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Good Morning!

Today is the first of December. It's really so hard to believe November is over already! I honestly feel like the days just go by so fast sometimes. Do you ever feel like that? This time of year seems to go especially fast with everyone being busy with their daily activities on top of all the plans for the Christmas season! I will admit, as much as I try to think ahead for my Christmas gift giving though, I often realize I forgot someone or feel like I didn't get them enough. So, I thought I would share with you some great Christmas gift packaging ideas you can use to dress up any simple gift to make it look like you spent a lot of time on the gift!

Sometimes you just want to give someone a little something. I think these packaging ideas are perfect for those teacher gifts, hostess gifts, the babysitter, your boss, coworkers, a little something special for that person who deserves it! Use your scrap papers, stamps and ribbons to dress up the outside of the packaging for an extra special gift!

Plus, I've added some ideas for the gifts themselves! (In case you are stuck!)

So, let's get started….

It's in the bag: Christmas Gift Bags

Dress up a plain white or kraft paper bag with your stamp and scrapbook supplies.  Use the Petite Cafe Gift Bags or Kraft Tag a Bag Gift Bags from the 2016-2017 Annual Catalogue to package up treats, jewelry or bottles of soap or lotion. Use the Gold Binder Clips to keep a bag closed or the tags clipped on. 

The Gift Bag Punch Board is perfect for taller items, like a bottle of soap, lotion or perfume, or even chocolate covered pretzel rods or something similar. Use your favorite Designer Series Paper or Vellum Cardstock to create your own bag and then use paper scraps or vellum tape to decorate and add your own handmade tags too. 

Learn how to use the Gift Bag Punch Board here.

Box it up: Gift Boxes 

Use the Gift Box Punch Board to create your own boxes out of cardstock and decorate with Baker's Twine or Kraft Rope Trim from the 2016 Holiday catalogue. Add Designer Series Paper scraps and strips to decorate and make homemade tags using your favorite holiday stamps and ribbon.

Learn how to use the Gift Box Punch Board here.

Use the Clear Tiny Treat Boxes to gift some treats, jewelry or other small item; or use a Glassine Gift Bag for treats, jewelry or even gift cards.

The White Gift Boxes from the 2016 Holiday Catalogue are perfect for small items and the Cutie Pie Thinlit Die makes a super creative packaging idea. 

Wrap it up: Cellophane Bags 

The Cellophane Bags, from the 2016-2017 Annual Catalogue, with three different sizes available can hold any larger gift item. Available sizes are 2"x8", 6"x8" and the Gusseted Cellophane Bags are 3"x6". Wrap them up using ribbon, and Designer Series Papers and make your own tags too. Add baked goods or treats, or add bottles of wine or champagne with your own custom bottle wrap- you could even do this to a special bottle of olive oil or flavored oils or vinegars or hot sauce for the cook on your list. 

Use what you have: Mason Jars and recycled containers

Dress up a simple Mason Jar filled with treats or mini sized beauty products. Create tags easily with the Merriest Wishes stamp set and Merry Tags Framelits Dies. Another jar idea is to add the dry ingredients for your favorite cookie recipe and include the list of wet ingredients to add and instructions on a tag for the gift receiver to complete the recipe at home. You could even include their favorite hot chocolate with mini marshmallows in a second jar to match. Instead of Mason Jars, you could also use recycled jars cleaned out well. If you can't get all the adhesive off the jar, wrap it up like this one.

This was a candle in a jar decorated with my own custom wrap. 

Custom Made Packaging: Treat Holders, Custom Gift Boxes and Gift Card Holders

Use your favorite coloured cardstock and the Simply Scored Scoring Tool to create your own gift packaging for whatever you need, from a simple treat wrap to a custom size gift box.  Check out the video below for a great way to make your own boxes at home. 

Or use the Gift Card Envelope & Trims Thinlits dies to create a box, check out the video here. Or make a Christmas Cracker like this one here.

Have a bigger gift to wrap? Use a roll of plain packing paper or newsprint and stamp the outside with your Christmas stamps!

And, if you can't think of what to get those on your gift list, how about a gift card to their favorite store or coffee shop?

To sum up the gift ideas you can wrap up with your cardmaking supplies: 

• ⇒Treats-homemade or purchased: individually wrapped candies or chocolate, jelly beans, popcorn, nut mixes, chocolate pretzel rods, homemade baked goods
• ⇒Jewelry: earrings, necklaces, bracelets, key chains, lanyards (for those that have to wear work badges)
• ⇒candles, aromatherapy 
• ⇒essential oils
• ⇒beauty products: makeup, soap, lotion, hand sanitizer, nailpolish, a nail kit: polish, nail file, etc.
• ⇒spices, oils, hot sauces, bbq sauces
• ⇒wine, champagne, liqueur
• ⇒Christmas ornament or small home decor item 
• ⇒for kids: small board books, crayons and mini notebooks, small toys, fun character socks 
• ⇒a mug, coffee, tea, hot chocolate mix
• ⇒mittens or gloves, a nice scarf or a warm winter hat
• ⇒gift cards
• ⇒Make your own gifts: hand stamped covers on notepads or journals, decorated frames or frame inserts, stamped candles or candle wraps, homemade ornaments, tile coasters, a bookmark, a set of hand stamped cards, pencil toppers, treat toppers, check out my Pinterest boards for ideas, plus check out some of the ideas I found last year

Wrapped up in custom handmade packaging will show your gift recipient you put a lot of thought and heart into their gift! Isn't that what Christmas is all about? 

Thanks for stopping by the blog today! I hope you have more gift giving inspiration after reading today's blog post 🙂 
 

QUICK LINKS: 
 HOLIDAY CATALOGUE – Sept. 1 to Jan. 3

YEAR END CLOSEOUT– Dec. 1st to Jan. 3  

CLEARANCE RACK– Save up to 60%  

JO JO POINTS– Earn free stamps with my Jo Jo Points Program