I love wrapping Christmas gifts, but nothing brings out the holiday stress more than a tangled mess of ribbons and bows. This year, I'm going to stop the stress before it starts and take a few minutes to create a handy DIY ribbon dispenser. The steps couldn't be easier!:

Materials:
Heat-in-the bowl soup container
Ribbon or paint or paper or fabric
Craft glue

Instructions:
1. Empty your soup container, wash and dry it. (I use containers from Progresso soup but any variety that offers a plastic, snap-on lid will work.) I remove the paper label that covers the outside of the container.
2. Attach a length of cute ribbon around the upper edge of the container using craft glue. You could choose to paint the outside or cover it with paper or fabric.
3. Roll elastic into a loose ball. Make the ball small enough to fit inside the container. Thread the loose end of the elastic though one opening in the lid and attach the lid back onto the container. You can then pull out the required length of elastic needed for your project and snip with scissors.

Amazing, right? A genius tip that will go a loooong way for holiday stress-proofing!

I'm going for a peacock-inspired Christmas this year in terms of decor, and I can't wait to bring out the purples, golds and deep teals for my decorative accents. And with these handy ShelterPop tips, I can tell it's going to be a full-flocked and fabulous look!.

My favorite tip? Paint it white. Unify a hodgepodge assortment by coating the ornaments with matte white spray paint, which lends the luxurious look of porcelain. Choose simple shapes for the most wow factor.

To do: String the ornaments up on a clothesline outdoors, prime them, then apply the paint in light, even coats on all sides. Let dry for 24 hours.

Lovely and glamorous! Get to work, ornament hoarders!

I love packaging that doubles as a gift, so I'm a massive fan of totes, baskets and tins when it comes to wrapping my holiday gifts. This year, I can't wait to try out this fabric bag tutorial and fill them with fun, inexpensive gifts for my nieces and nephews. I'd fill them with playing cards, jacks and then some. Want to try the idea yourself?:

Pick some festive fabric.
Cut a piece the width necessary for your bag, and twice as long, leaving a 5/8″ seam allowance.
Cut two long strips of fabric, the same length as the finished bag and 4″ wide. The strips will be your ties.
Fold the strips in half to make a 2″ wide piece, with the right sides together, and sew the long open side and one of the ends. Turn the strips right side out and press.
Fold your bag fabric in half, lengthwise, right sides together.
Insert 1″ of the tie into the bag, about 1/3 of the way down the bag.
Pin the seams, pinning the tie into the seam.
Turn the top edge 5/8″, press and pin down.
Sew the sides shut.
Hem the top of the bag.
Turn the bag right-side out and press.

Watch the video for more a visual! Go, handmade!

Let's switch gears from the holidays for a second and talk about sweet, precious sleep. I've been getting a lot lately, partly because of the cold, wintery mornings and also due to my uncanny ability to sleep through any alarm clock. Until now:



Step 1: Open the clock
Open the alarm clock and snip the 2 wires that lead from its circuit board to the speaker. Depending on the clock's design, you may need to snip the wires just to get it open. That's okay.

Step 2: Strip wire
Strip the two ends of wire leading from the board, and splice two longer pieces of wire to the ends.

Step 3: Solder
Solder these splices to secure the connection.

Step 4: Snip watergun wires
Take apart the water gun and snip the two wires leading to the trigger switch.

Step 5: Strip wires
Strip the ends of these wires, splice longer wires to each end, and secure the connections with solder.

Step 6: Connect wires
Pop the relay switch into the breadboard circuit and connect each pair of wires to opposite sides of the relay. If you don't have a breadboard circuit, solder the switch and wires to a regular circuit board. It's harder to do, but will make for a more permanent connection – and water clock.

Step 7: Set alarm
Now set the alarm, position the water gun so it's pointing at your face, and drop off into a nice peaceful sleep.

Want to make a greener holiday for your family? Recycling old wrapping paper is an easy way to incorporate an eco-friendly lifestyle into your routine, and one of my favorite ways to do so is by creating a New Year's Day papier-mache project. Why not make a fun, brightly-colored ornament to ring in the new year? Re-use old Christmas wrap as your base and follow the below, super easy steps from Thrifty Fun:

1. Mix 1 part flour with 2 parts water in a mixing bowl. The glue should be slightly runny, and definitely not thick. If it is too runny, add 1 teaspoon of flour at a time until it is a good consistency. If it is too thick, add 2 tablespoons of water at a time until it is the right consistency.
2. Cover your work surface with paper to protect it and to make clean-up easier.
3. Blow up a balloon and tie it in a knot. You will want to hang your balloon from a piece of string, as this will make it easier to work.
4. Start by dipping a strip of your recycled wrapping paper into the paper mache glue. Using your forefinger and thumb, rub excess glue off of the strip back into the bowl.
5. Lay the strip onto the balloon. Be sure to smooth it out to help make the ornament as smooth as possible. Continue doing this until the entire balloon is covered with strips of wrapping paper. It is a good idea to overlap pieces of wrapping paper on top of each other to ensure total coverage.
6. Let the paper mache dry for 24 hours.
7. Repeat steps 4-6 above the next day. The trick is, the more layers of newspaper you add to your balloon, the heavier and more durable it will become. Two layers is good for this particular project.

Decorate as you wish and you've got an instant, crafty ornament for the new year! Happy crafting!

Happy Black Friday! Hopefully you've shopped 'til you've dropped today --- now it's time to make something to put those gifts under! Of course, this toothpick Christmas tree isn't quite the right size, but it's cute nonetheless. Why not place a few on your mantle for a sweet holiday touch? Check out the tutorial below!:

1. Go to your local craft store and buy 15 medium-size styrofoam balls and a round styrofoam ring.
2. Spread out newspapers on your work surface.
3. Take a styrofoam ball and stick toothpicks all around it so the end result looks sort of like a big snowflake. Do the same thing to all the styrofoam balls.
4. Set out your styrofoam ring. This will serve as the base of the tree. Place the balls around the ring.
5. When you've covered the ring, create a second layer. This layer will be a little smaller than the bottom layer.
6. When you've completed the second layer, create a third. This layer will be a little smaller than the second layer.
7. At this point the tree shape should be clear. Keep adding layers until the tree is complete.
8. When you've finished forming the tree, take out your can of snow and spray, spray, spray! You want a nice, thick cover, but you'll have to build it up slowly. Be sure to let each coat dry thoroughly before adding the next.
9. Once you have a nice snow-covered tree, add the ornaments... carefully. You now have a toothpick Christmas tree!

Did you know you can use Silly Putty for a lot more than your kid's elementary school science project? Turns out the crazy clay makes a pretty great grip tool when trying to open that stubborn jar of pickles.

Simply place some Silly Putty on your palms and wrap around the jar or bottle. The clay's adhesive nature and texture will give you a better grip and you'll have the jar open in no time flat. Forget burns and rubs on your palms and get thee to the craft center!

And don't worry --- if you can't find Silly Putty at your local market, or if it's too pricey or kid-like, make do with what you have! Watch this video on how to make silly putty with stuff you probably have on hand or in the pantry. You'll have a handy jar opener in no time -- for less than five bucks!

So, your son wants a state-of-the-art model airplane for Christmas, and it's just not in the budget. Don't worry; fake it to make it! Here's how to build an airplane out of upcycled soda cans:

What You'll Need:
* Three empty aluminum soda cans
* All-purpose glue
* Scissors
* Permanent marker
* Hobby knife
* Thick work gloves
* Hammer
* Nail
* Block of wood
* Small screw
* Nut

Instructions:
1. Poke a hole in the first soda can, using the scissors. The hole must be at least half an inch from the top. Carefully insert the scissors' blade in the hole, then cut the the top off. Aluminum is thin, so be careful not to crush the pop cans when you take away the tops. You can throw this top away, as you won't need it anymore.
2. Using the scissors again, cut 2 1/2 inches form the bottom off the second can. Don't throw it away, since you'll use this later.
3. Cut the top off the third soda can, as well as the bottom part. Afterwards, cut its body in half, opening the aluminum so it will lie flat.
4. Draw two airplane wings on the flattened aluminum, using the permanent marker. These need to be in the same shape and size. Afterwards, draw an airplane propeller, at least three inches long.
5. Cut out the propeller and airplane wings using the scissors. Be careful while doing this, so the aluminum edge won't cut you.
6. Get the first pop can, then make two slits in its midsection area. Use a hobby knife for this. Make the slit long enough to accommodate the airplane wings' width. Then, cut a horizontal slit carefully across the bottom of the can, too.
7. Slide the wings in place, then glue securely.
8. Get the scrap flattened aluminum and draw a tail. Use sharp scissors to cut it out. Slide this on the slit you made at the back, then glue in place, too.
9. Take the pop can bottom you cut off earlier, and drill a hole in its center, using a nail, hammer and a block of wood. Then, make a hole in the airplane propeller's center. Attach this to the bottom using a nut and small screw. Don't tighten the nut too much, though, or the propeller won't turn.
10. Secure the pop can bottom to the metal with the propeller mounted to it.
11. Slide the pieces together, gluing them in place. Paint the can or leave it as it is.