Personalized wraps for Santa’s pack

Utilitarian boxes boxes are hardly glamorous wrapping I materials, but try thinking of them as blank canvases for artful holiday collages. With color, glued-on material, handwritten mes­sages—and imagination—you can transform them into per­sonalized packages for gifts. It’s also a way to involve ju­nior members of your family in the holiday preparations.

You can find unadorned boxes and containers of all sizes and shapes: take-out boxes (from delicatessens and restaurant supply stores), can­dy and cake boxes (from pastry supply stores), paper paint buckets (from paint or hardware stores), and odd-size boxes (from gift, paper supply, and party stores).

Use a wide-ranging palette of decorative materials. Felt markers, paint, construction paper, stencils, fabric scraps, stamps, ribbons, wire, but­tons, beads, leaves, children’s drawings, and cut-up snap­shots decorate the packages in our photograph. You’ll also need craft glue, tape, scissors, a craft knife, pinking shears, a punch, and a stapler. Use an inner lining of colored tis­sue paper to nestle the gift.