See you next year!

I'm on vacation until January, so see you then! Thank you all very much for your companionship in blog land this year. I might be a teeny bit biased, but I think How About Orange readers are the kindest people on the internet. Warmest wishes for a happy holiday season to everyone!
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Meet my friend Xyron

I didn't have any self-adhesive label paper in the house when I was printing gift tags, so I pulled out my Xyron machine. I first used one of these at a design firm to mount prints onto presentation boards, but it's so useful I decided I needed one for home, too. It's light years better than glue, little pieces of double-stick tape, or spray mount that takes two days to wear off of your fingers.

Place a sheet of paper on the tray and turn the crank to run it through the machine. As it feeds through the Xyron device, the paper is sandwiched between a clear plastic top sheet and an acid-free adhesive layer with a paper backing.

Peel off the top sheet and cut your print into stickers if you like. Then just peel the paper backing off each sticker to use them.

This machine will also laminate paper and make magnets with a laminate finish. The current model looks slightly different than my older one; you can find it here, at the major craft stores, or at Dick Blick and Amazon—cheaper!
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A bonanza of free printable holiday labels

I'm in present-wrapping mode, so I've rounded up a supply of printable gift tags for myself. Need some?

Above: From Martha Stewart's 52-page collection of holiday gift tags and labels

Freebies from Blush Printables

Tags from Wee Life: get the Tree set here and the City set here

Labels from Whisker Graphics
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Free font: Lemon Chicken

Help yourself to some Lemon Chicken. Designed by Crack-a-Jack Studios, it's a tasty little retro font available at no charge from Font Squirrel.
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Printable Christmas gift tags

The astoundingly productive Helen Dardik has posted another freebie for us: printable holiday gift tags. Featuring her delightful illustrations, they're available right here on her site.
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DIY striped paper ornament

My Christmas tree needed more orange (of course), so I made this little thing. It appears to be a spaceship which has crashed into a circus tent. To make your own circus spaceship, you'll need two colors of regular paper, scissors, needle, thread, pencil, ruler, and two beads.

1. Cut the paper into strips that are 3.5" long and 0.5" wide. (This makes a small ornament about 3" in diameter.) Cut 9 strips of each color. Cut two 0.75" circles. Tracing around a penny works nicely.

2. Fold the paper strips in half. A crisp fold isn't needed; just a light crease will do.

3. String a bead onto a length of thread. Then push both ends of thread through the needle so the thread is doubled.

4. Poke the needle through one of the circles to string it next to the bead. Then string on all the paper strips near one end, alternating colors.

5. After all the paper strips are added, begin threading the opposite ends onto the string. To do this, start with the strip you put on first (the one next to the paper circle). Take its loose end and push the needle through it. Continue threading on the paper strips in order. They'll naturally begin to fan out as you go.

6. Add the second paper circle.

7. Pull the needle off the thread. Feed the bead onto one of the loose ends of thread, then tie both ends of thread in a knot to hold the bead on next to the circle. If your ornament hangs a little crooked, thread the needle again and push both ends of thread up through the underside of the bead and out through the top so both ends of thread emerge. Tie off a loop and hang that spaceship.

My ornament has a bit of a gap on one side where the papers meet at different levels. I'll put that toward the inside of the tree, and no one will be the wiser. You could also try stringing a piece of a drinking straw inside of the ornament to act as a spacer and help it keep its shape, as suggested by a smart commenter!
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Festive cocktail mixer hostess gifts

Check out the charming Merry Mixer bottle labels and recipes at Hi, Friend. Print out instructions for making cranberry cocktail, apricot ginger fizz, and a pomegranate cosmo. Yum! Delight the host of your next holiday party and put to shame your friends who bring boring old bottles of wine.
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Giveaway: Jo Totes camera bag

Today's fun giveaway comes from Jo Totes. If you're tired of carrying your purse and a separate camera bag, one of these lovelies might be just the thing for you. Jo Totes bags do double duty—not only will they hold your camera and an extra lens or two, they'll also hold your wallet, phone, and all the other goodies you squirrel away in your purse. Repositionable pads allow you to customize your own bag. Jo Totes sent over a sample, and I can tell you the construction is top notch and the bags are gorgeous.

Giveaway details
One reader will win the Jo Totes handbag of your choice. To enter, leave a comment on this post with the name of the bag you'd like to win. Be sure to include a link, email address, or other way of contacting you. (In case you're nervous, you won't be penalized for choosing a color other than orange, I promise!)

The giveaway closes Friday, Dec. 17 at midnight CT. The winner will be randomly selected, notified, and announced here.

Update: The giveaway is now closed. Melinda, commenter 1643, is the lucky winner. (And not because she happens to like the Clementine bag best. Though I wholeheartedly approve.)
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Christmas desktop wallpaper

I've made a simple computer wallpaper version of a ribbon I designed awhile back. Download this little holiday camper desktop right here. It's mostly blank space so you can still find all your files and folders. And should you need matching ribbon, click here.
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Paper Hermès bracelet template

You're devastated. You were hoping to buy your mother a Hermès collier de chien bracelet, only to learn it costs $2,600 and you're ten dollars short. No worries—make a paper one. To get the printable template, click here and choose "Travel the world of Hermès." When the page loads, click the orange bar at the left and choose "Surprises." Click on the bracelet image.
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How to make 5-pointed paper snowflakes

Though no longer in elementary school, I still get a kick out of paper snowflakes. I made this snowflake garland the other night from origami paper, dental floss, and tape.

The second and third flakes in this garland are based on a 5-pointed star. Download the 5-point folding directions right here. I think they're easier to cut since there are fewer paper layers.

The first, fourth, and fifth flakes in the garland are based on 8 points. (Fold a square in half diagonally and keep halving it until it's nearly too thick to cut, then snip out small shapes ).

Here's an 8-pointer. Unfolding is my favorite part; it's practically as thrilling as bungee jumping. To get them nice and flat, iron your snowflakes with the steam setting turned off.

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Cookie party printables

If you're hosting a cookie exchange this year, head to Joy Ever After. You'll find an entire set of printables to download, including an editable recipe card, gift tags, and more.

The blank folding cards might make nice labels for the food at a Christmas dinner buffet, too. Not that there's anything wrong with Post-its. What began as an effort to differentiate the sausage from the non-sausage stuffing turned into label mania at Grandma's this Thanksgiving. It can be hard to tell gravy from carrots, so it's best to label absolutely everything.
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Orangifying the house

We added a little more orange around the place recently. Awhile back I'd ordered some of these super inexpensive frames that come in a million sizes. I love changing things up, so we plan to switch out the prints now and then. The little cactus is from Home Depot, and our magazines and owner's manuals are now tucked away in orange files from IKEA.
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Test your mid-century design knowledge

A little Friday fun... If you adore Nelson clocks and Tulip tables, this quiz is for you. See how you score on these questions at TLC Home.
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DIY modern paper ornament

I love spiky starburst shapes, so I attempted a version of the traditional Polish porcupine ball. Here's how to make this cool 3D ornament—great for Christmas or decorating any time. I can imagine jumbo sized versions hanging at parties or weddings. They take awhile, though, so you'd better start making them five years before you plan to get married.

You'll need: Paper, scissors, a circular object for a template, a ruler, pencil, needle, thread, rubber band, and glue.

1. Cut out ten paper circles, using a jar lid or CD for a template. (My circles are 5" in diameter. I stacked sheets of computer paper and cut out several circles at once.)

2. In each circle, cut eight evenly spaced slits toward the middle, stopping about a half inch from the center point.

3. With a pointed pen or sharp pencil, curl each tab into a cone and secure with a dot of glue. If you can pull off a tightly rolled perfect point, congratulations. I was running a little low on patience and settled for "sort of pointy," which I think also looks nice.

4. Cut two small pieces from a wide rubber band. These will hold the ornament together at each end.

5. Thread a needle and knot the ends of the thread together. String on one of the rubber band pieces.

6. Push the needle through the centers of five stars with their flat sides face down. Turn over the remaining five stars so their flat sides are facing up and thread them on, followed by the second rubber band piece.

7. With a chopstick or pencil, push down on the rubber band to compress the stars into a ball while pulling upward on the string with your other hand. The rubber should hold the stack together without requiring a knot. Adjust the paper cones as needed to make a pleasing shape.

8. Tie a loop in the thread for hanging if desired.

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My coaster project at Design*Sponge

I've got a DIY tutorial up at Design*Sponge today: coasters made from vintage postage stamp images. A quick and easy handmade gift idea, perhaps? Click over to the site to get the instructions along with a printable PDF for making your own.

I should add: I wondered how colorfast these would be, so I soaked one in a bowl of water for an hour. No bleeding occurred. I've been using them for weeks now, and they still look good.
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