Craft your own holiday gift tags in 3 easy steps

Infusing a little DIY into gift-giving adds a nice, personal touch to the holiday season.

One simple, but impactful project to try this year is creating your own gift tags. It’s the first thing recipients see, and a great way to add your signature style to the look of your wrapped presents.

To help you get started, art materials supplier Sakura of America is sharing these easy, three-step instructions for creating your own gift tags:

1. Gather your materials. Here is what you’ll need to make your gift tags:

• Archival, colorful pens, such as Gelly Roll Retractable pens

• Cardstock circles, stars, hearts and other shapes

• A hole punch

• Twine or ribbon

• Scissors

• Your creativity

2. Make your tags. Draw creative, seasonal designs on your cardstock shapes, like a snowflake or wreath, using Gelly Roll Retractable pens.

Offering unlimited possibilities for your gift tags, they’re available in 12 colors and three ink effects to write smoothly on an array of paper colors and types.

Hint: If you have dark, coated, matte or lightly colored paper stock, use a metallic or white Gelly Roll Retractable pen. If you have white or light uncoated paper stock, try a stardust (glitter) or classic Gelly Roll Retractable pen.

Punch a hole near the edge of the cardstock and thread twine or ribbon through.

3. Tag your gift. Take your threaded gift tags and flip them over.

Fill out the opposite side for your lucky recipients.

Tie on to your presents for a personal, extra-thoughtful touch. Gift proudly!

For more crafting and seasonal inspiration, visit sakuraofamerica.com.

Using fun shapes and innovative colors, you can handcraft something special this season for everyone on your list.

–StatePoint

Countdown to Christmas with an advent calendar

As Christmas approaches, there is no better way to kick off the holiday season and get the entire family excited about the approaching fun and festivities than with an advent calendar.

For over a century, celebrants have marked the days before Christmas and enjoyed a daily treat, with advent calendars.

Fun thematic twists on this tradition have included everything from games and puzzles for kids to dog chews for furry friends.

Of course, in the modern era, there are now digital options, too, such as the interactive Jacquie Lawson Advent Calendar.

This unique virtual calendar offers beautiful illustrations of a fictional English country estate with daily exciting features like a scavenger hunt, gifts, animated stories, books, games, creative activities, puzzles and more.

An advent calendar is not just a daily treasure trove of surprises, it’s a rich holiday tradition for people of all ages that embraces the beauty of the season.