Simple Gifts: Part Three

Hot chocolate, anyone? Today I've made hot chocolate packet holders. These are very simple and very fast to make. Sure, you can dress them up with all kinds of embellishments if you wish, but I promised simple gifts, so that's what we're doing. The plan here is to have ideas for gifts when it's 8 p.m. and one of your beloveds (or even yourself) realize that, "OH YEAH... tomorrow is this holiday party thing and I'm supposed to give everyone a little something... but I only need 25 of them!"

Basic supplies used in making all three of these examples:
Blockheads stamp sets: Winter Wonderland & An Illustrated Christmas
1/4" Red Liner Tape
Brilliance Inks
StazOn Inks
Distress Inks
Dove Blender Pen
Glue
Ribbon
Hot chocolate packets

For the example above, I used Brilliance Pearlescent Sky Blue and Pearlescent Olive on black glossy paper. This actually looks a lot snazzier than the scan will show - the Brilliance inks on glossy black are frosty and shimmery and really pop. The inks do take a little longer to dry on glossy, so take that into consideration if you decide to go that route.

Here are the basic specs to create the pocket:

Start with a 5.5 x 8.5" piece of cardstock. Make folds at 2.5" on one end and 2.25" on the other end. Flip this over and apply the Red Liner Tape as follows. Remove the horizontal piece first, fold in and press the untaped flap. Then fold the taped flap over that and press again. You're done making a pocket. It's really that simple. You can use glue if you really want to, but I find the tape easier and much less messy to use for this application. 

Now all you have to do is decorate the front as you see fit, tie some ribbon around a packet of hot chocolate, and slide it into the pocket. Simple gift... done!

For this example, I first stamped the deer on white glossy cardstock, using Midnight Blue StazOn ink. Then, because I can't stop playing with my new Metallic Distress Stains (can I just say... these are so cool!), I washed over the whole thing with Brushed Pewter Distress Stain. (Don't worry, these stains are so light that the original image shows through... and shimmers!) Once that was dry, I stamped the snowflakes again using Brilliance Pearlescent Sky Blue. 

See how simple these are?!

 For this cute snowman pocket, I first stamped the snowman using Jet Black StazOn ink. I then colored in the image using my Dove Blender Pen and Distress Inks. I stamped the snowflakes using Brilliance Pearlescent Ice Blue. For a little added pizazz I brushed a little glue across the bottom in a very loose swirl, then dusted it with a little glitter.

These are great little gifties to put into a stocking, or to sneak onto someone's desk for whom you're a Secret Santa, or to add to a box of cookies. With a little adjustment to the measurements, you can make them to house a packet of microwavable popcorn - tie it to a new DVD and give someone a movie night!