Food Gift Wrapping

Using rub-on decoration or a Sharpie marker, embellish the top edges of a window box. Cut out leaf-shape pieces from green felt or wool and arrange them like mistletoe on the box. Using crafts glue, attach the leaves to the plastic window on the lid and glue the ribbon above the leaves.

Cut a piece of string the same length as the width of the bag. Cut small triangles from scraps of felt or wool. Using fabric glue, attach triangles to string; let dry. Glue each end of the string to the bag so string hangs down slightly in the center. Attach a kraft paper tag to the bag. Line the bag with tissue paper; fill with rolls or muffins. Place a twist tie around handles to secure close.

Using crafts paint, paint the exterior of a 11- or 12-inch round cardboard box; let dry completely. Tape the snowflake pattern over the center of bottom portion of box. Using a needle and a small hammer, punch holes into the box, following the guides on the pattern. Stitch the pattern using red and green embroidery floss; knot on inside of base. The bottom of the box will be used as the package lid.

Get the embroidery pattern here.

Cut a 7" square of both burlap and parchment paper. Using a sewing machine, zigzag-stitch the pieces together on three sides, leaving a 1/2" seam allowance. Trim edges with pinking shears. Place a cookie inside. Cut a 3-1/2x2" piece of decorative paper and hot-glue to back of bag. Fold paper over to front and zigzag-stitch the open edge closed. Add a button to the decorative paper to finish.

From linen or cotton, cut two 3-1/2" squares for each sachet. Cover a favorite holiday stamp with paint; stamp design onto one fabric square. Let dry completely. Sew three sides with right sides together, turn right side out, and fill with dried herbs. Whipstitch the opening closed.

Cut a piece of fabric 4-1/2x5-1/2". To make the bow tie, fold the short sides of the fabric edge, right sides together, to the center and secure with hot glue. Repeat with the remaining two sides. Accordion-fold the fabric, then secure with a stitch in the center. Wrap ribbon around the center of the bow tie and fasten it to a pet collar. Adjust the collar to fit around the lid of a small clear plastic container or pint jar. Cut a circle of decorative paper to cover the top of the container. Hot-glue the paper to the lid.

Cut a cake into 4" square pieces. Wrap a tine container with wide ribbon, securing on bottom using glue. Wrap yarn around ribbon multiple times. Hot-glue layered vintage buttons on top of the yarn.

Fill a half-pint jar with a tasty treat. Then place the lid on and top it with a circle of muslin and a ribbon.

Wrap a favorite cake mix in fabric and ribbon. Hem the edges of the fabric to prevent fraying. Attach small bags of cake decorations to make the package festive.

Line two stackable plastic boxes with your favorite festive fabric. Place little candies, like truffles, in a mini baking cup and fill the box. Stack the boxes and tie together with a strip of fabric cut using pinking shears.

Wrap a pot of lavender or thyme from a local garden center or supermarket in festive fabric trimmed with pinking shears. Use cotton tape or ribbon around the top and a straight pin or two on the sides to secure. Tape a pretty paper circle to a crafts stick to make a simple tag.

Top a jar with a circle of bright fabric, secure with a sparkly ribbon, and finish with a paper citrus-slice embellishment.

Apply washi tape across the lids of two tins, creating stripes. Cut stocking shapes from red and pink felt and rectangle stocking tops white felt. Using fabric glue, affix the white tops to the red and pink stocking shapes. Embroider a snowflake with white thread onto one of the stockings. Thread the stockings onto baker's twine or colored string and wrap them around the tins. Attach a gift tag to complete the look.

This sock wrap is perfect for dressing a bottle of wine or dressing. Use scissors to cut off and discard the toe end of a patterned sock. Pull the sock over the bottle and scrunch it around the center of the bottle. Tie a ribbon around the center of the bottle on top of the sock for a festive touch.

Add a bunch of blooms to a tin of treats for the perfect gift. Cut several sets of three concentric circles out of red felt with the largest size 2-1/2" and the smallest size 1-1/4". Stack each set of circles and poke a hole through the middle of the three layers. Push a decorative brad through each set. Cut the flower shapes to form petals. Arrange flowers in a clustered, meandering line across the top of a round white tin. Wrap the tin with pink velvet ribbon and attach a gift tag on top.

Cut two pieces of parchment paper long enough to wrap around your bread loaf one and a half times. Layer the parchment paper and zigzag stitch the long ends of the paper together with red thread. Sew two red buttons several inches apart in the center of the parchment paper. Wrap the parchment around the bread and secure using baker's twine wrapped around the load and secured around the buttons. Hand-draw a gift tag for a bit of whimsy.

Cut 12 to 14 small circles from holiday scrapbooking paper and sew them together to make a garland. Attach the garland to the top of a disposable foil pan lid for Christmas cheer!

Hide cookies or candies in a tin with a lid. Cut a flour sack towel to the height of the tin. Use fabric glue to affix it to the tin. Fold the ends of the towel to the underside of the tin. Using fabric glue, attach a zipper to the fabric on the front of the tin. Add a pom-pom to the top of the tin for a warm touch.

Fill jars with applesauce or granola. Cut the sleeve of an old sweater 2 inches longer than the height of the jar. Turn the sleeve inside out and stitch the cut end closed. Turn the sleeve right side out and slide the sleeve over the jar. Tape a gift tag to the jar so the tag hangs out over the sweater.

Dress up a simple snack mix stored in a tall plastic container. Cut green felt into three equal-size tall triangles. Cut a piece of brown felt into a think rectangle. Adhere the brown felt to the container using fabric glue, then add the green felt triangles to form the tree. Use string to tie a metal-framed gift tag around the lid.

This three-story gift is perfect for dips. Using crafts glue, attach one button on a single-entrée-size container and fill the container with chips. Attach two buttons to the tall entrée-size container and fill the container with salsa. Glue two small buttons onto the small (1-cup-size) container and fill with fresh toppings or stir-ins. Stack the containers with the widest one on the bottom and smallest one on top. Tie a ribbon to the top container for the snowman's scarf.

Gather the kids to decorate a canvas apron using fabric markers. Bake casserole or cake in a foil baking pan and let cool. Add the lid. Fold the apron so the design is displayed on top. Tie the apron around the pan.

Fill a plastic container with a dip or cookies. Cut a piece of brown felt into a triangle the width of the lid; attach to the lid of the container using fabric glue. Add two craft eyes and a black pom-pom for the nose to the felt using fabric glue. To create the antlers, twist a 3-inch piece of pipe cleaner. Twist the long pipe cleaner around a headband and place the headband on the width of the container.

If your box doesn't have circles, cut two circles on the front of the box, with the one on the bottom slightly larger than the top. Cut a piece of clear acrylic the size of the front of the box; attach it to the inside using a glue stuck. Using pinking shears, cut a 6-inch-long piece of red felt, tie in a bow, and glue between the circles with crafts glue. For the hat, cut a 2-inch-long strip of felt and a square piece of felt. Attach the hat pieces above the top circle on the box. Place 3 sticker dots in the middle of the acetate in the bottom circle, making buttons.

Place a piece of fabric in the bottom of a wooden crate. Arrange a piece of accenting fabric across the top of the fabric. Tie a ribbon around a spatula. Place a cheesecake or pie and the spatula inside the box.

Cut the sleeve of an old sweater 1 inch longer than the height of the plastic container. Slide the sleeve over the container. Tie a small jam spoon to the front of the container with a ribbon. Attach a paper snowflake to the top of the lid using crafts glue.

Bake a casserole in a 2-quart baking dish. Once cool, wrap a festive holiday dish towel around the center of the dish and tie decorative ribbon and twine around the top and bottom edges of the fabric to secure. Attach wooden letters to the twine. For an added splash of color, add some colored plastic forks tied with twine.