Graphic designer Joy D. Cho dresses up Kraft paper with festive masking tape, alternating horizontal and vertical strips to mimic ribbon. A snowflake fashioned from frayed candy cane colored paper straws becomes the crowning glory.
These colorful creations add wow factor to humble brown paper packages.
Honeycomb Ornaments: Cut 1 ½" and 2 ½" half circles from honeycomb paper (Honeycomb Popup Pad, $18 for 12 sheets; devra-party.com). Hot-glue one side of folded half circle to package; unfold and glue other side of sphere to box. Use a silver paint pen to draw ornament hangers.
Paper Straw Christmas Tree: Use a pencil to draw a triangle on the top of package. Cut paper straws in graduated lengths to fit horizontally within triangle. Adhere with hot-glue. Cut two 1" pieces of straw and glue vertically at base to form a trunk. Weave a piece of string down the length of tree, adhering with dots of hot-glue along the way. Glue small buttons along length of string.
Yarn Pom-Pom Twirl yarn around four fingers 50 times. Cut excess yarn and slide loop off fingers, making sure that it doesn't unravel. Cinch at middle with yarn. Use scissors to cut loops and fluff with fingers. Wrap package with coordinating yarn, using ends to tie on pom-pom.