Christmas is a great season to exercise one’s creativity. Both for making something with your hands and for finding a gift that will not burn a hole in your pocket. This recycled mayonnaise jar is not just earth-friendly, it is also easy to make and, most importantly, inexpensive. Put nuts, candies, cookies, bracelets, hankies, socks, small make-up items, hair clips and anything that will fit inside. Be resourceful, be original, be peso-wise.
.

Materials:
•Mayonnaise jar. Size depends on the items you want to put inside.
•Soft wrapping paper. I used non-woven paper because of its fabric like quality. It doesn’t tear easily and keeps its folds when tied. You can also use a thin fabric with a nice print. Just make sure you use pinking scissors to cut the edges of the fabric so it doesn’t fray. Another way to prevent fraying is to dab a small amount of white glue on the edges.
•Assorted Ribbons approximately 12 inches each. Use different types, textures and width of ribbons to create variety. Here, I used organza, satin and glittery ribbons.
•Artificial Berries & Leaf

Procedure:
1.Clean the jar very well. Remove the board on the cap which is probably oily with the mayonnaise that was originally inside.
2.Cut the soft wrapping paper into a 10 inch square.
3.Remove the cap from the jar.
4.Find the center of the paper and position it on the mouth of the jar.
5.Screw the cap on over the paper.
6.Put all the ribbons together. Using one of the ribbons with ¼ inch width, tie all the ribbons tightly at the center. Tape or use a glue gun to attach the center of the ribbons on top of the cap.
7.Cut the ¼ inch width ribbons into 8 to 10 inch pieces. The length will depend on how big the jar is. Just make sure it hangs nicely on the side.
8.Bunch the paper around the ribbons (in Step #6) and tie with the thin ribbons (in Step #7).
9.Glue the berries and leaf on the knot of the ribbons. Tie the ribbons again around the stem of the berries.
10.Fill with the gift of your choice and smile! That’s one gift ticked off your list and a couple of pesos saved.

Magazine

• Favorites