Here we are just one week from Christmas and I’m still working on Christmas cards and wrapping gifts. That old hide and seek phrase comes to mind – ready or not, here I come! – and is so appropriate! Last night was our final Advent service for the year, and other activities are winding down until after the start of 2025 as well. Wanting to share a small gift with some special ladies, I turned to my all inclusive kits such as Paper Pumpkin.
The November’s Paper Pumpkin kit – Filled With Joy – included stockings with tags that are the perfect size for small gift giving, so my plan was to use them for my Tuesday Bible study ladies’ gifts. Where do you turn for small inexpensive gifts of faith? Amazon, of course. You just have to search. Sunday evening I pulled out my two November Paper Pumpkin kits, the gifts I had ordered first of December, and got a gameplan in place.
I’m usually one who follows the Paper Pumpkin kit directions – rarely do I use alternative designs, but this time I changed it up and used multiple additions – some retired, some current. First thing – I embossed all of the tag backgrounds with snowflakes. Then I remembered – they were suppose to have stamped greetings!!! Not a problem – I simply ran the tiny white tag die from the Peaceful Season Bundle in the current mini catalog! I wanted some pine branches as well, so I cut those with Shaded Spruce card stock and the Golden Greenery Dies.
The greeting “from Santa” is included in the Paper Pumpkin kit, but there were no gems! We needed gems for embellishing, so I ran back to my drawer of gems – actually, DRAWER x 3! – and dug til I found a retired package from a couple years ago with blue, pink, and gold sequins – PERFECT! Now to stuff the stockings!
First I stuffed the stocking toe with crinkled gift paper from Dollar Tree. Then I placed the Faith bracelet and three lip balms in a small ziplock bag to keep everything together. Ziplock bag went in, added a candy cane and some Ande’s mints, then clipped the tag in place with the tiny clips included in the kit.
I had 16 gifts packaged and ready to go in less than 2 hours! The gifts inside each stocking cost less than $4, so not a costly amount.
Refills for the Filled With Joy Paper Pumpkin kit are still available for only $12! There is no ink spot or stamp included, but just turn to your craft supplies and you will find plenty of stamps and things that will fit! Here’s the catch though – you can only order the refills if you have a Paper Pumpkin subscription! I have a subscription and can order for you, so just reach out if you want the stocking refill.
Final Thoughts….
Just a reminder that the 2025 Paper/Ribbon shares went live yesterday!!! Be sure to click on the link below for all of the info, and to reserve your share!
https://lolarist.com/event/2025-spring-paper-ribbon-shares/
So my to do list includes finishing Christmas cards and wrapping all gifts by Friday night. Tonight I signed up for a floral centerpiece class with a local florist, so we will see how this goes! Saturday we will head to KC for another Chiefs’ game, then Sunday and Monday we will be baking treats and candies to share with our neighbors. Christmas Eve morning we will do our prepping and baking for our Christmas meals with the family. Megan’s family will be here by dinner time, then we will head to the candlelight service that evening. Gifts will be shared Christmas morning. By mid afternoon on Christmas Day everyone will be gone, and the Christmas rush will be over.
Ready or not, Christmas is coming! Until next time, have a blessed day doing whatever makes you happy!!!
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