Family Resources Kid's Resources
Family Support
The Parlor Join us on our message boards for conversation, introductions, support, encouragement and chit chat. Stop by and introduce yourself Here!
Recipes
Tea
Crafts
Garden
Forums
Fun Holiday Gift Wrapping
By Brenda Hyde
Ah, gift wrapping...are you a fancy wrapper? Or do you
go more for the whimsical approach? I'm a little bit of
both, with some rustic charm thrown in. First of all, I
firmly believe that kids should be involved in wrapping.
We have gifts they help choose and wrap, and then gifts
I choose and wrap. My husband throws in wisdom on
both counts! So today I have gift wrapping ideas for
everyone, and in all styles...
KID WRAPPING
*White tissue paper: I buy the BIG bundle at Sam's Club
for less than $5.00 of white only for year round wrapping.
We let all three kids stamp the paper with potato stamps.
This year we cut out stars and angels. We also cut a
carrot in half and I made crisscross cut lines in the top-
leaving it round. I patted it dry and they stamped with it.
It looked a little like a round snowflake! Be prepared to
have places for the paper to dry. Rope tied up tight
enough for the paper to hang on works, or the shower
curtain rod...or lots of cupboard space.
*White and brown lunch bags: BIG hit with the kids. We
cut the tops with decorative scissors. Armed with a hole
punch, twine (jute) and ribbon they made their own handles.
Then I had white glue and more ribbon, craft sticks, foam
snowflakes and sequins. All of this leftover from various
crafts throughout the year. The kids decorated 15 bags!
Other ideas:
*Brown craft paper stamped with rubber stamps or left
plain, then use natural raffia, gold ribbon or other gold
package toppers to decorate.
*Country themed fabric or plain muslin, tied with bows
made out of ripped fabric in coordinating colors. Great
for gift baskets! Tie on a cinnamon ornament too. If
you don't want to cover the entire basket, just cover
the gifts in the fabric and tie with a ribbon, then put it
in the basket. Place a bow on the basket itself and
the tag.
*Plain colored paper-use any color, and decorate the
packages with paper doilies. Small ones to put on
top of the package with a bow in the middle or big
ones to put on each side and then have them meet
in the middle, or cut shapes out of the doilies and
glue on the package! Buy colored doilies and use to
decorate the brown or white craft paper.
*One year I bought plain brown gift bags in bulk
and decorated them myself with ribbon, markers,
and cutouts from Christmas cards. I used pretty
colored tissue paper to loosely wrap the gifts and
let it stick out the top.
SUBSCRIBER TIP:
This year my daughter and I cut off the end of a whole celery stalk and
used the end that remains intact (the part that usually goes to the
compost) to stamp on brown wrapping paper with red craft paint. It
looked like roses all over. Didn't go back over it with green leaves
because of time but that would make it look even more like roses.
Thanks for the effort you put into your production. ~Michelle
About The Author
Brenda Hyde is a freelance writer living on ten acres in rural Michigan with her husband and three kids. She is also editor of StandBesideHer.com and has a family friendly blog, On the Front Porch.
Sheila "I am a Christian Woman, a stay home homemaker and a Mom.
My interests: I love to knit, crochet, sew, embrodiery, and quilt. I play the piano, read music, I write Chrisitan poems and writings. I collect teddy bears, angels, hearts and butterflies."
Tips for Selecting the Best Summer Fruit Summertime brings with it a bounty of fresh fruits, but consumers often have no idea how to choose the best fruit. This can lead to the frustration of lackluster fruit, which can make all the difference in the quality of your dining experience. Keep these handy tips in mind when choosing summer fruit and you'll always get the pick of the crop.
Preserve and Display your Wedding Memories Create a lovely shadowbox frame to preserve the memory of that most beautiful day, your wedding! Perhaps your son or daughter are the ones tying the knot? This makes a wonderful gift that they will cherish forever.
Caring for Wicker Furniture Regardless of the material from which your wicker furniture is constructed, keeping it clean can be a challenge because of the textured surface.
Here are some great tips on caring for your wicker furniture so that it will last you for years.
*White tissue paper: I buy the BIG bundle at Sam's Club
for less than $5.00 of white only for year round wrapping.
We let all three kids stamp the paper with potato stamps.
This year we cut out stars and angels. We also cut a
carrot in half and I made crisscross cut lines in the top-
leaving it round. I patted it dry and they stamped with it.
It looked a little like a round snowflake! Be prepared to
have places for the paper to dry. Rope tied up tight
enough for the paper to hang on works, or the shower
curtain rod...or lots of cupboard space.
*White and brown lunch bags: BIG hit with the kids. We
cut the tops with decorative scissors. Armed with a hole
punch, twine (jute) and ribbon they made their own handles.
Then I had white glue and more ribbon, craft sticks, foam
snowflakes and sequins. All of this leftover from various
crafts throughout the year. The kids decorated 15 bags!
Tips for Selecting the Best Summer Fruit
Preserve and Display your Wedding Memories
Caring for Wicker Furniture