Recycled Gift Wrapping How-To

Gift Tags How-To
Glue designs snipped from cards to store-bought or handmade gift tags and add charm to every package. Or cut the cards themselves into tags and punch a hole for ribbon (press on a sticker first to reinforce the hole).

Gift Bags How-To
Gift bags can hold all sorts of goodies. Dress up plain ones by cutting the top of a colorful paper bag with scallop-edged scissors and gluing on a card cutout. Then punch one or two holes and tie on a ribbon.

Cones How-To
Cones can be cut from plain colored paper or from greeting cards. To create, draw an arc onto a corner of the construction paper or card using a compass opened up as wide as it can go. Using a pair of pinking shears, cut inside the line. Roll the paper into a cone and staple; reinforce with tape along the inside seam. To decorate a plain paper cone, draw an oval (we used a stencil from an art-supply store) around a chosen image from a greeting card, and cut just inside the line with pinking shears. Glue the cutout to the front of the cone. Punch a hole on both sides of the cone, thread a ribbon through, and knot the ends.

Gift Boxes How-To
To give a cardboard box a cheery makeover, place the lid on top of a card. Using a ruler, draw an outline that's about 1/4 inch outside the lid. Cut just inside the line with a pair of pinking shears. Use a glue stick to attach the cutout to the lid; the card will extend over the box's edges (be sure it's centered over the lid before pressing down). Repeat to cover the bottom of the box.