Last Minute gift –try tackling it Tuesday

This decorative tissue box cover provides an inexpensive, attractive, yet all too seasonal gift. It is also ready wrapped to save paper.

Sniff.


I’m told by those who know about such things that ‘gold’ is THE colour of choice but this could easily be adapted to anyone’s personal preferences.

The choice of fabrics in America is quite daunting, everything from golfing prints to stamp samples, so don’t rule out the unisex option. Fortunately there are also many cheaper remnants available for the thrifty.

Here’s how to put it together.



For your base colour, duplicate for contracting top colour. Don't forget to cut out a square for the bottom.



French seam the base colour strip and top colour strip together. French seam the side until you have the equivalent of a cylinder. Add the base. Hem the top. Insert the tissue box and add a decorative cord or ribbon. Pull a tissue up through the top to illustrate the purpose [otherwise some nitwit will try and unwrap it!] and Bob's your Uncle, or rather, you are done.

Other colour choices.





I’m working hard to get up to scratch with embellishments. American’s are big on embellishments, everything from tassels, glitter and sequins to buttons, stick on gems and ribbons. These make any item ‘fancy,’ so my daughter tells me. If it’s not ‘fancy’ then it doesn’t cut the mustard, or rather, pass the test of acceptability. Plain, simple and serviceable doesn’t rate at all apparently.






I can only guess how many gifts you need to assemble for your crowd such as the maid, chaffeur, manicurist, personal trainer and masseur, but around here, we have collected a great number of people who are involved with our children’s lives and development. I distinctly remember counting 28 people whose sterling work needed acknowledgment at this time of the year. So many expert therapists, teachers and aides all of whom were personally responsible for helping my children move forward. It’s difficult to think of just the right gift for someone who helps your child pronounce ‘th,’ someone who assists mid-meltdown in a caring and positive manner, someone who deals with the fall-out thereafter to say nothing of the one who helps reluctant digits gain the strength and dexterity to pincher grip a zip fastening. Surely this would be the time to crack open the vault and pass out the crown jewels, but who would get what? How can any of us evaluate and reward such treasures?

As yet I have no answers, so all we can do is give tokens, with sincere thanks.