These are definitely a few of 'my' favourite things and they are fabulously inexpensive too.

Children aren't a pre-requisite for putting your Blue Peter hat on and getting creative but they do give you a good excuse for making it a lot of messy fun.

All you need is:

• last year's Christmas cards
• scissors
• a glue stick
• rough string, wool and/or raffia
• a large roll of brown paper
• paint or an ink pad
• festive biscuit cutters

STEP 1
Cut sparkly embellishments from old cards to use as name tags

STEP 2
Glue them onto recycled tags cut from the spines of old cards

STEP 3
Remember, less is more - keep the designs simple

STEP 4
Roughly wrap string or wool around biscuit cutters and tie to secure

STEP 5
Then stamp the plain paper with colourful prints to decorate, leave to dry, wrap your gifts and secure with coordinating coloured wool or string