1. Use what you have. "You can use anything you have lying around the house," Reese says. Wrapping paper, construction paper, and old calendars and magazines work great for decorating gift tags and containers.
2. Get out the cookie cutters. These holiday tools are great for creating more than cute Christmas cookies. Trace cookie cutters in fun holiday shapes (think candy canes, stars, trees, and stockings) for super-simple gift tags. "Big chunky shapes work best," Reese says.
3. Add photos. Pics of friends and family instantly personalize gift tags. "With kids in school, you get all those tiny wallets -- they're great to use on gift tags," Reese says. "Photos are fun way to accent."
4. Wrap it up. Turn dollar-store jars and tins into festive holiday gift containers for cookies, candy, and trinkets. "Just wrap decorative paper around the container, attach with double-sided tape, and add a few ribbons," Reese says. "With a little effort, it looks handmade."
5. Reuse old Christmas cards. Cut or use a tag-shape punch on the part of the picture you like. To make tags thicker, mount the back with cardboard or card stock, and pen a holiday message -- or "To" and "From."
6. Attach the trimmings. For a quick and easy way to add a punch of color (and to attach your tag), loop coordinating scrap ribbon through the tag's hole. "Combine two or three colors to jazz it up," Reese says.
7. Sprinkle some holiday sparkle. Use loose glitter to accent different parts of your homemade gift tags and containers. But remember, Reese warns, less is more. "You don't need oodles of glitter to make it look fun -- just add a little to sparkle it up," Reese says.
8. Create your own pretty paper. Reese recommends decorating brown craft paper with holiday stamps to create personalized gift wrap. "Use letter stamps to create holiday messages," Reese says.
9. Give in style. Add a personal touch to gift cards or cash by creating homemade holiday gift holders. To do it, fold an 8-x-8-inch piece of sturdy paper in half. Fold down the top left corner to open it up, seal bottom edges, and decorate. "It's a little more fun than handing somebody a plain envelope," Reese says.

Creative Christmas Gift Tags

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Creative Christmas Gift Tags

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