Paper Pretties for Christmas

Friends and family know how much I like paper crafts and sometimes surprise me with special things they find. A girlfriend sent these two cards that are true keepers... I love to get them out each Christmas.

This beauty folds flat and with just a simple twist becomes a layered, clear globe perched on a pearlized cardboard stand. Santa is ready to leave the North Pole with his pack full of toys...


and he's off... sailing over rooftops! The glossy card also arrived flat, but opens into a 3D diorama. Both are from Up With Paper.

My mother-in-law gifted me with this pierced paper angel several years ago. I don't know who made the sweet thing, but her head is a painted wooden ball and she's wearing a ribbon halo and a twisted rope perm. :)


Last year around this time I mentioned a lovely (and free - how nice!) collection of printable winter birds designed by illustrator Becca Kallem. I decided to make a batch as gift tags...
My printer was running out of ink, but I actually like the way the colors turned out. I just printed on copy paper and used a glue stick to mount them on cardstock. They could be hung as tree ornaments too.


And speaking of gift giving, Ez of Creature Comforts recently shared a fantastic array of printable wrapping paper and tags [edit: no longer available], as did Clémence of Oh the Lovely Things [edit: no longer available]... you'll find paper pretties for everyone on your list!