Blogmas #3: Upcycled Xmas Gift Tags

These simple hand-made ornaments can be tagged to your gifts and then the recipient can hang it on their tree for years to come!

1. Cut 50 (25 of each colour for a two-toned candy cane stripe) lengths of wool to approx 14" long.
2. Cut off the end of a toilet roll tube 1/2" wide.
3. Take one length of wool and fold it in half, pull the loop through the tube and pull the 2 loose ends of the wool through the loop. Pull to tighten.
4, 5. Continue this alternating the colours all the way round the tube. You may need to bunch the       wool up so there are no gaps.
6. Push all the wool ends up through the tube.
7. Use a wool piece to tie the strands together to desired hat height.
8. Cut the excess* to desired pom pom height and puff up using the palm of your hand. *Leave one     strand un cut to use to hang it up. Tch Hindsight Belinda!

1. Tie wool/thread/string to the top of your chosen cookie cutter.

2. Place cutter on decorative paper/ card (old christmas cards are great for this!) and trace round outer edge of shape. 

3. Cut out.

4. Dab tiny hot glue globs (that was satisfying to type) round edge of cookie cutter.

5. Ta Da! You could write your message on the back of the paper/card. Hot glue is easy to peel off so your recipient can use the cookie cutter to bake you cookies. Win win! 

1. Make some beads using Fimo (oven-bake clay) if you are lacking in suitable beads.
2. Knot an 'anchor' bead in place and make a loose loop with the ribbon or T-shirt yarn, push a needle and thread up through the centre of the tree. Build up your loops and beads alternatatly so that the       get smaller running the needle and thread through the beads and centre of the ribbon. Secure.

1. Using a mini cracker template (I used mine from the latest Mollie Makes Magazine but there are     plenty online!) trace the diamond shapes and zigzags onto the blank side of your decorative card. 

2. Cut out the diamonds using a craft knife and cut out the zigzags using scissors. 

3. According to your template transfer the fold lines by scoring the card using a blunt implement and a ruler. 

4. Fold along the scored lines and fold to create the cracker shape. If you want to fill it, do so. Glue     along the inside of one end of the lengths and secure onto the other end to make the cracker tube. 

5. Tie each end of the cracker with string or wool. 

1. Draw out a 5 point star as a guideline. Hammer in small Hardboard Pins into a piece of scrap           wood. Use an extra pin to make an anchor point.
2. Wind wire (the flexible the better- so aluminium is best!) round the anchor point and start winding   the wire round the pins following the drawn star guideline a few times depending on the thickness       of the wire.
3. Start weaving the wire underneath the wire formation and loop it tightly rough the points to keep   all the layers of wire together in place. This may need some 'wurdling' (a Belinda word for                   rejigging/shaping/forming) to your desired star shape.
4. Slip off the wire star and snip off any excess wire or keep a length of wire attached to the star in     order to secure to your gift.