Mint + Chocolate

Howdy! Look at what I have as a blah today:

An empty chocolate and gum box.

A bit blah but I like these because they resemble envelopes.

But nothing that gift wrap can't solve.

I added dimension with layers of these scalloped coins

(made from a puncher).

Plus a little contrast with fuchsia sequins.

These make for nifty gift boxes for small presents

but have lots of impact.

Have a great weekend!

Generic to Fantastic

If you're giving away gift cards for the holidays,

add a little personality to the packaging.

When you purchase the gift card, it sometimes comes with an envelope.

But isn't this so blah?

Make it TADA!

Add some glitter & bling to match the

sparkle & shine of the holidays.

This tinsel was from a gift I got last year

that I simply hot glued on the face of the envelope.

Add the card and a brief, cheerful message!

Gingerbread Lady

All this week, I'm sharing some wrapping ideas

for small gifts that you'll be giving away.

When the holidays come around, there's

a lot of baking involved & packages received.

Make sure to save those empty boxes!

These are blahs that can become TADAs!

I can't help but think of gingerbread people

at this time of year. So I took out the cookie

cutter and traced the shape on the cardboard.

Then I painted it all over in a festive color &

attached some ribbon at the top with hot glue.

Tada! It looks like an ornament!

By adding two holes, it can be used to

"wrap" a pair of earrings.

Something you made yourself or found at a craft fair.

You can use it to highlight a necklace, too.

Tuck this gingerbread lady in a small gift box

if you want to keep the gift a surprise.

Bear-y Christmas!

Hi there! Thanks for stopping by and thanks for

visiting Delia's blog yesterday where I turned a blah paper bag

into a TADA! envelope. Perfect for money gifts and tips.

Today, I have another idea to "disguise" a gift card

(some people may think it's impersonal to give a gift card,

I don't -- I think it's practical and let's the recipient pick

what he or she really, really wants!)

Blah: a teddy bear that was a promotional freebie.

Remove the tag and replace with a small envelope

(I made this using construction paper).

Secure it to the bear with ribbon or small amount of hot glue.

Insert the gift card and finish with a sweet note.

TADA! No one can resist the charm of this bear

who comes bearing a gift!

Have a great day!

Big Gifts in Small Packages

How was your weekend?

I hope you were able to find some "me" time in the midst of

holiday preparations and year end deadlines.

This week, I'll be showing you ways to wrap small gifts

that are big in value.

Today's blah:

A plain paper bag.

To see the TADA!, you'll have to visit

Delia's blog where I'm a guest blogger.

What are you waiting for?

It's time to hop on over to Delia's!

The Gingerbread Man

If yesterday, I made my version of a gingerbread house,

today, I might as well make a gingerbread man, right?

So I'll start off with blah, empty food cartons like these:

Then cover each in left-over gift wrap.

Add some cord for the handles, attach

my good looking gingerbread man and...

Tada! A cute gift box!

Have a fantastic weekend!

A Gingerbread House

This week on my blog, it's all about crafting gift boxes

for your Christmas presents.

They're easy and inexpensive to make,

they look fabulous and the basic materials come

from your kitchen cupboard.

Like the blah cracker box.

With a little transformation using my magic wand...

Tada! It's an adorable gingerbread house!

Just insert the gift {wrap it in tissue for

added surprise} in the opening on top.

The recipient can then re-use this box

for future gift giving!

Let It Snow

Before throwing away empty boxes from your pantry,

I suggest you give them a make-over.

For instance:

This box used to contain sugar.

So blah.

Tada! A gift box that's ready for use!

Dress it up with paper or felt and

decorate with your favorite Christmas character.

Add a touch of glitter {pretending to be snow}

for some extra shine!

A Barrel of Wishes

Creating gift wrap solutions while recycling is hitting

two birds with one stone. And I'm trying to hit as

many birds as I can!

Today, this is what I'm recycling:

An empty, blah oatmeal container.

Tada! It's now a unique gift box with a cover!

All I did was to wrap the cylinder in felt

(or use decorative paper) and attach

some embroidered "wishes".

Use it to package food gifts like cookies & bars

or even bags of tea or coffee, bottles of jam or

small jars of spices & sea salt.

Gift Boxes

The holidays are here and Christmas shopping must be

on your mind. When I think of Christmas presents,

gift wrapping isn't far behind.

I've turned empty boxes into pretty packages before

and I've got a few more ideas all this week.

Blah: an empty tissue box

Tada!: a gift box dressed appropriately for the season!

Simply cut off the top of the box, cover it with felt (or paper) and

accessorize with Santa's belt with glittery buckle.

Wrap your gift in tissue & put it into the box.

Tada!

Thanksgiving Friday

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Now, the holidays are officially here!

Today, I am thankful for REWARDS.

Rewarding yourself often is absolutely necessary.

Photo taken at Jacques Torres' ice cream

shop in DUMBO, Brooklyn.

Thanksgiving Thursday

It's Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S. and

I want to wish all of you a "Happy Thanksgiving"!

Today, I am thankful for GRATITUDE.

Graffiti photo taken in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Thanksgiving Wednesday

Today, I'm thankful for the ABILITY TO CREATE.

Photo taken at a shop in Brooklyn Heights, New York City.

Thanksgiving Tuesday

Today, I'm thankful for INSPIRATION.

Photo taken at the Museum of Modern Art Store

in New York City.

Thanksgiving Week

Hello there!

We're celebrating Thanksgiving in the U.S. this Thursday

and I'll take a break from crafting to make time

for some thanks giving. I think it's important to

count our blessings and see how rich we truly are.

Today, I'm thankful for MIRACLES.

A photo of the TV screen last month, where rescue operations were

on-going to save 33 miners trapped underground for 69 days.

The world watched in awe when each miner was brought to

safety and into the arms of their loved ones.

Absolutely breathtaking.

Black and Silver

If you're a regular visitor to this blog, you may

have noticed that I love making jewelry.

And the stuff I make, I really wear.

If I were a designer, I'd probably be a

jewelry designer and one of my

collections would be called "Black & Silver",

as you've seen all this week.

I used the black cord from this old, blah paper

bag to create Tada! pieces.

Just like this one:

Tada! An arm piece that looks high fashion with

the addition of silver thread strung around the cord

and a silver flower brooch.

I can easily change the look by changing the brooch!

Have a fantastic weekend ya 'all!

Captivating Cord

Today, I have another idea on how to transform

the black cord from this paper bag

from blah to Tada!

I crafted a necklace!

The silver elements are really clip-on earrings

that I found at a flea market but haven't worn yet.

I'll keep adding more earrings {especially those without a pair}

and brooches to add more personality to this necklace.

Meanwhile, it's a work in progress!

Cord + Chain

I've got the holidays on my mind.

So last week, I made a bunch of gift tags out of

this blah paper bag.

I used up the "paper" part of the bag,

and all that's left are the handles.

And you know what that calls for!

blah to Tada!

I turned it into a bracelet with the

help of a chain and some charms.

Inspired of course by Chanel.

I like how it's a bit classic and a bit rock & roll.

Beautiful Braid

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

I'm turning the black cord handles of this bag

from blah to...

...Tada!

It's now a cute barrette!

Braiding the cord adds volume & texture.

Attach it to a metal clip using hot glue

and wear it proudly in your hair!

Paper Bag Make-over Part II

Last week, I found new uses for this paper bag:

This week, I'm using what's left over -- the blah,

black cord handles.

Tada! I turned it into a necklace!

Simply braid the cord or make a chain stitch with your fingers.

Seal the ends with hot glue.

Then attach to a chain.

No one will ever guess that this came

from a paper bag!