This year, like many years previous, I decided to make - or really, bake most of my Christmas gifts for family and friends. This year however, I was determined to waste as little as possible and make Eco-friendly gifts.
Here's my attempt at it and tutorial for you to try it too!
What you'll need:
1. A variety of home-make baked goods, like cookies (like I have here) or even chocolate and candy works. I made all vegan pecan chocolate cookies, oatmeal cranberry cookies and snicker doodles.
2. Newspapers - I prefer to use the comic and puzzles section; entertainment or sports sections also work well, depending on who the gift is for that person might enjoy the sports or entertainment news - anything with big bright photos also works and is decorative.
3. Eco-friendly, biodegradable plates - I found a great brand at Loblaws, they're really starting to get some good "green" products in.
Step 1: Mix and arrange the cookies on one plate. Cover cookies with another plate.
Step 2: Tape the plates together to hold in place ... looks like a saucer!
Step 3: Choose the newspaper you would like to use - the Saturday newspaper comic section works the best.
Step 4: Proceed to wrap the cookie saucer. I basically started on one side, folding neatly and continued around the plate.
Step 5: The newspaper will create a hexagon shape around the saucer and you will likely need to cut off the excess paper when you get close to the end.
As pretty as the wrapping and comics look I thought it would be a good idea to top off each cookie saucer with a hand-made card that can also be reusable, made with left over scraps of coloured paper.
Here's the how-to:
Supplies can include: various scraps of coloured paper, scissors, pencil, various cookie cutters, glue, coloured pens or paints, old magnets, and coloured string or yarn.
Step 1: I used a cookie cutter to draw out a star shaped tag for my gift. Trace and cut.
Step 2: Add some glitter, sparkle and shine to your card, whatever you like!
Step 3: Once you've pimped up your card, time to add a string loop to the card so it can be reused as a decorative Christmas piece. Another great option, glue a piece of magnet on the back, it's a fridge magnet! The best source are those free magnets you get from business offices, fairs, dentist or veterinary offices - get a stack and cut them up.
Step 4: In this case I added a gold piece of string through one of the corners of the star - good to hang on the tree.
Another great option: old Christmas cards! In this case, I took old Christmas cards that I had been collecting since (believe it or not) grade 5 and using a round cookie cutter I cut-out the pictures from them. You can then add a magnet or a string and use them to decorate your gifts.
A completed package will look something like this.
I made a few this past week for friends.
Happy Holidays Everyone!