Save money and make your own DIY Cute and crafty Christmas Containers for Gifts. The crafty Christmas containers can be made using recycled items so you are saving money and keeping things out of the rubbish bin. Each of these gift containers can be made with older children under adult supervision.

Supplies for Crafty Christmas containers – Santa Canisters

• Recycled oatmeal canisters, 7” tall, two
• Patterned papers
• Wool Felt (National Nonwovens): Oatmeal; Cottage Red
• Wooden knobs, 1”, two
• Americana Paint: Avocado; Flesh Tone; Raw Sienna; Country Red; Lamp Black; Baby Pink
• Paintbrushes
• Double-sided tape, 1/4”
• Paper trimmer

Instructions for Crafty Christmas containers – Santa Canisters

1. Use wash/glaze brush to paint top 2-1/2″ of canister Flesh Tone. Let dry. Mix equal parts Raw Sienna with water to create a wash. Brush wash over Flesh Tone areas for an antique look. The round brush end make the dot eyes Lamp Black. Use wash brush end to dot nose Country Red. Use textured brush to paint cheeks Baby Pink. Paint one knob Country Red and remaining knob Avocado Green.
2. Trim patterned papers to 2-1/2″x12″. Glue papers around canister with red paper in center. (Note: If more paper is needed to completely wrap canister, cut another 2-1/2″-wide strip.) Use rubber bands to secure while drying. For green Santa, cut green patterned paper to 1″x12″ and wrap around top of canister above face.
3. For arms, cut two 2-1/2″x3-1/2″ rectangles. Place a strip of double-sided tape on edge and roll paper to create a tube. Adhere edges together with double-sided tape. Use small piece of double-sided tape placed on inside edge of one end to close off one end of tube. Repeat for remaining arm. For cuff, cut 3/8″x3″ strip from Oatmeal or Cottage Red felt; glue to inside of open end. Cut mitten from corresponding felt. Repeat for remaining mitten. (Note: Stuff sleeves with tissue for added durability.
4. Use photo as guide to cut beard, mustache, eyebrows, hat, hat band and pom-pom from wool felt. (Note: Hat, hand band and pom-pom are for green Santa canister only.) Fringe beard and mustache by cutting 1-1/2″-long slits along edges. Use photo as guide to adhere items to canister. (Note: For fuller beard, cut two beard pieces from Oatmeal felt.)

Supplies for crafty Christmas packaging: Snowman Gift Jars

• Recycled glass jar (with wide mouth)
• Dow STYROFOAM Brand Foam Ball, 3” diameter
• Wooden teardrop, medium
• White construction paper, scrap
• Black felt, scrap
• Chenille glitter stem
• Metal office clip
• Red gingham ribbon, 12” length
• Wiggle eyes, two
• DecoArt Americana Acrylic Paints: Sapphire, Jack-O’-Lantern Orange
• DecoArt: Glistening Snow-Tex, Duraclear Varnish
• Snowflake paper punch
• Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue
• scissors, ruler, paintbrushes, toothpick, black marker, newspaper (for work surface), spoon

Instructions for crafty Christmas Containers: Snowman Gift Jars

1. On covered work surface, insert toothpick into bottom of foam ball (head). Use spatula or spoon to apply snow texture on head. Let dry. Use spatula to apply snow texture on side of jar. Let dry.
2. Paint lid blue. Let dry. Apply varnish. Paint wooden teardrop (nose) orange. Let dry. Use black marker to outline nose.
3. Punch snowflakes from white copy paper. Adhere snowflakes onto side of jar.
4. Cut two mitten shapes from black felt. Adhere mittens onto sides of jar.
5. Adhere nose and wiggle eyes on head. Let dry. Cut small piece from bottom of head (so head sits flat). Adhere head onto top of lid.
6. Insert chenille stem end through loop on office clip. Adhere other chenille stem end onto bottom of lid. Attach gift card on office clip. Replace lid on jar.
7. For scarf, tie ribbon around jar. Knot ends.

Supplies for crafty Christmas Containers: Glittered Gift cans

• Recycled food cans
• Chipboard shapes: Holly and Berries; Christmas Tree, Recycled or purchased chipboard
• Wooden Handle
• Tulip Fashion Glitter (Duncan): Red Fine Jewel; Emerald Fine Jewel; White Pearl
• Americana Acrylic Paints: Citron Green; Snow White; Tomato Red; Espresso; Georgia Clay
• Patterned papers: green holly; dark blue lettered; red print
• Fun Wire (Toner Crafts), 18-gauge: Icy Silver; Licorice
• Grosgrain ribbon, 7/8”: 12” length per can; scrap (snowman’s scarf)
• Brads: jeweled, six; black, two
• Americana Acrylic Matte Finisher/Sealer (DecoArt)
• Marvy Clever Lever Punches: Jumbo Country Heart; Extra Jumbo Circle; Super Jumbo Circle
• Tools: Wire cutters; round-nose pliers; long reach hole punch or drill and 1/16 drill bit
• Zip Dry Paper Glue (Beacon Adhesives)
• Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue (Duncan)
• Rubber bands

Note: We used chipboard cut from a cereal box

Instructions for crafty Christmas Containers: glittered gift cans

1. Measure length and height of cans and use paper trimmer to cut patterned paper to cover can. Glue paper to can. If needed, use rubber bands to secure paper while drying. If desired, glue patterned paper to inside of can as well.
2. For snowman, punch one extra jumbo and one super jumbo circle from chipboard. Punch heart from chipboard. Cut small triangle-shaped carrot nose from chipboard. Paint nose Georgia Clay, circles Snow White and heart Tomato Red. Before glue dries, sprinkle heart with red glitter and circles with white glitter. Let dry and apply sealer. For holly and berries, paint holly leaves Citron Green and berries Tomato Red. Sprinkle with red and green glitters and seal. For tree, cut a 1/4″x1-1/2″ strip from chipboard. Paint strip Espresso for tree trunk and tree Citron Green. Apply sealer. Paint handles Tomato Red, Citron Green and Snow White.
3. Punch holes at sides of cans. Cut two 5″ lengths from wire for each can and use to attach handles to can. Cut two 6″ ribbon lengths for each can and tie bows around wire.
4. Punch six small holes in tree; attach jeweled brads. Punch two holes in smaller circle for snowman’s eyes; attach black brads. Glue nose to snowman’s face.
5. For snowman can, glue larger circle for bottom of snowman, 3″ ribbon length for scarf (crossing ends), heart at cross on scarf and head to can. Glue trunk, tree and holly and berries to remaining cans as shown. Let dry.

Supplies for crafty Christmas jars and Candlescape:

• Glass votives
• Wooden candlesticks, 1-3/4”x1-7/8”, two
• Patterned papers: red/beige stripe; script
• Downloadable Christmas images
• Americana Acrylic Paints (DecoArt): Napa Red; Antique Green; Rich Espresso
• Dazzling Metallics (DecoArt): Glorious Gold
• Burlap
• Pearl trims: 1/8”; 1/4”
• Assorted holiday greenery
• Clear beading wire
• White heavy printer paper
• JUTE JAR WRAPS:
• Recycled jars, any size
• Jute Roman shade binding
• Wool Felt (National Nonwovens): Cottage Red; Brown Sugar; White; Honey Biscuit; Loden
• 6-strand Embroidery Floss (DMC): Ultra Dark Beige Gray (3790); Ecru; Garnet (816); Light Old Gold (676)
• Americana Acrylics (DecoArt): Antique Green; Antique White; Santa Red; True Ochre
• Assorted embellishments: clear crystal, 5mm; silk poinsettia and leaves; jeweled brad, crystals, 3mm; white ribbon, 1/4”-wide; white tiny buttons
• Lite Steam-A-Seam (The Warm Co.)
• Multi-Purpose Sealer (DecoArt)
• Adhesives (Beacon Adhesives): Gem-Tac Permanent Adhesive; Zip Dry Paper Glue
• Computer and printer
• Sanding block
• Rubber bands
• Embroidery needle
• Paintbrushes
• Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesives (Beacon Adhesives)

pattern for jute jar wraps cute crafty christmas containers

Vintage Candlescape

1. Sand and seal wooden candlesticks. Paint one candlestick Napa Red and remaining one Antique Green. When dry, dry brush red candlestick Glorious Gold and green candlestick with Rich Espresso.

2. Cut script paper to fit around glass votive and about 1/4″ shorter than height. Glue paper around votive and use rubber bands to secure while drying. Repeat step for inside of votive, using stripe paper. Cut burlap approximately 1″ less than height of paper. Glue burlap strip around votive.

3. Download images, resize to measure 3″x4″ and print out on heavy white paper. Cut a 2-1/2″ to 3″ oval or circle around each shape and cut out. Glue image to burlap wrap and use rubber bands to secure while drying.

4. Cut pearl trim to fit around circle or oval images; glue. Glue candlestick to bottom of votive. Cut 6″ length from wire and use to secure greenery to votive as shown.

5. Place candle inside jar. (Note: Remove patterned paper before lighting candle.)

Crafty Christmas containers -Jute Jar Wraps

1. Measure and cut jute binding to fit around jar, overlapping ends by 1/4″.

2. Follow manufacturer’s instructions to fuse wool felt to fusible webbing. Print and cut out patterns. For cardinal jar, cut bird from Cottage Red, face and branch from Brown Sugar and beak from White. The next step for the ornament jar, cut top of ornament from Cottage Red and bottom from Honey Biscuit. For tree jar, cut tree from Loden and trunk from Brown Sugar. Fuse patterns to center of jute strips, using photo as placement guide.

3. Blanket stitch edges: of branch, bird’s face and tree trunk with Ultra Dark Beige Gray; beak and bird with Ecru; ornament top and bottom with Garnet; tree with Light Old Gold. Use gold thread to sew buttons to tree in random pattern.

4. Glue 5mm crystal to bird’s face for eye, and leaves to top of jute. Attach brad to poinsettia and glue brad and flower to leaves. Glue 3mm crystals to ornament as shown. Cut 2-1/2″ and 6″ lengths from ribbon. Tie bow onto longer ribbon length. Glue ribbons to jute as shown.

5. Paint cardinal jar lid Antique Green; dry brush Antique White. Paint ornament jar lid Santa Red; dry brush True Ochre. Paint tree jar lid Antique White; dry brush Antique Green. Apply varnish to lids. Glue just strips to jars, overlapping ends.

Supplies for Holiday Food Pails gift packaging:

• Copper pail, 4-1/2” tall
• Wool Felt (National Nonwovens): Camel; Brown Sugar; Cottage Red; Oatmeal; Butter Cream; Moss
• 6-strand Embroidery Floss (DMC): Ecru; Dk. Coffee Brown (801); Dk. Green Gray (3051); Garnet (816)
• Gingham ribbon, 1 yd.
• Beige cardstock
• Artificial berries
• Brads, two: jeweled; white
• Lite Steam-A-Seam (The Warm Co.)
• Embroidery needle
• Hole punch
• Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive (Beacon Adhesives)
• Computer and printer
• Iron and pressing board

crafty christmas containers for gifts – food pails pattern
Ginger Spiced Pear Cider Recipe
Heavenly Hash Cake Brownie Recipe

1. Cut 4-1/2″ oval from Camel and Oatmeal felt. Follow manufacturer’s instructions to fuse felt to webbing. Print and cut out patterns. Cut patterns from fused felt. For angel’s halo, cut 1/4″x1-1/2″ rectangle from Butter Cream felt. Use photo as guide to arrange gingerbread and angel on ovals.

2. Use three strands of Ecru floss to blanket stitch edges of gingerbread, angel and heart. Use Dk. Brown floss to blanket stitch edge of camel oval, Dk. Green Gray floss to blanket stitch edge of angel wings and halo and Garnet floss to blanket stitch edge of heart.

3. Attach jeweled brads for angel’s eyes and white brads for gingerbread man’s eyes. Cut 8-1/2″ length from ribbon and tie bow. Glue bow to angel or gingerbread man. When dry, insert two berry sprigs through bow loop and glue to secure. Cut 12″ ribbon length and glue to back of oval. Glue oval to front of pail and tie ribbon ends in back.

4. Print recipe instructions on cardstock; trim to tag shape and punch hole at top. Cut 10″ ribbon length. Thread ribbon through hole and tie bow around pail handle.

Snowman creative Christmas container:

• Recycled Starbucks Frappucino jars
• Stickers
• Coordinating Trims
• Glitter

1. Whip up these super cute cocoa gift jars in a jiffy, using recycled Starbucks Frappucino jars. Fill jars with cocoa mix and marshmallows, then decorate with stickers, coordinating trims and glitter. For the homemade cocoa mix recipe on our sister site http://365daysofrecipes.nikimeiners.com

Try this painted holiday sheep gift pail for food. 

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