Countdown to Christmas: Crafts, Food and DIY Gifts

A pom-pom here, some funky fringe there -- it's almost more fun to wrap these gifts than to open them!

Holly Wrap
What you'll need: Brown kraft paper, scissors, pinking shears, hole punch, green paper, craft glue, red pom-poms.

Make it: Cut a strip of kraft paper lengthwise and fold it in thirds. Trim edges with pinking shears and punch random holes along the strip. Repeat. Unfold and tape strips around the package in both directions as you would with ribbon. Cut two holly leaves from a folded piece of green paper and glue to the top of the package. Glue on three red pom-poms.

Artwork Sticker
What you'll need: 8-1/2-x-11-inch full-sheet labels, markers, crayons, scissors.

Make it: Cut labels to the appropriate size for the package and have kids decorate. Cut strips of label paper as ribbon and have kids decorate those as well.

Paper Flower
What you'll need: Wrapping paper, pinking shears, tape, 2 drinking glasses of different sizes, pencil, double-stick tape, circular labels, rubber stamp, ink pad.

Make it: Cut strips of wrapping paper with pinking shears and tape in both directions around the package. Cut two circles from wrapping paper, one about an inch smaller than the other. Using the smaller drinking glass, trace a circle in the middle of the backside of the small circle; use the larger drinking glass on the bigger circle. Cut slits 1 inch apart around the circles to the penciled line. Fold the corners of the paper between the slits back toward each other and tape to form petals. Layer the two flowers on the package, securing with double-stick tape. Stamp design or words on circular label and place in the middle of the flower.

Fringe Pom-Pom
What you'll need: Ribbon, double-stick tape, 2 colors of crepe-paper fringe, button.

Make it: Tape ribbon around package. Place double-stick tape in a circle in center of package. Spiral crepe-paper fringe to form a pom-pom, pressing it onto the tape. Add a second color of fringe around the center pom-pom in the same way. Tape a button in the middle of the pom-pom.