This year we’re all looking for ways to make the holidays feel special and whether that means putting up the tree a little earlier than usual or getting extra crafty with gift wrap, we’re all for it. We’ve partnered with Brother to create some pretty bows with the P-Touch Embellish ELITE, and in the spirit of gift-giving, we’ll be donating our favorite craft items and books to local firehouses in our neighborhood as well. In case you’re interested in doing the same, we put together some tips for donating gifts in your area.

Tips for charitable gift giving:

• If you’re not sure where to start, keep it local and give to organizations right in your community.  In many cities, fire departments, police departments, and other public service organizations facilitate food and toy drives during the holidays. 
• Double check that the organization you wish to donate to is accepting physical gift drop-offs this year. Due to Covid-19 safety precautions, monetary donations or donations sent by mail may be preferred.
• Always check the rules and guidelines provided by the charity organization—many require that donated gifts be unwrapped. If you’d like to donate wrapped gifts, look for organizations that allow you to shop for a specific child or family—these types of organizations are more likely to accept wrapped gifts.
• Start early! Check to make sure you’ll be able to get your donation in before an organization’s deadline—they can be earlier in December than you might expect (especially this year). If you missed the deadline for toy donation, don’t worry—consider giving to organizations with year round needs instead (food banks are a great alternative).

For today’s craft, we’re using the Brother P-Touch Embellish ELITE to create customized satin ribbon—you can choose from Brother’s library of symbols or write your own custom text using fonts installed on your computer (a total gamechanger!). For this DIY pleated bow, we kept it simple with just a snowflake motif printed on Brother’s mint and gold satin ribbon. We layered it with green velvet ribbon to create an extra-special gift topper—a great way to let someone know you’re thinking of them this season, whether you’re giving gifts in person or by mail. (P.S. If you need a card, the Brother Creative Center has you covered with free printables like this one). Grab your hot glue gun and let’s get crafting!

Materials needed: Brother P-Touch Embellish ELITE, 0.47” ribbon cartridge in various colors, 1” velvet ribbon (1 yard), ruler, iron, hot glue gun, cardstock, scissors

STEP 1: Use the Brother P-Touch Embellish ELITE to print a customized 36 inch length of ribbon.

STEP 2: Heat an iron to medium temperature—you’ll be using it to create folds in the ribbons at specific intervals. For each fold, make sure to place the right sides together. Some velvets can be sensitive, so avoid ironing too much of the ribbon beyond the folded portion. Measuring from one end of the ribbon (and after that, from the preceding crease), fold and press the ribbon at the following intervals: 6 in, 6 in, 4 in, 3 in, 4 in, 6 in, 6 in. 

STEP 3: Working with one fold at a time, secure the customized ribbon to the right side of the velvet using a small dab of hot glue in each of the pressed creases. Immediately refold ribbon so it remains creased. Take care to leave a little bit of slack in the customized ribbon so it can lie smoothly against the velvet once the bow is fully assembled.

STEP 4: Glue the bottom layers of the bow to cardstock scrap, as shown.

STEP 5: Glue the remaining layers of the bow as shown, using small amounts of hot glue on the creased edges. 

STEP 6: Trim tails of the bow if necessary, and use hot glue or double-stick tape to adhere to the gift box.

The post is sponsored by Brother.