Wrapping presents with DIY gift tags

Well I've wrapped all the presents - phew!

I'm afraid, for the MIAMI purists, I used virgin wrapping paper - but most of it was surplus from last year, supplemented by a stash left by a friend who was staying here this week and bought more than she needed and bequeathed the rest to me.

In mitigation I did make all my own gift tags and I have to say they are blooming lovely - much nicer than shop bought ones. I had a pile of last year's Christmas cards and cut them, punched a hole and threaded through some gold thread I had in my stash.

Amazingly I managed to find a large card in purple tones that perfectly matched some of my wrapping paper and got half a dozen tags from the one card - I couldn't believe how well the colours matched. In the photo here it's hard to tell which is the card and which the wrapping.

If you think recycling involves some kind of compromise in quality I hope these will convince you otherwise. And if you aspire to cut out buying any paper at Christmas check out our main website and read  >> How to have a paperless Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Clare F

Making Christmas cards

Well I finally got round to making my Christmas cards tonight. After loads of Saturday night trash telly it was quite restful sitting down on my one-woman assembly line to make up the cards.

As I didn't have much time and was a bit short on materials, I just painted a couple of very simple rather childish pictures of holly. Neither of them came out as I intended, but they'll have to do! - I also had a go at a pointsettia but it looked like a big fat blob so I gave up on that one! I then bunged them on the printer and made copies, trimmed them and stuck them on to card blanks with Pritt Stick - as I didn't want to gas myself with spray mount.

Even though they may not be very beautiful at least the recipients know they have been made with time and trouble, not just grabbed in a store.

For loads of ideas, instructions and videos for making Christmas cards - check out Clare O'Brien's posts on our website >> Hand made Christmas cards

Clare Flynn