Last Minute Gift Idea

I so love the holiday season, but I can not believe that Christmas is in 5 days! I really look forward to it all year, and then it feels as if I blink and it's gone. But if you love to savor every moment of that warm fuzzy holiday feeling, then no doubt you are still busy shopping and baking and wrapping...and of course, crafting! If you still have a few friends to make/buy for, here is a very cute and inexpensive gift that looks (and tastes) like you spent hours slaving over it! Shhh...we won't tell anyone.

Candied Pecans
Now I can't give you my recipe, as my dear friend would choke me. I promised her that I would not tell anyone her secrets if she gave me the recipe years ago. But I can give you a link to some that are similar and very good. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sugar-coated-pecans/Detail.aspx

Now, of course you have to have a cute little package for gift giving, and there are tons of ways...but this year I made these little guys.

Now these are super fast and let's face it...the faster the better these days. You will need the following supplies:

Supply List
1 6x6 piece of patterned paper
sticky strip
12 in. disposable decorating bags (the ones used for cake icing)
and your choice for embellishing: ribbons, buttons, twine, etc...

Cut off the top inch or so of the decorating bag and fill with pecans. For embellishing I kept it simple as I was giving these as office gifts for myself and my husband. I just tied the bags off with ribbon and then added a button with baker's twine.

Now certainly this could stand as is, but if you wanted to up it a notch, wrap it with designer paper. I turned the paper so that the points were at the top and bottom (like a diamond). I put sticky strip down the lower left outside of the diamond, and another strip on the lower right inside of the diamond. Then I folded the right over the left into a cone shape. This is much better visualized than explained. LOL See pic below.

Now all that is left is to slip the bag of pecans into the cone sleeve! I told you, easy and classy. I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend, I will be back soon with some pics of our Christmas lights. We were suprised with winning the Christmas Spirit Award for lights in our neighborhoood today and my hubby is so proud. He works so hard on them every year and he loves doing it. I told him it was the 30 something poinsettias he added this year that did it! LOL Have a great night everyone.