Christmas 2018 Gift Tags

I'm one of those that likes to enjoy each holiday as it comes, thus, I have not begun Christmas decorating.  I'm waiting to eat my turkey first! I'm getting antsy though, my daily browsing of Instagram feeds is so inspiring! Our tree will go up the day after Thanksgiving. However, that doesn't mean I'm not getting prepared for Christmas. I dislike shopping, especially when the stores are crowded, people are cranky, and I'm under a deadline.  I finished my Christmas shopping mid-October. This past weekend I began to get them wrapped.

Each year I make gift tags for our Christmas presents.  Once I've decided on a design or theme it's really mindless work cutting out the tags, stamping, embossing, and adding other decorations.  I usually do this while football is on in the background.  I love watching football and at least this way I'm being productive instead of just sitting on the couch!

A number of years ago a friend shared her gift wrapping trick with me, she only uses one paper each year. For about 20 years now I have been doing the same.  It makes wrapping so much easier.  I do like to get creative with the package decorating, though, using different types and colors of ribbons and embellishments.  This year we have a definite farmhouse/rustic theme with the wrapping.

I'm about 75% done with the wrapping.  As always, the hard part for me is finding boxes to fit the gifts! It is nice to have this chore off my to-do list, it gives me more time to really enjoy the holiday season, do more baking and spend time with family and friends.

2017 Christmas Gift Tags

I've not started Christmas decorating yet.  I'm one of those who has to let the Thanksgiving turkey dinner settle a bit before I can tackle that chore!  However, I'm a pretty organized person and I'm almost done with Christmas shopping ( 2 more gifts to get!) I've also started on doing the gift wrapping.  In connection with that, I've completed the gift tags that will go on this year's packages.  They compliment the gift bags that I previously shared.

Yes, it would easier and more cost-effective to buy gift tags. I have an urge to create and design and this little project helps satisfy that urge. I make them in steps, doing a little at a time when I have a few spare moments. One of my favorite parts of the Christmas holidays is a decorated Christmas tree with pretty packages underneath its branches. My homemade gift tags add a little extra to my packages!

For this year's tags I used a few different shaped wreath stamps.  Using my Silhouette machine I cut out the tag shapes, one slightly larger than the other, and glued together.  I dabbed (is that a word?) red ink along the border of the white tag to add a little color and dimension. A little twine bow and all is done!

Christmas Gift Bags

Christmas Day is 7 weeks from today.  Yikes! Now that Halloween is over, I am finding that many people are already decorating for the Christmas holidays. I'm not ready to decorate yet, I like to celebrate Thanksgiving first! We can't overlook the turkey and pumpkin pie! However, I have been working on getting ready for Christmas for a while now.  I'm about 2/3 done with my Christmas shopping.  My wrapping paper and ribbon supply has been replenished and I've been working on making Christmas gift tags. For small items and gift cards, I use decorated bags that coordinate with the packages under the tree.  I've finished making this year's bags and have some with gifts inside, ready to go under the tree. This year my packages will be wrapped with brown and red kraft paper and coordinating ribbons.  The gift tags I'm making have small wreaths on them so it made sense that the gift bags did, too.  I found an inspiration picture from Papertrey Ink and made my own version, using standard kraft lunch bags. 

Like most paper projects, these bags involved various, but easy, steps.  First up was to make small tags and embellish them. A simple wreath and berries were stamped on the bag, then snowflakes and a peppermint border were stamped and embossed.  A little ribbon and the cute gift bags were done! I have a small TV in my craft room so usually do projects like this with football or the Food Network on in the background. It goes fast!

This project involved learning a new technique for me, embossing.  It was much easier than I thought it would be.  Using a special ink pad, an image is stamped on the paper.  Embossing powder is sprinkled over the wet image, then an embossing heat gun is used to form the embossing.  It was so cool to see this happen, in just a few seconds I had a raised image on the paper. I can see myself using this technique a lot in the future!

As I was doing the embossing my husband came in to my craft room and inquired as to what I was doing (it sounds like a blow dryer).  I showed him and he asked when I had acquired the embossing gun.  This from a man who has a garage full of tools and brings a new one home after each Home Depot trip!  I told him "you have your tools, I have mine!"

Happy (Hoppy!) Easter!

With the exception of a few extensions to finish up, I'm pretty much done with the upcoming tax filing deadline. I'm slowly starting to reclaim my life back.  The bedroom carpets were cleaned yesterday, the window cleaner comes next week, we have toilet paper in the house again.  Most importantly, I found the time to make my grandchildren's Easter bags. A few months back, a friend sent me a picture of some painted blocks, made to look like bunnies.  Immediately I thought the same idea would work for bags.  I glued bunny ears, twisted pipe cleaners, made a heart nose and a yarn pom pom tail.  I worked on them, off an on, for a few nights.  It was such a relief from dealing with numbers and stress! 

Easter dinner will be at our house so I will be reclaiming my kitchen again, too! I've not finalized the menu but my nearby strawberry patch has recently opened.  Strawberries will be on the dessert menu!

Happy Easter!

Valentines' Tags

My Hubbers and I aren't big on Valentines Day celebrations.  We both are working long hours and with Valentines Day falling on a Tuesday we will be lucky if we get dinner together, much less anything romantic!  Ah, well!  I do like to remember our grandchildren, though.  This year I bought them ice cream bowls and filled them with candy, a jar of heart sprinkles, and a Baskin Robbins gift card.  Not a lot, but they will know that Nana and Papa thought of them!

My relaxation activity for the week has been making tags for their gift bags. I recently bought some new supplies so it was fun to mix 'n match and come up with ideas for the tags.  Of course, I could buy tags much cheaper than what I spent for supplies but this keeps me out of trouble (for the time being, that is!)

Christmas Tags 2016

I recently read an article where Neuroscientists believe that forms of creativity are beneficial to your health.  Their reasoning is that while we are being creative our brains release dopamine, which is a natural anti-depressant.  Creativity usually takes concentration and it can lead to the feeling of a natural high. Many scientists believe that there is a link between creative activities and the ability to reduce cognitive impairment associated with aging.  Taking the time to activate creativity allows you time to de-stress and relax.  Research shows that creative practices improve depression, anxiety and coping skills while significantly reducing stress, which are all vital for brain health and well-being. Crafting can give you a sense of pride and achievement and teach you patience and perseverance.

I am clearly no scientist but my experience is that crafting is very relaxing.  My creative activities usually involve cross stitching, sewing (lately I've been learning to quilt), paper crafts and baking, but I am game to try anything.  I am not one to sit in front of the TV with idle hands, they must be moving, so I usually stitch if watching a movie. A date with a cup of tea, my corner chair and my latest cross stitch project is very therapeutic to me. I have to concentrate on my stitches and the pattern and soon the stress of everyday life has been dissipated for a while. I tend to believe what the scientists are saying!

The last few years I've been playing with paper; making cards, banners and tags. I make a different Christmas tag each year.  I know, they are not expensive to buy at Hobby Lobby but it's for my mental health, remember?!! This year my design inspiration was a Stampin Up! bird punch that I've had for a few years. I have bird feeders all over my backyard so it seemed rather fitting that I incorporate birds into my tags!

Paper projects are easily broken down into small steps so they can be done over a period of time.  I started my tags on Election night, using a punch to cut out the bird and branch while I watched the election results. One night after work, and using my Silhouette die cutter machine, I produced a bunch of plain white tags in my chosen shape. While watching football on Sunday I stamped them with written images, ran them through a snowflake embossing folder, and glued the birds and branches on them. Each step was easy and didn't take much time. And I'm sure my dopamine production was at high capacity!

I used my Silhouette machine to quickly cut out multiple tags.

 

Multi-tasking!

Stamping the sentiments and drinking a latte!

Embossing adds texture to the tags.

 

Now I need to finish the gift wrapping!

 

 

Christmas Tags

I have wrapped my first Christmas gift of the season.  I'm about 2/3 done with the shopping. I dislike shopping, especially with crowds and holiday stress, so I always start and finish early. You definitely won't find me in a store on Christmas Eve!

Many years ago, a friend gave me her Christmas wrapping tip.  She buys one type of paper each year and every gift gets wrapped in that.  She may use different coordinating ribbons or bows, but the paper is all the same. I've been doing the same thing ever since she told me. I find it so helpful.  I usually order the paper and ribbon online or buy at the local floral/gift supply store. When it's time to wrap I only have to bring out the one (usually large) roll.  I don't have to worry if I have enough paper on a roll to wrap a certain gift or if I have a bow to match the paper picked. I have less to store at the end of season and can often go a season or two with the same paper. It works for me!

The last few years I've been making my own gift tags. I coordinate them with that year's wrapping paper.  For me, part of the fun of giving a gift is for it to look nice, to make the recipient feel special. Making the gift tags is my little creative twist!

I've been working on these tags for the last few weeks. I'm an avid NFL fan and have a TV in my craft room. During the games I worked on the tags.  One week I cut all the shapes out, another week I glued the pieces together, the final Sunday I added the ribbon.  It's mindless work but it keeps me occupied while the games are on.  Very seldom do I just sit and watch TV.  My hands have to be moving!

I cut the tag and Christmas tree shapes using my Silhouette digital cutter machine. I have so much to learn about this little toy, it's amazing all the things you can do with it! Every project I learn something new!

I ran the tags through my Big Shot machine, using a snowflake embossing folder to give the tags a little more texture.

Once all my pieces were assembled it was just a matter of gluing them to the tags. Again, such an easy thing to do while watching the games! I should have enough made to get me through this Christmas season!

Christmas Gift Tags

I'm an inexperienced, but enthusiastic, stamper and paper-crafter. I refer to my time doing this as "playing with paper".  I have many supplies such as stamping pads, punches, dies and die cutter, paper cutter, etc.  With the little I've produced in the way of paper crafting my cost-per-product is probably outrageous but that's not the point, right?!! I've found it to be another way to unwind and let my creative spirit out for some play.

For the last few years I've made my own Christmas gift tags.  This year, in keeping with the gingerbread theme that has been prevalent at my home lately, I incorporated gingerbread men in my tags. I stamped the images and, using my die cutter, I cut out the tags and the gingerbread man (using the very nifty magnetic platform from Stampin' Up!)  A little decorative tape, bakers twine, a red button and rhinestone heart and the tags are done. Original and I had fun (yes, I know, I am easily amused!)

A friend gave me her gift wrapping tip a number of years ago and it's worked well for me.  I buy a huge roll of paper and wrap all the presents in the same paper.  No more worrying about what bow goes with which paper, do I have enough on this roll to wrap a certain package, etc.  I usually buy a pretty generic paper.  This roll has lasted me three years.  Each year I mix up the ribbons and tags and no one knows I'm using the same paper.  It also helps with storage issues, too, only one roll to store.  I'm done with shopping and wrapping. The granddaughters have been counting their presents and wondering what's in them. Less than 2 weeks to Christmas!