Turn a brown paper package into something special
Whether you’re making or buying your presents this year, jazzing up the wrapping with adornments and handmade tags will send your gift giving into a whole other stratosphere. Craft central here we come.
Make it 3d
Think outside the box with your surplus Christmas tree ornaments
This is a matter of rounding up miniature brush trees, honeycomb decorations, baubles or anything else to hand and attaching them to the gift with thin black elastic for a modern touch.
How to make a ribbon bird
Think of this as 3D origami to bring your gifts alive
1 cut three lengths of ribbon
You’ll need 36cm for the body, 20cm for the head and 10cm for the beak. Try using a ribbon with wired edges to help keep the shape.
2 make the body
Fold the ribbon into a Breast Cancer charity ribbon shape and either glue or staple into place. Thread both ends through the circle and secure. Cut ‘M’ shapes into both ends.
3 make the head
Lay the shorter ribbon in the middle of the longer one and make the charity ribbon shape again. Push both ends through the circle and secure. Cut ‘M’ shapes into the ends of the beak and attach this to the body. Follow the steps on ribbonesia.com
Cut outs
Brown paper and old magazines – who’d have thought they could make such great wrapping?
Cut an old Your Home and Garden issue (if you can bear to) or a book from an op-shop into shapes and glue onto each gift. You could make fun shapes such as a snowman or cut out an initial. Go foraging outside for some fresh ivy or other foliage to attach.
How to make a bead wreath
Super versatile, these can also be pressed into action as place names at the table
you will need
• Wooden beads
• Pipe cleaners
• Glue gun
• White card
• Scissors
• Pen
To make
1 Thread beads onto pipe cleaners.
2 Trim the pipe cleaners flush to the end of the beads, then hot glue the ends together.
3 Cut the card into shape. Write the recipient’s name and attach wreath and name with hot glue.
How to make clay tags
These can be used year after year
Shape and paint
Use air-dry clay and roll out to 5cm. Use cookie cutters to make the shapes and put a hole through each shape for attaching to the parcel.
Leave to dry for at least 24 hours before painting with acrylic paint.
Styling by: Kate Alexander. Photography by: Babiche Martens.
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