Just a few gift wrap ideas if you like to go the red and white route. Sometimes simple traditional is best. Aren’t those spools of ribbon neat-o? Sundance has cool seasonal products right now.

More holiday crafting goodness:
Wreaths!
Garlands!
Gift wrap!
The Weekly Awesome!

And a few baby related things too:
What I know for sure
This kid’s getting a teepee
And a cool quilt too
Yes, I’m having a boy. No, I’m not disappointed

Thanks for all your swell comments this week. Project Holiday 2011 continues Monday. Happy weekend.

images: Yan Photo

Gifts of food (especially sweets) are always appreciated. My favorite candy to make during the holidays is chocolate bark because it’s basically fool proof, no thermometer needed. Plus it’s darn right delicious.

To make and package your own bark bars you’ll need:
- good quality chocolate chips or bars (I used Ghirardelli semi-sweet)
- melted white chocolate for swirl
- mix-ins (dried fruit, nuts, pretzels, peanut butter, candy cane, marshmallows)
- parchment paper + tape
- craft envelopes + embellishments

Melt the chocolate slowly over a double boiler. Once fully melted, spread out over a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper. While still warm, sprinkle with mix-ins of your choosing including the white chocolate if you want the swirl effect. My favorite is the pistachio/cranberry mix. Let harden completely at room temperature.

Once finished, cut bark in a bar shape with a knife. Wrap in parchment paper and seal with tape. Package in sturdy envelope and decorate the outside. I just glued on a mini tree and stuck a label on it. To finish up, doorbell ditch it. You’ll burn off the calories you’ve consumed by sprinting away.

photos by me (I know, Yan needs to become YAMF’s live-in photographer)

I love a touch of sparkle and this ornament chandelier delivers just that. Lexy cranked this one out at the Denver make day and every time I passed by it I had to make a comment of admiration. It’s just so dang pretty.

To make your own you’ll need:
- a wire wreath frame with three rings
- 20 clear glass ornaments
- pretty embellishments (feathers, tinsel, glitter, sequins)
- thread

Fill each ornament with your gathered embellishments. Then attach each one to the wreath form by knotting with thread. Vary lengths for a chandelier effect. Hang from ceiling with fishing wire and hook. Sit back and admire.

images: Yan Photo

I’m not going to lie, I’m not the best paper gift wrapper. Those blasted corners never seem to lay flat. So I’m happy to come up with alternative forms of wrapping. Throw something in a jar and screw on a festive lid? I can handle that.

To make your own you’ll need:
- glass jars with lid
- miniature toppers (scan the ornament, Christmas village and kids sections)
- spray paint in color of choice
- hot glue gun
- a treat (popcorn, M&Ms, white chocolate pretzels, whoopie pies)

Give the jar lids and miniatures a good spray with the paint, you might need to do two coats. When fully dry, hot glue the miniature onto the lid top. Fill the jar with something yummy and top it. Deliver to friends while jamming to Manheim Steamroller in the car.

sources:
- smooth glass jars from Hobby Lobby
- deer, tree and nutcracker from Michaels

images: Yan Photo

Friends, Project Holiday just got a whole lot better because I teamed up the lovely Diana of Yan Photo to capture most of the rest of the projects. Her photos could make the bottom of my foot look pretty.

Who says Christmas has to be just red and green? To make things bright, use yarn to make a festive sign and play with color in your gift packaging.

To make your own sign you’ll need:
- a piece of wood (I found this piece of pine for under $5 at Lowes)
- a hammer + nails
- yarn in a variety of colors
- letter templates printed from computer

Choose a non-fussy font (I used Helvetica) and print out each letter of phrase in desired size. Cut the paper down to size and tape to wood board. Nail around the outline of each letter then pull up the paper templates. Make sure you do this while you’re alone as to not irritate people around you. Wrap the yarn around the nails to create each letter and knot at the end to secure. Admire your handiwork.

Packaging sources:
- mini letter die cut from Lifestyle Crafts
- reindeer stamp from Hobby Lobby
- felt balls from Ornamentea

images: Yan Photo

I came across the idea for these lanterns in some family magazine at my doctor’s office which I now can’t recall because let’s face it, I was killing time and forgot to sneak it into my purse on the way out. Update: Thanks to Olivia, I now know that the lanterns I came across were from Suzonne for Family Circle. I also need to thank Brenna for sacrificing her fingers to put these together.

To make your own you’ll need:
- an aluminum sheet (found at Home Depot – they come in several different shapes and a few different colors)
- 20 gauge pliable wire
- tin scissors
- pliers

Using the tin scissors, cut the aluminum to the desired size. Use a cylinder object (a cup or can of oatmeal works great) and wrap the cut sheet around to shape. Connect sides by tying with wire, and use pliers to tighten.

I think a whole row of these on the mantel would look so pretty lit up with candles.

Can’t get enough Christmas goodness? Check out some of my other posts from the week:
Cool handmade ornaments (emphasis on the cool part)
Scandinavian holiday inspiration
Alternatives to the traditional Christmas tree (ours will be made from moving boxes this year)

Welcome to the first day of YAMF’s Project Holiday 2011, three weeks of (simple) holiday projects to spread the cheer. I have some good ones lined up so I hope you’ll join me. Let’s start with this paper leaf wreath crafted by my new Denver friend, Maggie.

To make your own you’ll need:
- medium weight paper (find this one at Anthropologie)
- styrofoam or wood wreath form
- scissors + hot glue

Cut out enough paper leaves (these were all free handed) to cover the entire wreath form then glue, layer and glue some more. Add a mini bow for a festive touch. That’s all, really. This one probably took her about an hour and a half to complete. I’m just sad I couldn’t keep it.

On an end note, I’ve been trying to think of a shorter name for project holiday so it fits the “treat yo’ self 2011″ jingle but haven’t come up with anything yet. It’s thoughts like this that keep me awake at night.