The gift of giving...

I've always struggled with choosing the perfect gift for family and friends. Everyone seems to have just what they need these days and probably a whole lot more that they don't need. So what do you give someone that doesn't really need anything?

Something edible perhaps, atleast you know they will enjoy your gift and although it won't last forever, it will be appreciated. My assignment this week for Doodlebug was to create a gift and I decided that I would combine my need of a present for my family and the concept of giving something yummy. And I came up with the edible Christmas Tree that can double as a table centrepiece... functional and tasty!

I used a whopping total of 80 Lolly Pops for this creation so I'm glad that I found somewhere that sold them quite cheaply in bulk amounts. Mind you, I totally underestimated how many I would need and had to make two extra trips to town. It was definitely a labor of love! I also made a mental note to myself... next time buy the smallest polystyrene cone and not the biggest!

A little show and tell on how I put the tree together...

Supplies Used: Doodlebug's Christmas collection 'Santa's Workhop' double sided patterned paper - Poinsettias, Little Helpers, Cheery Chat, Assorted Cut-outs, Candy Cane; Doodlebug Sugar coated cardstock - Vanilla. Imaginisce 28mm Brad punch. Fiskars scalloped border punch. Martha Stewart Snowflake Punch. Satin Red Ribbon. 80 Lollypops. Large Polystyrene Cone. Fiskars scalloped border punch.

Using the Imaginisce 28mm brad punch I cut approximately 15 of each pattered paper.

I punched a whole big enough to fit the lollypop handle through each circle.

Poke each lollypop through a patterned paper circle and poke into the polystyrene cone starting from the top and working your way down to the bottom. I used a small screw driver to poke a whole through the cone before positioning my lollypop.

More punching... using the gorgeous Doodlebug sugar coated cardstock I punched a whole pile of snowflakes and attached them to the tree using a hot-glue gun.

I added a scalloped edged punch to create a strip of paper for the bottom of the tree to give it a neat and tidy finish. Add a big red satin bow and it's all done.

It really was such a fun project to make even  and something that your kids would love to help with. I hope I've given you some inspiration for a gift with a difference.

Don't forget to pop over to the Doodlebug blog HERE to view all the other wonderful handmade gift items that the design team have been working on this week.

From farm to you...