Mother’s Day Tea Sachets and Gift Box

Put a pretty, personalized spin on a gift of assorted teas. Make sachets to fill with a mix of favorite loose teas (or create custom blends from dried herbs and edible flowers, such as mint and hibiscus). Add tags, and place in a gift box.

Tools and Materials
Loose tea
Cheesecloth, cut into
8-inch squares
Cotton string
Scissors
Craft punches in different shapes
Card stock, plain or patterned
Hole punch or screw punch
Gift box
Craft glue

Make the Tea Bags
1. Choose loose teas, and create desired blends. Place 2 tablespoons toward top edge of a cheesecloth square.  Read more...

Gift Swap

Just because you have a lot of friends and family members to buy for this year doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune. Many families play gift-swapping games — and enjoy them even more than receiving (and having to shop for) numerous gifts. Here are some examples.

The Yankee Swap
Each guest brings one wrapped gift to the swap, regardless of how many people are attending. Participants draw numbers from a bowl to determine the order in which they pick presents. The person who gets number one starts by choosing and unwrapping a package. The person with number two follows and has the choice of keeping and unwrapping his or her gift or swapping with number one. Each subsequent participant may either keep his or her unwrapped gift or swap with anyone who has already opened a gift. (By the way, anyone who is asked to swap a present must do so.) With this game, you can never be sure what you’ll end up taking home, but that’s the fun of it.  Read more...

Eco Gift Wrap

Given the time and thought that goes into picking a holiday gift, the standard wrap job — a rumpled bow slapped on a department-store box or a bag and tissue paper picked up at the drugstore — rarely does justice to the contents. But visual appeal isn’t the only reason to reconsider your wrapping habits: Americans spend an estimated $2.7 billion annually on ribbons, paper, and bows, and almost all of those goods wind up in the trash. This year make gift wrap that’s both gorgeous and green by creatively repurposing stuff others might toss.  Read more...

Wrapping Gift Cards

Gift cards are a great present that can make gift giving much easier, especially for those hard-to-buy-for people on your list. Instead of just putting the gift in a greeting card, add a special personalized touch by making one of these unique gift-card holders yourself.

Tools and Materials
Envelope
Glue stick
Fabric
Scissors
Craft glue
Adhesive-backed label
Ribbon
Ornament templates one and two
Pencil and pen
Red paper
Paintbrush
Glitter
Hole punch
String
Name tag

Fabric-Covered Envelope How-To
1. Completely unfold an envelope and cover with glue stick. Put envelope, glue side down, on a piece of fabric. Trim excess fabric.  Read more...

Thank-You Notes

Nearly every aspect of planning a wedding tosses up one choice after another, so it may come as a relief to recognize that there is one custom no one has to debate: Every gift must be acknowledged with a personal, handwritten thank-you note. Preprinted or typed notes won’t do. And even the most enthusiastic phone call, while it may be welcome, can’t replace a written acknowledgment.  Read more...

Monogrammed Slippers

Children will especially adore their personalized pairs, but you can personalize these snuggly slippers to suit any recipient. Covered buttons with delicate lowercase letters (left, top) are embroidered in a satin stitch. Felt patches with satin-stitched initials (left, middle) are tacked to the slippers with French knots. Calligraphic letters embroidered in French knots (left, bottom) have a raised, nubby look. You can also make a monogram without embroidery by tracing the outline of a letter onto felt, cutting it out, and gluing or hand-stitching it to the slipper.

Slipper How-To
Draw a circle on a piece of felt or melton wool, then draw a letter in the circle using transfer paper or working freehand. Clip the fabric into an embroidery hoop. With embroidery floss, embroider the letter in satin stitch, French knots, or another favorite stitch. Remove fabric from hoop, cut out the circle, stretch it over the button (following the instructions from a covered-button kit, available at sewing stores), and catch the edges on the teeth in back. Snap the front of the button to the back half, and sew onto a slipper.  Read more...

Holiday Gift Tags

Give your holiday presents a one-of-a-kind presentation with these simple-to-make gift tags.

Tools and Materials
Circle cutter
Brown card stock
Cream card stock
Holly craft punch
1/4-inch hole punch
Light-green 2 3/4-inch scallop gift tag
Glue pen
Craft glue
Adhesive foam dots
1/8-inch hole punch
Gingham ribbon

Holiday Gift Tags How-To
1. With the circle cutter, cut a 3-inch brown circle and a 2-inch cream circle from card stock.

2. Punch 6 green holly leaves with the holly leaf craft punch. Punch 6 red berries with a 1/4-inch hole punch.

3. To assemble, attach a scallop gift tag to the center of the brown circle with adhesive foam dots. Attach the cream circle to the center of the scallop tag with adhesive foam dots.  Read more...

Candy Wrapping

Dress packages in candy stripes for a sweet presentation. Use double-sided tape to secure the end of a length of ribbon to the bottom of a wrapped package. Wind around box, spacing stripes evenly; thread a tag through the free end of the ribbon. Finish by affixing ribbon underneath the box with double-sided tape. Repeat with ribbons in different widths or colors.

Reference : www.marthastewart.com

Packaging and Shipping Cookies

PACKAGING

Instead of consigning your thoughtfully shaped and baked goods to an old shoe box or used coffee can, try one of the following decorative ideas for storing and presenting them.

1. Pudding molds lined with parchment make excellent vessels for soft chocolate truffles.

2. Long, lidded bread pans, swathed in bright taffeta or velvet ribbon, are the perfect container for delicate cookies like biscotti.
3. A paint box, found in art-supply stores, displays a variety of different cookies in mini cupcake liners.

4. Heavy-duty square cake pans with notched corners are perfect for securing crisscrosses of ribbon or rickrack over parchment-paper lids.

5. Even clear plastic airtight containers make pretty packages when dressed up with lengths of ribbon.  Read more...

Foolproof Gift Wrapping

Back away from that rack of seasonal gift bags. Our crafty packaging ideas are just as foolproof and they’ll make your presents felt at the holidays — and at birthdays, weddings, and showers all year long.

Tie One On

If it’s the thought that counts, what does a slapped-on peel-and-stick curlicue ribbon convey? You can easily make package toppers that feel much less perfunctory and predictable than a store-bought bow (left). Grab beads, blossoms, bells, or other bling from a crafts store and knot one piece at a time onto embroidery floss or thin ribbon. To make it truly personal, spell out a giftee’s name with charms, or turn a locket into a gift tag (cut dark paper to fit inside, and write your message with a gel pen). These little touches have a big impact, which means you can keep the rest of the package simple. To dress up a gift tube (which is a nice way to bestow a holiday gratuity), we just taped a strip of pretty paper around the belly.  Read more...

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