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Use Mom's Break Printables to Make a Christmas Gift Bag that Matches the Gift!

By: Jan K., The Proofer

Using free printables offered by Mom's Break, you can create a Christmas gift that is handmade and has a matching gift bag and Christmas card!

This craft is perfect for kids---but it can be "fun for all ages" as well. The entire craft can be done in the space of one afternoon. Younger children will need some supervision.

To help you with this craft, I've provided free, illustrated instructions:

http://readingroom.janktheproofer.com/Makembbag.htm

The instructions contain several pictures, so it might take a few (long) seconds to open.

Using the link that is provided at the end of this article, go to Mom's Break Christmas and review the selections for free printable iron-on transfers, free coloring sheets, and free Christmas cards (that will need to be colored). Be sure to select a design that has a free printable for each (that is, the same image for the iron-on transfer, coloring sheet, and card).

If you need a little bit of help with figuring out how to print these pages, then please see my easy-to-follow tutorial:

http://readingroom.janktheproofer.com/matchingshirtbagcard.doc

This tutorial contain several pictures, so it might take several (long) seconds for the page to open. Once the page does open, then allow a few extra second for all the pictures to appear.

Mom's Break has already provided an illustrated tutorial for coloring the iron-on transfer and then putting the transfer on a shirt. You can also put the iron-on transfer on a sweatshirt or other cotton garment.

To make the matching gift bag and Christmas card, you'll need:

• Mom's Break Free Printable Christmas Color Me coloring sheet and Color Me Card coloring page
• Crayons, markers, or colored pencils
• Scissors, glue stick
• Gift bag, tissue paper, curl ribbon
• Glitter (optional)

Decorate with glitter, if desired. Using a glue stick is a lot less messy and the glitter is "dry" almost immediately.

You might want to put a piece of newspaper under the coloring page before you glitter it. Rub the glue stick where you want the glitter, then sprinkle glitter over the area. Wait just a few seconds, and then pick up the coloring sheet and let the excess glitter fall off. If you do one color of glitter at a time, you can funnel the excess glitter back into the container.

As an alternative, simply brush off excess glitter and then save all the glitter in an empty container (like a small plastic container) for later projects when you don't need a specific color.

Cut out the Color Me Coloring Sheet and glue it onto the gift bag. Rub the glue stick around the edges on the back side of the coloring sheet so that the edges don't curl back after you put it on the bag.

Fold the Color Me Card so that the picture is on the front and MERRY CHRISTMAS is on the inside. Make a hole in the upper right corner of the card (I use a hole punch).

You can write To and From on the back of the card, and then fill in names. Be sure to do this before you tie the card onto the bag!

Use several strands of curl ribbon to tie the card onto the handle of the gift bag.

Put matching gift inside one or more sheets of colored tissue paper, and place gift in bag. Of course, you can put any gift in the bag, but you can imagine someone's surprise when everything matches!

For the free printables, please go to Mom's Break Christmas:

http://christmas.momsbreak.com/

For more Christmas crafts, go to Jan's Reading Room, and click on the Holidays and Seasonal category:

http://readingroom.janktheproofer.com/ReadingIntro.htm

Jan K., The Proofer is a freelance copyeditor and proofreader. Visit http://www.jansportal.com for more information about Jan's free crafts, recipes, tutorials, other resource sites, and free content articles, as well as Jan’s business services. Be sure to visit Mom's Break (http://www.momsbreak.com/) for free printable crafts and projects. © Copyright 2005 to present. All rights reserved.