Are you tired of buying the same old wrapping paper year after year? Creating wrapping paper is a unique way to show that you really took time to make someone’s present special.

Here are some items you may wish to use: ribbons; small Christmas balls; scissors, glue; glitter; and rubber stamps.

Tissue Paper:
Take whichever color tissue paper you choose and wrap the present. Use the same color ribbon or combine different color ribbons to tie around the present.

Tin Foil:
Another creative idea is to take tin foil and use it as wrapping paper. Wrap the present, and, in the middle, glue a gift card with a poem or rhyme; picture or sentiment; or whatever you prefer to make this present special to the person you are giving it to.

Paper bags:
Do you have some paper bags at home? If so, you can create adorable wrapping paper. Use rubber stamps, stickers, glitter, markers, paints or crayons to personalize and decorate the wrapping paper. This is a fun activity to do with kids.

Personalized wrapping paper:
Print photos of the recipient off your computer and glue them onto the gift. You could cover the entire package with photos of the recipient or just add a few for flair.

Cellophane:
Using colored cellophane as wrapping paper is another popular idea. There are so many ways you can use this cellophane. For instance, wrapping homemade cookies on a plate and tying the top with a ribbon; candies in a mug; or simply wrapping a present using the cellophane and decorating it.

Make a curly cue bow:
Take your scissors and open them up so that you have one blade to work with. Place the blade at the bottom of the bow that is untied (sticking out) and pressing firmly with your thumb on the inside of the ribbon and your index finger on the blade holding the outer side of the ribbon, run the blade up to the top of the ribbon. You have just made a ribbon curly cue.

There are literally thousands of different kinds of wrapping paper one can purchase, but there is only one creative wrapping paper idea – and that is one made with love.

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These days it is quite expensive to buy ornaments or other decorations for the holidays. As a more frugal and fun option, here are 3 cute ornaments you can make with items you have around your house.

1. Cookie Ornaments: Use whatever cookie cutter designs you have on hand and bake cookies to hang on the tree. If you do not have cookie cutter designs, no problem. Make your own designs. For example make pretzel cookies, which can easily be hung on a branch and decorated with ribbons. Here is how to do it. Roll out a small piece of your favorite dough to about 3 inches. Take the two ends and overlap them at the top to form an upside down letter “Q” – or make any loop shape. After the pretzel is baked, you can tie a ribbon through the hole in the shape of a bow, and hang it on the tree.

2. Paper Tree Ornaments: Take white construction paper and cut out Christmas trees. Your child can personalize each one with his name, stickers, glitter, a drawing, or color each tip of the tree to resemble ornaments. Use these trees to make a border in your child’s room or string them together to wrap around your Christmas tree.

3. Christmas Stocking Ornaments: Make your own Christmas stocking ornaments using whatever material you have on hand. Use several fabrics and colors to really make them bright and colorful. Glue on bows, beads or large ribbons. You can also personalize them with your child’s name. When the stockings are done, cut a piece of fabric into a loop and sew it onto the top of the stocking. Hang them on the tree proudly.

Making homemade ornaments is not only fun for the entire family, but lets your child expand his creativity and imagination. It is much more meaningful to make something than to just go out and buy it. It is a wonderful and satisfying way to spend time with your children. These home-made ornaments make wonderful gifts as well.

Before you decide to go shopping for Christmas ornaments, first take a look around your house. You’ll be surprised at what you may find!

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You’ll Need

* Thin Twigs
* Fine Craft Wire
* Dried Flowers
* Glue-gun & Glue
* Ribbon

Directions:

Use one large twig to form a circle and tie it together with some of the craft wire. This will be your form for the wreath. Cut the twigs to roughly 20 inches.

Assemble a few twigs and, using the circle as a form, bend and wire the twigs around the form. Place the next few twigs to overlap the cut ends of the previous bunch, bending and wiring them as before. Continue until the entire circular form is covered with twigs.

Add some hot glue to the stems of the dried flowers and tuck them into your wreath all the way around.

Add the ribbon to hang your new flower and twig wreath.

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You’ll Need:

* Green construction paper
* Crayons, markers, or tempera paint
* Scissors
* Clear tape

Directions:

Fold a piece of green construction paper in half, then cut it in half. Put the two pieces together, and fold them in half again. Draw half an evergreen tree opposite the fold. Cut along the line – you should get two identical trees. Fold the trees in half, just barely creasing the center line (this is to mark the center of the tree). Cut a slit along the bottom half of the center of one tree and along the top half of the center of the other tree. Slip the two trees together along the slits.
Using clear tape, tape the bottoms and tops together (pieces of tape on the bottom and at the top make the tree stand up well and stop the slit ends from flopping over).

Draw some pine cones on your tree if you’d like.

For a bigger tree: Start with two pieces of green construction paper, and fold them so they make a long, thin rectangle. Draw a tree opposite the fold. The rest of the instructions are the same.

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You’ll Need

* Construction Paper
* Star templates or Cookie Cutters
* Ribbon
* Scissors
* Hole punch
* Glue

Directions:

Start by tracing the stars on cardboard. You want to have two different sizes of stars that you can glue on top of each other.

For example for a Fourth Of July banner, make some large red stars with small white stars and large blue stars with small red ones etc.

For A Christmas banner use large green stars with small red stars and large red stars with small green stars.

Glue one smaller star in the center of each larger star.

Punch two holes on opposite points of the big stars, then thread the ribbon through them to connect all stars into one long banner.

You can hang this banner over the fireplace, on the porch, over the kitchen window etc.

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You’ll Need

*Sheet Of Construction Paper

*Cotton Balls

*Glue

*Pen Or Pencil

*Small Black Pompoms

* Felt or construction paper in orange and black

* Brown marker or two small twigs

Directions:

Draw two or three circles on the construction paper. This will be the body of your snowman craft. Spread the glue in a small area of one of the circles, and have your child add cotton balls to the area with glue in it.

Keep going until all two (or three) circles are covered in cotton balls. Glue the back pompoms on as eyes, mouth and buttons.

Cut a hat shape out of the black felt or construction paper. Cut a nose out of orange felt or paper and glue both to the snowman collage as well.

Use the brown marker to draw the snowman’s arms on the construction paper, or glue two small sticks on either side.

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You’ll Need

*Sheet Of Construction Paper

*Crayons or Markers

*Q-tips

*White Correction Fluid

Directions:

Start by having your child draw a landscape on the construction paper. They could draw a city or village with houses and streets, or a lake scene, or even just a couple of trees.

After this initial drawing is done, pour some white correction fluid on a small dish and give your child a Qtip. Have her dip the Qtip in the correction fluid and then dab small dots all over the picture. These are the snowflakes for this cute snow painting.

Give the correction fluid a little time to dry before hanging up your child’s snow painting.

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You’ll Need

*Empty Baby food Jar

*Small Christmas Figurine

*Water

*Glitter

*Super Glue

* Optional Sharpie Pen

Directions:

Clean Baby food Jar.

Glue small Christmas Figurine (Santa, Snowman, Christmas tree) to the inside side of the lid of the Baby Food Jar. Let it dry. Fill the baby food jar about 2/3rds with water. Add Glitter. Apply some glue to the rim of the jar, so it will glue the jar to the lid when you close it. Carefully screw the lid on the jar. Let it dry completely before turning over.

Optional: Use a Sharpie pen to write Marry Christmas on the Jar. Add a Bow around the lid if you’d like.

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You’ll Need

* Raw Oatmeal
* Glitter (any color) (Note: Glitter is not safe for birds, use wisely)
* Snack-size baggies
* Ribbon
* Paper or cardstock
* Glue, optional

Directions:

1. Pour about 1/8 cup of oatmeal in snack-size baggie. Add some glitter. Close baggie.
2. Attach with ribbon (or glue) to the front of the baggie the following message ( I usually put a picture of Rudolph at top of message):

On Christmas Eve, sprinkle this wonderful Reindeer Food on your lawn or on the entrance to your home. The shiny glitter will sparkle in the moonlight and the smell of oats will guide Rudolph to your home.

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You’ll Need

* Red construction paper
* Brown construction paper
* Scissors
* Stapler

Directions:

1. Cut a band of red construction paper (about 2-3 inches wide). Measure the length to fit the child’s head and then staple at the appropriate length.
2. Using 2 pieces of brown construction paper stacked together, trace one of the child’s hands. Then cut out.
3. Separate the hands and then staple each one to the red band towards the front, just a little apart from each other.

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