The other day I was wandering aimlessly shopping at Costco and spied an empty wooden wine crate. The angel stamped on the side was beckoning me to take her home. Actually, I read Funky Junk Interiors’s post about making tool boxes last year and have been looking for just the right wood to make one. The angel may not have calling me, but I wasn’t about to leave the store without her.

I thought about tucking it under my coat and making a break for the front door, as I was sure there were other crafty ladies eyeing up the lonely wine crate. But, I resisted the urge and asked the manager if I could have it, and he graciously let me take it home. I was exuberant because I’ve been missing my rustic wine crate that Cherie won. Read more

Sleigh Gift Wrap

This is it, the last day of the Creative Gift Wrapping tutorials. I hope you have had fun with some of these creative gift wrap ideas. In case you missed any, here are the previous days of gift wrapping:

Day #1 – Monogram & Name Plaque

Day #2 – Frosty & Rudolph gifts

Day #3 – Butterflies & 3-D Tree 

Day #4 – Chalkboard Tags

Today I have my favorite gift wrap! I have to admit that the polar bear is my favorite animal, so I might be biased. But, it is a really easy look to re-create.

Materials:

  • Wrapping paper
  • White card stock paper
  • Snowflake hole puncher
  • Key tag
  • Satin ribbon
  • Jingle bell
  • Black & white pom poms (nose & tail)
  • Small black button
  • Elmer’s glue
  • Hot glue gun

Wrap a present with gift wrap.

Using the template below (click on the photo for a larger version and then print it out), cut out the polar bear shape on white card stock. Better yet, if your printer can handle it, print it out on card stock and then flip the bear over to the white side.

Glue the bear onto the gift package.

Punch out some snowflakes. (I used some white and some light blue that would show up better on top of the white bear.)

Cut one piece of red ribbon for the bears collar. Glue the collar and snowflakes onto the package using Elmer’s glue. Use hot glue to attach a button and pom pom for the eye and nose.

Thread a jingle bell onto some satin ribbon, then tie a bow onto a key tag.


Hot glue the bow/jingle bell onto the bear’s collar.


Factoid: Did you know that a polar bear’s skin is actually black? And the bear’s hair is actually transparent hollow tubes. This serves three purposes:

  1. The tubes are hollow so they store air in them. This acts as an insulator.
  2. Plus, it helps the polar bears buoyancy while swimming.
  3. Remember how I said their skins is black? Well, because the fur is actually transparent, it allows the sun to reach the bear’s skin and help warm them. Cool, huh?!

Materials:

  • Wrapping paper
  • White card stock paper
  • Satin ribbon
  • Sprig of rosemary or other evergreen twig
  • Hot glue gun

Wrap a present with gift wrap.

Add a ribbon on the diagonal corners.

Click on the dove silhouette below to see the full size image. Print it out on the cardstock paper and cut out the shape to use as a template, or use the reverse white side of the shape.

Use a hole punch to cut out the eye. Hot glue the dove to the package and hot glue the rosemary underneath the dove’s beak.

Have fun with this creative package. Add the words PEACE, or bend the wings up to make them three dimensional.

This dove will work on a variety of sized gifts. Try one on a vertical present.


“Peace on Earth, Goodwill Toward Men”

Bonus: Here are two more creative gift wrappings to try. The holly leaves are simply pieces of scrapbook paper folded and glued onto the package.

The sleigh was so much fun to create! I wrapped pieces of foam board and cut out a scrapbook paper sleigh.

Glued cotton balls for snow and some buttons and buckles make this a gift the recipient will want to stare at instead of open.

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas day, a Happy Holiday and a terrific New Year!

Chalkboard Tags for Gift Wrap

What is better than a creative gift wrapped package? A creative gift wrapping that can be re-used again and again and again! Chalkboard tags made from foam board are adorable and can be used after the gift has been opened.


Materials:

  • Chalkboard paint
  • Foam board
  • Chalk or chalkboard pen
  • Wrapping paper
  • Ribbon
  • Hole Punch
  • X-acto knife
  • Pencil
  • Ruler

Measure and cut out a 4″ x 6″ rectangle of foam board. The trick to clean cuts in foam board is to use a brand new x-acto blade! It is that simple.


To make perfect diagonal corners, measure 1″ from the corner (across and down) and make  marks. Then draw a diagonal line connecting the two points. Cut off the triangle.

Use the hole punch to put a hole in the middle of the top edge.

Spray paint or paint chalkboard paint onto the foam board. Let it dry.

Season the chalkboard rectangle by rubbing chalk all over the board. Then wipe it off. This will eliminate the chalk message “burning” into the chalkboard and will allow the recipient to re-use the board.


Write a message on the chalkboard tag.


Wrap the present with wrapping paper and a big bow. Attach the tag to the bow.


Now your gift recipient has a cute little re-useable chalkboard tag.


 Merry Christmas, Renee!


Materials:

  • Chalkboard paint
  • Foam core
  • Chalk or chalkboard pen
  • Wrapping paper
  • Ribbon
  • Hole punch
  • X-acto knife
  • Pencil
  • Ruler
  • Clothespin
  • Silver or Gold acrylic paint
  • Paintbrush
  • Hot glue gun (or Elmer’s glue spots)

Follow the instructions above for making a foam core chalkboard. Eliminate the steps on cutting diagonal corners and adding a hole for this one.

Take apart a clothespin and paint both sides using the silver or gold acrylic paint.

Wrap the present with wrapping paper.

Wrap ribbon around the present, but don’t tie a bow. Just make a knot.


Make a separate bow out of the same ribbon and use hot glue (or Elmer’s glue spots) to attach it to the clothespin.


Clip the clothespin over the knotted bow on your package and slide your chalkboard into the clothespin.


“Merry Christmas, Baby!”

Only one more day until Christmas! Better get wrapping people! I’ll have a final wrapping paper tutorial for you tomorrow, I bet you can’t wait!

3D Tree Gift Wrap

Last night I invited two of my girl friends to wrap our Christmas presents together. We decided it was waaaaayyyyy more fun to wrap together than by ourselves Christmas Eve. We chatted and talked for hours! Before we knew it the clock had struck midnight and the cell phones began to ring as husbands wondered “What the heck are you doing?! Why does it take so long to wrap presents?”

Here are just a few of the reasons why it takes a little longer:

Making a gift look extra special for the recipient takes time and care. Pretty Handsome Guy would poo poo our efforts, but so be it. We had fun and that is all that matters!

Using Martha Stewart craft paint and holiday stencils on plain brown craft paper.

I set out some supplies, some water — and most importantly — Renee brought some Trader Joe’s Holiday Joe Joe’s! Mmmmm!

We had fun wrapping and crafting and creating!

I encourage you to invite a friend or two over to wrap with you this year. Enjoy some “down time” with some special friends. Or just pull up a chair in my dining room as I create a few more creative gift wrappings!



Materials:

  • Wrapping Paper
  • Wire Ribbon
  • Butterfly hole puncher (or other hole punch shape)
  • Colored scrapbook paper or other colored paper
  • Snowflake embellishment sticker
  • Elmer’s glue

Start by using the butterfly hole puncher and punch out oodles of little butterflies.

Crease and fold the butterflies in half to give them some dimension. It is okay to leave a few butterflies flat.


Gift wrap your present as you normally would. And add your ribbon and bow on diagonal corners.

Use Elmer’s glue to place random dots onto your package.

Lay your butterflies on top of the glue. Keep adding butterflies until your cluster is done.


Add a snowflake embellishment and one butterfly on the bow.

Think how adorable snowflakes or stars would look on dark blue wrapping paper!

“These are a few of my favorite things (butterflies in December!)”


Materials:

  • Wrapping paper
  • Curly ribbon
  • 1 – 12″ x 12″ scrapbook paper
  • Shiny embellishment dots or stickers
  • Elmer’s glue
  • Optional: Green construction paper or scrapbook paper for fringe grass at the bottom


Wrap your gift in wrapping paper.


Cut a small square out of craft paper for the trunk. Fold your scrapbook paper into quarters…


…and cut along the fold(s) using the template below.
When you are done you should have two identical trees.

Glue the tree trunk down using Elmer’s glue. Run a bead along the spine of the tree and glue the first tree down on top of the trunk. Run a second bead of glue along the spine of the first tree and lay the second tree on top but slightly lower than the first.

Fold the left and right sides of the tree up to give them some dimension.

Add some embellishments or stickers to decorate your tree.

Optional: Adding Fringe Grass

Cut out a strip of green construction paper or scrapbook paper for your grass line. Tape two pieces together if you need to make it longer.

Cut fringes into the top edge of the green strip.

Using a pencil, roll the fringes over the pencil. I found this worked best on my thigh.

Glue your strip of fringed grass onto the package using Elmer’s glue.

Use your finger to push some fringes up and others down until you like the look.

Finish off your package by tying some curly ribbon onto it.

“Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree”

Please join me tomorrow for some more creative gift wrapping ideas!

Rudolph Gift Wrap

Are you ready to have some fun today?! Making recognizable holiday characters is sure to be enjoyable. It brought me back to some preschool craft projects we used to do in school.

Materials:

  • Black felt or black construction paper
  • Cake size paper plate
  • Buttons (2 eyes, 1 nose, 5-6 mouth)
  • Red Ribbon
  • Snowflake stickers, snowflake paper punch, and/or other embellishments
  • Wrapping paper in a plain color
  • Elmer’s glue
  • Hot Glue Gun

Preheat your hot glue gun. Wrap your present with the plain wrapping paper.

Cut out a hat shape using the black felt or construction paper. Feel free to use this template or make your own.

Cut a piece of red ribbon for the brim of your snowman’s hat. Then gather your snowman pieces and lay them on the package.

Use the hot glue gun to glue the cake plate upside down to the package. Glue the ribbon onto the hat. Attach the hat on the package letting the brim overlap the cake plate.
Cut another piece of ribbon (12″ or more) for the snowman’s scarf and fold it in half. From the fold, pinch and fold about 2 inches back on itself. This will be the snowman’s scarf knot. Play with the scarf and “knot” until you like how it looks, then use the hot glue to affix it to the gift box.
Use hot glue to adhere the buttons to the cake plate in the shape of a face.


Embellish your package with snowflake stickers and/or paper snowflake hole punches. Glue the hole punches with a small dot of Elmer’s glue.

Well look at that! You just brought Frosty the Snowman to life!



Materials:

  • 2 twigs
  • Brown craft paper or paper bag
  • Wrapping paper (preferably a plain color)
  • 2 buttons for eyes
  • 1 Red pom pom
  • Red Ribbon
  • Snowflake stickers or hole punches
  • Jingle bell
  • Elmer’s glue
  • Hot glue gun

Preheat your hot glue gun. Wrap your present with the wrapping paper.


Cut out a reindeer head from the craft paper or a paper bag. Feel free to use this template or make your own.

Lay out the head, sticks, buttons and pom pom nose on the package .

Coat the back of the reindeer head with Elmer’s glue and attach it to the gift. Run a thick line of hot glue onto the back of the twigs and attach them over the reindeer head. Attach the eyes and nose with hot glue.


Tie a bow with the red ribbon. Attach a gift tag and jingle bell to the bow and then hot glue it to the package.

Add paper punch snowflakes using Elmer’s glue and/or snowflake stickers.


I think Rudolph is pretty cute, don’t you?

Stick around, I’ll have some more creative gift wrappings for you tomorrow!

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