Upcycle Christmas cards into next year’s gift tags

Wait! Don’t recycle those Christmas cards just yet! You can upcycle them into gift tags to use next year.

All you need to do is cut out cute sections of the cards, back with scrapbook paper or card stock, punch a hole and you’re done!

I made some of mine shaped like old school packaging tags by cutting the scrapbook paper backing a little longer and snipping off the corners.

Easy peasy and a mini head start on next year’s gift wrapping!

I got the bakers’ twine from www.pickyourplum.com – they have a new deal on something crafty every day-check ’em out!

Cheers,

Christine

You might also like: https://allingoodspirits.wordpress.com/2012/10/08/perfectly-packaged-hostess-gift/

Apple Cider Caramels

Have you picked up the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook? Ok, go order it right now. You’ll even have it in time for Christmas! Or maybe even early enough to make a couple of batches of these lovely apple cider caramels for gifting. That is, if you can manage not to eat them all yourself. One batch of caramels, individually wrapped in wax paper, perfectly filled three small gift boxes which I tied with bakers’ twine in festive colors.

You can find the full recipe here. It needs no improvement, though I will note that I accidentally used 1/3 cup less white sugar than the recipe called for, but it seemed to work out just fine. I guess my supervisor wasn’t paying very close attention, was he?

Happy caramel making!

Cheers,

Christine

Perfectly Packaged: hostess gift

I was visiting my BFF Kathleen at her new apartment in Baltimore for dinner and an overnight stay and I wanted to bring her a little something. I stopped in at Lark in Downtown Gettysburg and found the most adorable mini box of cupcake recipes. (p.s. love this store-I want to decorate my entire house with the accessories they carry-I might need to do a little window shopping post there sometime like Sherry does on Young House Love).

Each cupcake recipe card is beautifully illustrated and unfolds to reveal the ingredients and instructions.

I just wrapped this bad boy up simply in mint green scrapbook paper and tied with a pink baker’s twine bow. I bought the baker’s twine on Pick Your Plum-they seem to bring it back in their daily sale every now again, so sign up for their email if you’re interested in deals on craft stuff.

Done and done. Nothing better than a pretty gift, prettily wrapped for a lovely hostess.

Cheers,

Christine