A Taste of Christmas

It's that time of year again - Christmas in July!  It's time to get a head start on all your Christmas shopping and creating and here are some projects to help get you in the holiday spirit!

First, from Cricut we have a simply adorable Snowflake Gift Bag!

This beautiful gift bag will delight the recipient almost as much as the gift inside!

Design by:	Georgina Jarvie
Date:	2009-12-07 13:32:07
Category:	Holidays
Skill level:	Intermediate
Time:	1 hour

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cut one 5 ¼" x 6" block of red and cream patterned cardstock. Cut one 5 ¼" x 4 ½" block of dark silver patterned cardstock. Cut two 5 ¼" x ¾" strips of dark silver patterned cardstock. Cut two 5 ¼" x 4" blocks of red cardstock. Set aside.
2. Cut snowflake. Using Very Merry Tags cartridge and cream cardstock, cut one 4" . Using red cardstock, cut one 4" . Layer together. Adhere to center of dark silver block using foam squares. Use needle and thread to stitch each hole to dark silver block.
3. Adhere dark silver block to red and cream block. Stitch three x’s at top and bottom seams of cardstock as shown.
4. Adhere red blocks behind red and cream block so that cardstock will cover front of bag. (Red blocks should show above and below red and cream block.) Stitch along top and bottom of red and cream block.
5. Stitch an x on each end of dark silver strips. Adhere to red blocks as shown. Adhere cardstock to bag front.
6. Cut mittens tag. Using dark silver cardstock, cut one 2" . Using cream cardstock, cut one 2"
7. Cut candy cane. Using red cardstock, cut one 1 ½" . Using cream cardstock, cut one 1 ½" . Layer together.
8. Tie red and white patterned ribbon to bag handle. Tie mittens and candy cane tags to ribbon using thread. Fill bags with tissue paper.

What You Will Need

1. Cricut Expression^® Personal Electronic Cutter with Plantin SchoolBook and Accent Essentials^® cartridges [290300]
2. Cricut^® Very Merry Tags cartridge [2000051]

Other Supplies

1. 5 ¼" x 8 ½" gift bag and tissue paper
2. Cardstock: red, cream, dark silver
3. Patterned cardstock: red and cream, dark silver
4. Red thread and needle
5. Ribbon: 2" wide red and white patterned
6. Paper trimmer and scissors
7. Foam mounting squares and adhesive

And how about a creative Christmas Tree?

Design by:	Melissa Phillips
Date:	2007-11-27 01:26:54
Category:	Holidays
Skill level:	Intermediate
Time:	1 hour 30 minutes

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cut large 4" scallops using Accent Essentials cartridge and Grazioso paper assortment. Wrap them around the tree form on a diagonal and pin in place.
2. Cut large 4" holly berry leaves using Christmas Cheer cartridge and Grazioso paper assortment. Pin them in place around tree.
3. Wrap pink ric rac diagonally around tree to resemble garland. Pin in place.
4. Attach red buttons randomly.
5. Pin cream flowers in place to cover empty spots and to soften.
6. At the top of tree, attach a red chipboard star and 2 flourishes left over from holly berry die cuts.
7. Paint pot using white acrylic paint, let dry and sand to distress.
8. Insert tree form into pot and adhere white filler to cover styrofoam.
9. Adhere Rob & Bob trim around top of pot, and fuzzy green ric rac where pot and styrofoam meet.

What You Will Need

1. 29-0300 Cricut Expression and Accent Essentials Cartridge
2. 29-0019 Christmas Cheer Cartridge
3. 43-6538 Rob & Bob Cherry Ribbon
4. 42-4623 Cadenza Grazioso Peacock paper
5. 42-4622 Cadenza Grazioso Bouquet paper

Other Supplies

1. Styrofoam tree form
2. Clay pot
3. Heidi Swapp red chipboard heart  
4. Assorted red buttons
5. Silk cream flowers
6. Making Memories wide pink ric rac
7. Wright's fuzzy green ric rac
8. White filler

Here are some cute project ideas from Slice! A rather Joyful Layout perhaps?

 

Or how about a Joyful Tag for some of those gifts you'll be giving?

And of course, we have some fabulous projects from Sizzix!  First, a Merry Christmas Card to start the season off right.

Hang a stocking on your next holiday card and fill the season with joy. But don’t stop there. Create stockings as decorations for anywhere around the house. It’ll be quite a feat.

INSTRUCTIONS: 
Die-cut Card out of Colored Paper. Add contrasting paper to the inside of the Card. Stamp image as a background on the front of the Card. Die-cut Stocking out of contrasting paper and adhere to the front of the Card. Embellish with ribbon, a charm and a rub on.

Need something to give away to your friends and neighbors?  How about Noel & Joy Gift Boxes!

How will you ever wrap those odd-shaped trinkets and stocking stuffers? By embellishing a tiny box with die-cuts and ribbon, that’s how! Just a few Sizzlits Dies and Alphabets, and that daunting project is a snap!

INSTRUCTIONS:

Die-cut Boxes out of colored paper and embellish with white strips of paper. Tie a bow around each Box. Die-cut shapes out of colored paper, Highlight with Chalk and adhere to the top of the Boxes. Die-cut words out of contrasting paper and adhere to the side of each Box.

Here are the coupon codes!

JULY20 for 20% off any order

    OR

JULYSHIP for FREE US50 Standard Shipping for order $50+

Also, if you spend over $200.00, you can use JULYBONUS for an additional 5% off! 

Happy Christmas crafting!