It's all in the presentation....

I am sharing these ideas with the Ten on the 10th group.  Our monthly challenge must cost less than $10 and we post connecting links on the 10th of the month!

I believe that the presentation of a gift is just as important as the gift itself.

Here are a few ideas for gift wrapping your holiday gifts and each idea costs well under $10 to make.

SNOW MAN TIN CAN

I took a large commercial size can and spray painted it red, drilled two holes, one on each side, and tied a ribbon through each hole for a handle.  The snowman was an unpainted wooden ornament purchased for $1 at a craft store.  After painting it, I adhered it to the front with glue gun.  

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SNOWMAN BAG

I laid a white paper lunch bag flat and traced a small plate to create the curve and then cut on the line. I folded the top down about 2-4 inches. The hat, eyes, nose and holly leaf are cut freehand out of a craft foam sheet and then glued them on (I punched small stars out of the eyes to add a twinkle). The hat band is a scrap piece of ribbon and I used a marker for his pebble mouth.

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SANTA BAG

I laid a paper lunch bag flat and a square (about 5") of green holiday fabric was cut out and glued on the front side. A strip of fake fur was glued along the bottom edge. His eyes were little painted dots and his nose is a pom pom. To fold the hat, fold back from corner to opposite corner of the fabric to form a triangle. Then fold down the top point forward. A jute bow was glued on the tip of the hat. Santa's beard was a 7" x 11" piece of muslin, folded in 1/2 to form a 7" x 5 1/2" strip. Glue a 7" piece of jute inside the fold. Tear small strips, 1/2"apart, up towards the folded edge with the jute, stopping 1/2" before fold. Glue this in a curve onto bag.

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PRINGLES CAN
Wrap a Pringles can in wrapping paper or scrapbook paper and adhere a floral pic and bow.  Perfect for "cookies"!

SNOWMAN TIN

Take a soup can and wrap in craft paper.  Create the snowman with squares of card stock , rubbing chalk on edges for dimension, adding mini buttons and a foam hat and nose.  Tie on a tag!

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Choose a theme to wrap your gifts such as these....Black and white and a sprig of greenery and berries

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Every gift is a wish for your happiness!!

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Visit these other creative women to see how they spent their $10:

The Apple Street Cottage

Blue Sky At Home

Decorate And More With Tip

Patina and Paint
Bluesky at Home (Posting Monday)

How to make an Apple Galette...

"Galette from the Norman word gale meaning flat cake is a term used in French cuisine to designate various types of flat round or freeform crusty cakes"

These are so simple to make!

Peel and slice 3 large apples and sprinkle with 1/4 C sugar and 1T cinnamon:

I use a pre-made pie crust, laying the crust on a Silpat and spread the apples in the center:

I drizzle the apples with Vanilla Butter (1/4 c butter, melted and 1/2 t vanilla mixed in):

Fold and pleat the crust up around the apples...

...and brush the crust with remaining vanilla butter and sprinkle with sugar:

Place the Silpat onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350' for 20-30 minutes

Let cool for 10 minutes...

...and serve...

...and top with whipped cream:

This serves 4...

...and it just as good as an apple pie!!

To make a tomato-zucchini galette, go HERE

Christmas at the MacKenzie-Childs Farmhouse in Aurora, NY

The Farmhouse at MacKenzie-Childs in Aurora was all decked out for the holidays this past weekend. (to read about the farmhouse, go HERE)

As you enter the front door you are welcomed by this pretty tree draped in Courtly Check Daisy Ribbon, and a chandelier draped in white branches:

The Diorama table in the formal dining room was set for 6....

with the new Highland enamel dishes mixed with Sweetbriar dinnerware:

The Cheltenham vases were filled with greenery, branches and berries:

The study had such a cute pine arrangement draped out of the tureen.  This table has a cute story, and If I remember it correctly it is painted from a turtle's eye view of the farmland and lake:

A simple tray on the ottoman makes you feel so welcome in this room!

The breakfast room is loaded with pastel ornaments under large cloches and the chandelier was adorned in greenery, branches and ornaments: 

Who wouldn't enjoy breakfast at this lovely setting of mixed dinnerware?

A precious little Home Sweet Snow tree on a Courtly Checked trunk coordinated with the colors of the wallpaper and window treatments....

...and the sideboard was tastefully decorated with bottle brush trees and some more enamel:

The kitchen has always caught my eye, with it's beautiful Honeymoon tile backsplash....

...and open shelving, always displaying their lovely hand painted ceramics:

The mudroom sported many of their Christmas pillows.  This bench is not available, however there are many new styles...

...and I adore the grouping of the Capiz trees on the shelf with the delicate greenery garland:

There is a variety of lovely wreaths on their website and this one drew your eye outside to the Duck Pond:

 The Pointsettia Capiz Tree decorated the Butler's Pantry:

 The living room was decorated with a huge tree embellished in an assortment of lovely ornaments....

...and the mantle is a work of art, all hand painted majolica:

Santa was hiding in the corner by this exquisite mirror:

This is a clever idea...only wrap the bottom of a gift box in CC wrapping paper:

Even though it was Nov 1st, and pumpkins and fall decor were in the entryway, the store was also beginning to show signs of the holidays.

This lovely tree was in the back of the store, adorned in pastels and snowflakes:

A faux mantle nearby displayed an assortment of holiday decor:

If you have a chance to be in the Finger Lakes region of NY this holiday season, you must stop and visit Aurora, a quaint little town on Cayuga Lake, with 5 lovely Inns, MacKenzie-Childs, and many local wineries!