arts and crafts

Homemade gift wrap is kitschy, elegant and thoughtful all at once. This craft brought me back to kindergarten - potatoes make great stamps for little hands! Can you tell I want to be an elementary school teacher? You can buy rolls of craft paper at any art store, and I even found mine at shoppers drug mart. Try all sorts of shapes - potatoes are actually very easy and forgiving when carving. I used purple, not just because it's my favourite colour, but if I have any left over, it's acceptable for birthday present wrapping.

Stamped wrapping paper
kraft paper
potatoes
sharp knife
acrylic paint
glitter (optional but so necessary)

Cut a third of the potato off. Either press the potato into a cookie cutter and carve out around the edges, or carve your own design free-form. Spread some paint on recycled cardboard (your own little paint tray), and stamp away! Shake on glitter while the paint is wet.




Origami ornaments
Another christmas craft - I don't have a substantial collection of christmas ornaments yet, so I found my tree looking kind of bare this year. Instead of buying cheap christmas balls, I bought a package of silver origami paper at a craft store, and found this design for an 8-sided star. To make them last, you can shellack origami figures.

Finally, popcorn garlands are a festive, cheap decoration, especially if you alternate with cranberries. Just keep them away from curious kitties, or else you'll have a mangled garland and a pile of kitty popcorn puke. It could happen.