PRINTING AND CRAFT
Christmas card printing
Style your own festive photo shoot and print bespoke Christmas cards.
Craft printing
'Tis the season to be creative - six things you can make yourself this Christmas using your printer.
Six amazing things you didn’t know you can make with your printer
Many of us have associated the holiday season with paper crafts since childhood, and regardless of age, making homemade Christmas gifts and ornaments is a fun and relaxing way to spend time with our loved ones while making some truly personal presents for family and friends. Crafting is also a relaxing way to take some time to yourself when the Christmas preparations get too hectic.
Whether you are gathering the family around you or taking some creative me-time, Canon’s free online service Creative Park has a wide range of templates that you can easily print and put together to create anything from gift boxes to advent calendars and children’s toys. All you’ll need is a printer, some paper and some basic papercraft tools (see below). So bring out the freshly-baked cookies, and put the world around you on pause – it’s time to get crafting!
You’ll need:
- A printer – find out which printer is right for you
- Paper
- Scissors, utility knife
- Glue stick and wood glue
- Ruler or set square
- Pencil
- Object with pointed tip
- Toothpick
- Tweezers
1. Make your own Christmas ornaments
Deck the halls with stars, bells, socks or Santas – Creative Park’s Home and Living section has a big selection of DIY Christmas ornaments that are easy to print, cut out and assemble. These adorable snowmen will look equally festive on the Christmas tree or the mantelpiece. Just print the template and follow the illustrated instructions.
Crafting tip: Before gluing, fold and crease along the fold lines and add curves where needed.
2. Count down the days with a homemade advent calendar
There are scores of advent calendars in the shops, but none are as personal as one you’ve made yourself. Whether you’re spoiling your loved ones or upping the game of Secret Santa at work, the recipient will be impressed to see a unique, handcrafted calendar filled with sweets.
Crafting tip: Keep track of which part is which by writing each part’s number in pencil on the back.
3. Give personalised presents by constructing gift boxes
Not only are handcrafted boxes fun and easy to create, they also make your presents extra special – and they’re much cheaper than buying seasonal stationery. On Creative Park, you can find gift boxes shaped like Christmas trees and stars, or elegant gift boxes with a seasonal feel, as well as a wealth of fun and decorative boxes that can be used all year round. You can even print your own gift tags, or make a showstopper of a handmade pop-up Christmas card.
Crafting tip: Be sure to glue the parts together in the order indicated by the numbers.
4. Create your own fun with homemade games
With all the free time during the holidays, it’s good to have an activity to bring the family together. On Creative Park, you can find templates for a variety of games that you can put together by hand, and play with your family afterwards. As well as this Christmas-themed puzzle, there are block puzzles for the little ones, geometry puzzles for older kids and games such as bingo and roulette that the whole family can play together.
Crafting tip: Use tweezers when picking up and attaching small parts.
5. Decorate the nursery with handmade Christmas mobiles
Babies' toys don’t have to be store-bought. This sweet mobile with a twirling Christmas tree and snowflakes is a creative and personal way to bring Christmas to the nursery of your own or your loved ones’ babies, and on Creative Park you can also find mobiles with other themes, including elephants, birds, hot air balloons and space.
Crafting tip: Trace along the folds with a ruler and a sharp object, such as an old ballpoint pen with no ink, to get a sharper, easier fold.
6. Make handmade toys for the young explorer
Whether it’s dinosaurs, big mammals, birds, planes or trains that your children are currently fascinated by, Creative Park has enough toy figures for a curious kid to really indulge in their interest. You can print and assemble the toys by yourself, make it a holiday activity with your kids, or print out a set of templates to give as a present to a creative child along with a set of craft tools such as glue and scissors.
Crafting tip: Use a toothpick when applying glue. Thinly applied glue gives a neater finish.
Written by Kathrine Anker