Festive Friday

From now until Christmas I am going to have a little fun with this blog each Friday and post easy to do handmade or reformatted gifts either from the kitchen or elsewhere.  Some will be easier and some might require a little more time, but nothing will be difficult or have a ton of cost to them.  Today we are starting with what I consider more of a Christmas party favor, but if you have co-workers or your kids have school mates they want to remember with a little something, this is a perfect little something.  These also make great stocking stuffers and take just a little but of time.  On a 1-10 scale I would rate these a 2 (only because cutting is involved)

Purchase a bag of Hershey's Nuggets and try not to eat any. Ok go ahead and have 1 but no more! Well maybe 2 because you are going to use 5 for each treat and a regular size bag has 32.  Those extra have to go somewhere so it might as well be in your mouth.

Supplies: (enough for at least 10 bags)

• 6 sheets of Christmas scrapbook paper or wrapping paper.  Make sure they coordinate somewhat.
• 1 sheet coordinating card stock (plain or print, your choice)
• Pretzel bags (You can find these wherever candy melts are found. Michael's* and Hobby Lobby both carry them.)
• glue stick
• scissors
• stapler
• stickers (Optional)
• 1 1/2 bag Hershey's Nuggets                            

Cut a 1 14/16 x 5 1/2 in strip from your card stock.  Cut one for each bag you plan to make. This will be the backbone of the gift bag.
Cut a  1 1/16 x 3 1/8 inch strip from 5 different papers (or the same, it's a personal choice) for each bag you will be making (You will need 5 wrappers per bag)
Cut a 2 1/8 x 3 inch rectangle from your sixth paper. Cut one for each bag you plan to make. This will be the top/closer of the bag.
Cut 2 inches off the top of each pretzel bag you will be using.

Wrap  the wrapper strip around each nugget as shown below.

 I use a glue stick because it is not messy and doesn't spread. An alternative would be to use glue tape, but this is an expense I had rather not incur, when a basic glue stick works just as well. I generally make a crease when I fold the first side around the front of the nugget, then I bring the other side over to meet in the middle back of the wrapper and just glue the paper to itself. You really don't want to glue the paper to the actual Hershey's wrapper. 

       


(back  of nugget)                                                                                    (front of nugget)

                                         Once they are wrapped it is time to begin bagging,
I find it easiest to place the nuggets directly on the card stock back leaving about a quarter inch at the bottom of the card stock with no nuggets pieces touching it.  Start putting the bottom in the bag then incline it slightly and pull the bag around it , keeping the nuggets right side up and in a relatively straight line.

                                Fold the open end of the plastic bag over once and staple

Fold the last piece of paper in half and slide it over the folded plastic top so half of the design will face the front and half will face the back.  Staple in the middle and add a decorative sticker if you would like. I like to hide the staple so I use them.

                   
           And then you have something very simple that looks quite a bit fancier for Christmas giving!

Hope you enjoyed this and I will be back next Friday with more of the same. Maybe. If I really get
around to it. Possibly. We'll see.