coming right up!”  Hands over two chill pills.

M:  Consumes them.  Sighs.  “I needed that.”

L:  “Come to think of it, I could use a half-dose myself.”  Takes a chill pill.  Instant relief.

We’re like two small children playing pretend!

But I kid you not, the chill pills work.  It’s like the placebo effect.  We willingly suspend our disbelief (the official labels help) and convince ourselves that those aren’t Reese’s Pieces we’re swallowing.  They’re chill pills.  And the calming effect is almost immediate.  I’ve seen it work time and time again.  And now I’m wondering how we ever managed without them before!

And now, let me entertain you with a little “Chill Pill” advertisement that Mark and I had fun making:

Chill Pills! A fun idea for a gag gift. Tutorial and FREE Silhouette cut file via thinkingcloset.com!

Well friends, no need to wait for chill pills to hit the drugstore shelves.  If you’d like to get your hands on some or know someone who would, especially with April Fool’s coming up, I have a FREE cut file for you today, as well as the step-by-step tutorial, so you can see how easy this whole process actually is.

UPDATE: Due to the high number of requests I got for a PDF printable, I have recently added one for free download with several different size options included.  That way, everyone can play!

Oh, and stay with me to the end if you have your sights set on a Silhouette Portrait because (eek!) I get to give one of these wonder-machines away to a lucky reader!

Tutorial

Step 1.  Prep your jar.  Don’t you love it when you finally have the perfect opportunity to use an item that you have been saving forever?  Fellow hoarders, I see you nodding your heads!  Well, that was the case here.  This cinnamon stick jar was just too cute to toss, so I tucked it away in one of my craft bins for such a time as this.  I was able to get rid of the old labels with ease using some Goo Gone.  Easy as pie!

Prepping the jar using Goo Gone! Works like a charm.

Step 2.  Create your design.  I used the free online photo editor, PicMonkey, to create my designs.  Saved them to my computer and then opened them up in Silhouette Studio.  I just used the “trace” and “offset” tools to create cut lines just beyond the edge of my design.  Then, I used the ruler tool in my Designer Edition software to perfectly size the circle label to fit the jar cap.

Free Label Download

The thought of chill bill bottles cropping up around the world makes my heart so happy, and I’d love to help make that happen. So, I’m sharing my label designs for FREE to all newsletter subscribers in both PDF printable and .studio cut file formats for Silhouette-users, so everyone can play.

You can sign up to download your free labels using the nifty form below. Then pop over to your inbox to access your Chill Pills labels! {Fine print: this design is for personal use only and is not to be used for commercial purposes. Thanks!}


FREE Silhouette Studio Cut File for Chill Pill Bottle Labels. A fun gag gift idea via thinkingcloset.com!

Step 3.  Print your design.  Prior to printing your design, there are just a few preparatory steps to take.  First, change your media size from the 12″ x 12″ default to letter size.  Do that under the PAGE tab.  Then, select the REGISTRATION MARKS tab in order to click “show registration marks.”  Registration marks are the magical fairy dust to the entire print-and-cut process.  Essentially, they tell your machine exactly where your images are on the media when it comes time to cut.  So, as long as your design fits inside the registration marks, you’re good to go!

Adding registration marks, the "magical fairy dust" of print-and-cut on your Silhouette via thinkingcloset.com

Then, you’re ready to load your printable foil (or sticker paper) into your printer and click print!  If you have the option, I recommend using your highest quality print settings and select “photo paper” as your media since it’s akin in thickness to the foil.

Silhouette brand Printable Silver Foil...perfect for making custom labels! via thinkingcloset.com

And look how crisp the designs printed on my foil!

"Chill Pill" Bottle Labels on Silhouette brand Printable Silver Foil - - shockingly crisp! via thinkingcloset.com

Step 4.  Cut out your labels.  Here’s where the magic happens!  So, take your sheet of printable foil and place it on the stickiest part of your mat, so it doesn’t come unstuck in the process.  Then, use your machine’s recommended cut settings for Printable Foil (adjusting your blade accordingly), and cut away.  Your machine will first scan the registration marks, so it can then cut exactly where it should.  This step in the process never ceases to amaze me.

Time to cut our "Chill Pill" bottle labels on our Silhouette machine using registration marks! via thinkingcloset.com

Step 5.  Finish it up!  Peel your fancy schmancy labels off of the printable foil sheet…

Time to apply the labels to the jar! Super easy using printable foil.

…apply them to your jar…

Chill Pills! A great gag gift idea and all you need is a glass jar, some candies, and the FREE printable labels from this Silhouette tutorial via thinkingcloset.com!

…and fill it up with your chill pills of choice (Reese’s Pieces, Skittles, Tic Tacs…whatever floats your boat).  Then, let the chillaxing begin!

Chill Pills! A great gag gift idea and all you need is a glass jar, some candies, and the FREE printable labels from this Silhouette tutorial via thinkingcloset.com!

And I really do believe what I shared in the video yesterday, that while so many of the things that make our stomachs churn with anxiety feel huge at the time, really, in the light of eternity, they ain’t that big ‘a deal.   And sometimes it takes some silly pretend chill pills to put it all in perspective and remind us take life a little less seriously.

Chill Pills! Gag Gift Idea - - Tutorial and FREE Silhouette Cut File via thinkingcloset.com

Have a most chillaxing rest of your week, friends!

Hungry for More Meaningful Gift Ideas?

If this post has whet your appetite for more gifts that aren’t too expensive but come straight from the heart, guess what?  I wrote a book to help my comrades come up with meaningful and one-of-a-kind gift ideas quickly, some in as short as 5 minutes.

Prepare to Kickstart Your Creativity with Thinking Outside the Gift Box: 75 Simple & Meaningful Gift Ideas by Lauren Lanker | Now available in paperback!

The book includes:

  • 178 pages of gift-giving inspiration
  • 75 actionable gift ideas
  • 20 pages of printables

Oh, and most of the gift ideas will cost you $10 or less.  Truth.  So, what are you waiting for, friend? Nab your copy of Thinking Outside the Gift Box.

Join the revolution as we rediscover the joy of giving.

Full Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post; however, I received free product in exchange for an honest review.  This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase using my code, I receive a small commission.  Please rest assured that as always, I only recommend products that I use and love.  And I seriously heart my Silhouette Cameo!

signature
| | | |

61 Comments

  1. Love your ingenious ideas and subscribed to your post with the 25 freebies ideas. I wish I could afford to purchase a silhouette printer, dealing with cancer bills. When that is said and done, I neeeed one of these. My medical team will enjoy these!!!! Thank you so very much.

    1. Awww, I’m so glad to hear you can use the Chill Pills printable! I trust it will give your team a smile…and hopefully give you plenty of joy in creating them. Gotta love a good smile-inducing craft project. So sorry to hear about your battle with cancer. Sending a big squeeze!

  2. Just found this post and it was just meant to be. My niece told me today that she is stressed out and would love to relax and maybe she needed some “happy pills” or something, so I think I will make her a jar! Thank you for this idea and I can’t help laugh.

  3. I am just getting to know my Silhouette Cameo and this was a great beginner project for me.
    I did a few test runs to get the size and how it cut on printer paper. Had no problems so moved along to the foil. Turned out perfect. My daughter is a unit counselor at a Girl Scout camp this summer and they have Secret Genies with the other counselors they exchange gifts with. I am going to fill it up with Mike & Ikes. It will be the perfect Secret Genie gift! Thanks so much!

  4. Hi Lauren,

    Thanks for the great label and cut file. Much appreciated!

    I downloaded your cut file for use with my Silhouette and then edited the label ‘heading’ to personalize it (eg: JANE’s CHILL PILLS). I could not ‘ungroup’ your version so I simply erased and retyped the (CHILL PILL) heading with a name (JANE’s) and then printed the label. The printing part worked fine. However, when I tried to cut my personalized version it would not cut (registration error). I’m assuming that’s because I altered the original version? Is there a way to provide the same label in a version that can be ungrouped for personalization? Or is this simply a case of OE (operator error!), where I did something wrong along the way?

    Also, maybe you can give me a hint here . . . if I only need to print one label on a full sheet of printable foil how can I reuse the remainder of that foil sheet for a later print and cut project? Won’t the registration marks, printed on the original foil sheet, create a cutting problem if I try to reprint on the same foil sheet, thus leaving it useless for another printing and cut job? The foil is not cheap so I’m wondering how to work around this potential problem.

    Thanks.
    Sobai

    1. Hi Sobai! So glad you want to use the file. So, I believe I designed the file in PicMonkey as one image and brought it in to Silhouette Studio only to trace it. However, the erase function should not mess with the cut lines. Did you check your cut settings to make sure those were still intact? If not, you might have to re-trace. I have found V3 of the software to be very finicky with print and cut designs, so I have reverted back to the legacy edition of the software. You can keep both on your computer at one time easily if you have a Mac. Or you might try creating a fresh file just copying and pasting over the images from my cut file (or the pdf). Maybe that will help eliminate any bugs in the file. I’ve also found that shining a flashlight on the machine as it scans the registration marks really helps to get an accurate cut. As for your question about re-using a previously printed upon sheet of foil, I have wondered that myself! I haven’t experimented, but I’m guessing you could simply arrange the new design in an “open spot”, turn off registration marks when printing on an 8.5″ x 11″ sheet, and turn back on the registration marks when cutting. As long as your printer is fairly accurate in laying down the registration marks, it should work that way! Let me know if these troubleshooting tips help. And good luck!

    1. Samantha – – I’m guessing you had trouble because the original file format was specifically for Silhouette Studio software. However, I just updated the post with a second file available for download in PDF format. You should be able to use that one with ease. Hope you can use it for Valentine’s Day or April Fool’s this year!

  5. I tried to download and open the template, but trying many different programs, it can’t open. Do you have just a simple pdf file that can be opened?

    1. Hi Cindy! Due to reader request, I updated the post with a second file available for download in PDF format. You should be able to use that one with ease. Hope you can use it for Valentine’s Day or April Fool’s this year!

  6. Dear Lauren,

    Is there any way you could send me a file with the awesome “Chill Pills” image in a .jpeg .gif or .png file? I can’t find a program that will open the file type that you posted online.

    I would greatly appreciate your help with this. This is an amazing idea.

    Sincerely,

    Cory G.

    1. Hi Beverly, the original file was a Silhouette Studio cut file, so it could only be opened if you owned that software. However, I recently updated the post with a PDF Printable. Hope you can use it for Valentine’s Day or April Fool’s!

  7. Great idea. I have “naughty medicine” (honey, ginger, chili powder) for my kids when they wont listen to me. I “figured” that their ears must be clogged, so they need “medicine”. I got the idea from the movie, Nanny McPhee.

  8. This is so adorable. I always have a roll of sweet tarts in my purse, when my niece was 5 years old we were shopping and she was running around like a lunatic, I asked her Mom if I could give her a “Chill Pill” and gave her a sweet tart. She was young enough that it tricked her and she calmed down, her older brother realized what the “Chill Pill” actually was and suddenly needed one too! She is 17 now and just broke her foot, in a cast for three weeks. I’m sure she will be going a little crazy soon and will need to have a “Chill Pill” again. Too bad I don’t have a silhouette and can’t get the file. I am sending her a care package and would have loved to include a bottle of “Chill Pills” for her. Thanks for you lovely post and idea.

  9. It’s great you two don’t take yourselves too seriously. The ad (or instructional booklet) you made with Mark was so much fun!

    I think the Brand name is Chill, (pills) but the generic name is, In the Light of Eternity, it ain’t that big a deal (pills)!
    Looking forward to catching up and seeing who won the Silhouette!

  10. I love this idea! The hubby and I have had quite the stressful month, so we could have used a bottle or two of these!
    Would you mind to link this up to Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop? I think our readers would get a laugh out of this!

  11. So cute! Could you please send me some chill pills to dispense at my hospital pharmacy? It would sure make work easier! I enjoyed the cute actor portrayal pictures too.

  12. I LOVE the label you created and this is such a fun idea, plus I could really use some, lol. I am still lame and don’t have a silhouette machine but fingers crossed I win one! Thanks for hosting such an awesome giveaway and for sharing this project at The Makers!

  13. I want a chill pill RIGHT NOW. (Sigh, I’m off sweets for Lent, so I’ll just have to find other ways to chill until Easter…) For the benefit of readers who might not have Goo Gone, or who would prefer a more natural option, a combination of vegetable oil and baking soda works beautifully!

  14. Lauren, this is hilarious and so much fun! Now if I could figure how to do the rafflecopter entries….. Maybe one day I’ll be a lucky winner.

    1. Ha ha, glad you enjoyed it, Sandy! And I’d love for you to be able to enter. Can you tell me what about the Rafflecopter widget is giving you issues? Were you able to log in with your email address or Facebook account? Once you’re logged in, you should be able to click on each entry option, then go through the steps it asks, and then click the green button to verify your entry. Let me know how I can help! I’d love for your name to pop up one of these times, so we could be Silhouette buddies. 😉

  15. Thank you very much for this file and tutorial. I will make a bottle for in my classroom. I teach children in the ages from 11-17 here in the Netherlands and they definitely need to chill sometimes. I’m guessing they would want to chill very often haha!

    1. You are so welcome, Linda! Yes, as a fellow teacher (who taught students age 13 – 18), I can COMPLETELY understand the need for chill pills. I wish I had displayed a bottle of chill pills on my desk when I was in the classroom; though I think you’re right – – the kids are going to want to chill out A LOT! You’ll need to save them for the extra rambunctious ones! (Though I realize it may only contribute to their wild energy if you give them more sugar. Lol. Sugarless candy perhaps?) If you think to send me a picture of your finished creation, I’d love to feature you in my next Reader Showcase! Here’s my email: thethinkingcloset {at} gmail.com if you do!

  16. Oh, so cute, Lauren! I know that my hubby would love these. Of course, he would have the whole bottle of “chill pills” done in a day.

    He’d be soooo relaxed. 😉

  17. Lauren what a great idea and how generous of you to share this. Everyone needs a jar of these.
    ps. Your husband just keeps getting better looking! How does he do that?

    1. Ha ha. Your P.S. made me chuckle. And I couldn’t agree more! Maybe in addition to having a Chill Pill bottle, he has a bottle of magic liquid from the Fountain of Youth tucked away somewhere. I’ve got to get a hold of that myself!

  18. I think I could use a few chill pills right about now. I love the printable foil. I have it in the gold, but not the silver. Maybe I should over to Silhouette’s site…

    1. Sending some virtual chill pills your way, Valerie! And yes, the silver foil is just as amazing as the gold…love them both! Hope you get your hands on some soon because I KNOW you’ll create something fabulous.

    1. Yay! Glad to give you a laugh, Dee…as well as a potential residue solution. Yeah, I can’t stand the sticky stuff left over from stickers and what not. Discovered Goo Gone in college, and I’ve been a fan ever since! Happy chilling!

  19. LOVE THESE! Can I scream it from the rooftop? We MUST have these everywhere. I’m going to make a big jar for work and a small jar for home. Maybe even one for the lab as well?!? Thanks so much for the free cut file!

    1. Scream it all the live-long day, Kristy! Nothing would make me happier! Well, I don’t know about “nothing,” but you know what I mean. {Smile.} You’ll have to snap a pic of the jars you make so I can feature you in my next Reader Showcase, Kristy. It just makes me happy to know that there’s going to be a lot of chilling out in your world. 😉 You deserve some chill time!

  20. I would love to have this to make wonderful things for family and friends – thanks for the opportunity

Your comments make my day!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *