One thing that I always look forward to during Christmas is making the gift tags. I know, it sounds duh! But, for years, making Christmas gift tags has been both an outlet for creativity and a family effort. Last year, the kids did most of the work — they did the designing and the designs were printed on sticker paper. The year before that, they used glitters and glue. This year, we did everything together — the three of us, I mean, because Speedy was at the office yesterday for their Christmas party. I bought a couple of design punchers, glitters, paste and colored cardboards then Sam brought out her stack of construction paper and colored pentel pens. We pasted cutouts and glitters at the back of my excess business cards and the results were… okay, we’re no professional artists but the shared work and the fun and laughter that went with making the gift tags were simply priceless. PRICELESS. You have to be a mother to understand.
The gift tags themselves didn’t look too shabby either. 
I’m thinking of asking the kids if making Christmas gift tags is something we can do every year even when they are all grown up. I am still awashed in the the afterglow of the fun we had yesterday. The mess was incredible (we worked on the bed with the aircon on so that no electric fan would blow away the glitters and cutouts), the bantering was non-stop (both girls claimed that my designs were too plain and corny — see the photo and judge for yourself) and we had to take a Doritos-and-garlic-cream-dip break in the middle of it all.
What can I say? It was too wonderful for words.
There is always an opportunity to bond with your kids. You just have to keep your mind open so that the chance does not pass you by.
The handmade gift tags went with these.
I was planning on using (recycled) Manila paper with red and green ribbons made of ordinary yarn but I found these gift wrappers on sale. At P19.75 for three rolls, well, that’s a no-brainer, I think. And the colors… oh, the colors! I simply couldn’t resist. It was Sam who decided which rolls we should use first and which we should hold on to and not use at all unless it’s absolutely necessary. She RESERVED three rolls — the ones with the prettiest designs and colors — for I know not what. 
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kotsengkuba 12.23.07 at 9:08 pm
ang saya naman. the results were great too. hay ang lungkot tuloy
elit 12.23.07 at 9:18 pm
ang ganda naman ng mga gift tags nyo! very creative and i’m sure so much fun to do with the family. i love your wrappers! where do you shop connie and you can find such great finds! eniweys, from my family to yours…. a very merry Christmas and a blessed new year! mwah!
Rey 12.23.07 at 10:19 pm
Connie, save ni Sam siguro yong best wrapper para sa secret admirer niya, di mo alam kasi secret. he he he. Merry Christmas at Manigong Bagong taon sa inyong lahat, Take care.
raqgold 12.23.07 at 10:46 pm
Ang galing. It is really great to create handmade items, especially for Christmas. I have been stringing beads with the kids the whole month yata, ang sakit na ng kamay ko, they wanted to give those as gifts to their friends. Merry Christmas!
Connie Veneracion 12.24.07 at 10:44 am
kotsengkuba, ikaw naman… isipin mo na lang, hindi naman forever na nandyan ka.
elit, bought everything at National Bookstore, Antipolo branch. Nagkataon lang na naka-sale yung gift wrappers.
Rey, ang dami naman nun. 3 rolls = 3 wrappers per roll, kadami namang secret admirers nun hahahaha
raqgold, naku, dumaan din kami sa bead stage. I tell ya, kids’ imagination results in more creative bead projects.
Thess 12.25.07 at 4:56 am
Connie, Merry Christmas to you and your family!!
cute naman ng kulay ng wrappers..great way to bond with your kids!
Sam 12.25.07 at 1:42 pm
Mas maganda yung ginawa ko na 3D na cards. Sa’yo PPG na kulay pa, tapos patong patong PATONG. Boooriiing.
Rach (Heart of Rachel) 12.25.07 at 5:06 pm
Hi Connie. Those are beautiful tags and equally lovely Christmas presents to go with.
Have a blessed Christmas! Wishing your whole family love, happiness and laughter. Take care.
rhodora 12.25.07 at 8:27 pm
Same thing with me and my daughter. But you know what - it’s a girl thing. Had you got a son, Connie - hindi niya ito masasakyan. When my daughter and I are doing things together, we giggle, we laugh, we tease - and my hubby and sons are completely out of touch. haha! As my eldest wrote in his Psych analysis where he had his sister as subject - “then she and my mom would talk in terms only the two of them understand.”
sofie 12.26.07 at 1:31 am
Hello Connie!
Merry Christmas sa inyong lahat!
Nikita 12.26.07 at 7:44 am
Insan, Merry Christmas!!! Bilib talaga ako sa artistic family mo. Kakatuwa! Masaya na ako na nakakatulong na si Sarah sa pag-wrap ng gifts ngayon. Next year, sana magka-oras rin kaming mag-bonding sa paggawa ng gift tags, pero parang siya lang ang may talent.
See you!
kotsengkuba 12.26.07 at 1:15 pm
oo nga.. hehehe, sana next year last year ko na dito. singapore naman para mas madali ko sila madadala.
nga pala, i have been checking on my rss readers for new post updates sa sassylawyer.com pero laging live bookmark feed failed. ngayon ko lang pinuntahan talaga yung homepage to check. nag-iisip ka na palang mag-alsa balutan. hehehe, belated merry christmas to you and your family.
lei 12.27.07 at 10:08 am
cool tags.
Mery Christmas.
Connie Veneracion 12.27.07 at 4:28 pm
Happy holidays to you and your family too, Rach.
And to you, Sofie, and Nikita. 
Eh Nikita, ako rin yung may shortage ng artistic talent dito. hehehe Pero wala shortage ng ideas, sa execution lang nagkakatalo. 
Tama ka, rhodora. Si Speedy, mag-gift wrap lang eh, naku, wag na nga. In fact, kahit mag book-wrap, wag na lang din.
kotsengkuba, baka ilipat ko na content nung isang blog. ang hirap ng maintenance nang hiwa-hiwalay na blog.
alex 12.27.07 at 8:40 pm
ma! bat hindi kasama yung powerpuff na ginawa mong card dun sa picture? =))
Connie Veneracion 12.28.07 at 2:29 pm
handun, ah! dilat, anak.
Ebba Myra 01.02.08 at 8:19 pm
Wow, what a neat idea, kaso malalaki na ang 2 girls ko with their own family, eh ang granchildren naman both boys. I invited them to make Christmas cookies, but their mom took them somewhere. Anyways, your wrappers are so beautiful. So much so that I probably won’t use them, hahaha, just keep them. For what, I don;’t know for possession lang? Dyan nga nagagalit ang spouse ko, I keep thngs, wala lang natutuwa lang ako. Just like my fabricks for quilting, ayun, 5 yards, 10 yards or 1 yard of diff. colorful materials, naka-tambak.Baka gayahin o yang mga gift tags mo, using these nice gift box tops, I’ll cut them into smaller pieces.