If your idea of Me Time is surrounding yourself with gorgeous decorative papers and embellishments and crafting, then add the Gifting Board from Fiskars (fiskars.com, $35) to your craft room stock. It may look a little intimidating, but the board helps you craft custom boxes, envelopes, and bows in a variety of sizes without complicated math formulas or measuring. Just cut, punch, score, and fold.

Here are five creative holiday-season uses we discovered for the boxes:

  1. Creative Countdown
    Make and number boxes one through 12 for a 12 Days of Christmas countdown, add tiny toys and gelt in eight boxes for Hanukkah, or make seven boxes that represent the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Let the kids open one each day of the celebration for a gift or lesson.
  2. Welcome Gifts
    Welcome holiday guests into your home by placing a little gift—like a holiday-scented soap or travel-size lotion—in a box and leaving it on the guest room doorknob or bed.
  3. Gift Ornaments
    Tuck tiny gifts or messages in little boxes and hang them on the tree.
  4. Elevated Invitations
    Deliver little boxes to people on your guest list with candy and all your holiday party details inside.
  5. Feast Favors
    Wrap up after-dinner truffles or dinner party favors and place a box at each place setting for holiday meals.

This article was originally published in December 2017.
Deborah Mock

Deborah Mock is the editor for Colorado Parent magazine.