Creative gifts
With the holidays coming up, we asked our teen staff for their ideas of things you can make on a budget that show you care.
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BOWS
While I was browsing one of my favorite crafting websites, craftster.org, I found tutorials on how to make gift bows from magazines. To start, I found a vibrant magazine page and cut it into three-quarter inch wide strips. Next, I tried to twist my strips into the loops shown in the tutorial. My first few attempts didn’t even look close, but I eventually learned how to do it. I found that taking out a real gift bow to compare was helpful. I took my loop and punched a brad through it. A brad looks like a pin with two prongs on the end that can be splayed out and is available at craft and office supply stores. I continued adding loops to my brad until I had a full bow. I spread and flattened the prongs to seal it off and put a piece of double-sided tape on the bottom to attach it to a gift.
I think these bows are a nice addition to any present because they’re one of a kind and customizable. You can use old wrapping paper, handmade paper or, for a sentimental touch, you can take regular printer paper and write little notes on the strips. Handmade, eco-friendly and thoughtful. What’s not to love?
—Ashley Ngo, 15, California Academy of Math and Science (Carson)
While I was browsing one of my favorite crafting websites, craftster.org, I found tutorials on how to make gift bows from magazines. To start, I found a vibrant magazine page and cut it into three-quarter inch wide strips. Next, I tried to twist my strips into the loops shown in the tutorial. My first few attempts didn’t even look close, but I eventually learned how to do it. I found that taking out a real gift bow to compare was helpful. I took my loop and punched a brad through it. A brad looks like a pin with two prongs on the end that can be splayed out and is available at craft and office supply stores. I continued adding loops to my brad until I had a full bow. I spread and flattened the prongs to seal it off and put a piece of double-sided tape on the bottom to attach it to a gift.
I think these bows are a nice addition to any present because they’re one of a kind and customizable. You can use old wrapping paper, handmade paper or, for a sentimental touch, you can take regular printer paper and write little notes on the strips. Handmade, eco-friendly and thoughtful. What’s not to love?
—Ashley Ngo, 15, California Academy of Math and Science (Carson)
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