From small cute products, to glamorous personalised creations, individually decorated or specially packaged, chocolate comes in all forms, sizes, shapes and, let’s not be forgetting, flavours. Each type of chocolate has its own unique characteristics and, importantly, everybody has their favourite type of chocolate. Why pretend to a loved one that the pink shirt they bought – the one with EIGHT different shades of pink!!! – is perfect or that you really, really thought Cliff Richard was their favourite pop singer…seriously, you cannot go wrong with chocolate.

There is, however, much more to chocolate than a simple indulgent love affair. And the proof is literally in the pudding! Whilst you may be after some ones heart, remember that chocolate is especially good for your heart too. And I’m not simply suggesting that you eat your loved ones present – although this does tend to happen! Chocolate is scientifically proven to be good for your heart and even better for your waistline. Now, what can be naughtier than being told that your favourite little indulgence is actually quite good for you?

Remember when we were kids and we our parents told us that chocolate was bad for us and that we could only eat it in moderation? Well, hallelujah, times have changed and the scientists – God bless them – have spoken! Chocolate is an amazing product with more feel good properties than a baby riding a purple dog. Chocolate has cocoa which includes antioxidant’s called flavonals. These are especially healthy for the heart and help lowers blood pressure, reducing the chance of blocked arteries and prevents cholesterol from clinging on to the walls of your blood vessels.

The best thing about chocolate is that each variety has its own perks. The magnesium and calcium found in milk chocolate reduces recovery times in muscles and improves general health of bones and teeth. Dark chocolate contains fewer calories and is extremely low in fat. Dark chocolate with the highest per cent of cocoa has the most flavonols. Whilst the norm is around 50 per cent, some brands have more than 80 per cent. Moreover, chocolate that includes nuts and real fruits deliver additional health benefits.

If all this sounds a little too conservative, you can always melt chocolate and you and your loved one can have lots of fun drizzling it over…….strawberries, kiwis, bananas or any other desired fruit.

And remember lads, if your previous romantic gestures did not go down well, you can always rely on a box of Valentine’s chocolates to rekindle the mood. Eating chocolates releases feel good chemicals in your brain called endorphins which increases happiness and reduces stress (including disappointment).

Think the kids will care? Not one little bit. Materials required include cardboard toilet roll tubes. Now, you have been religiously collecting them for the last couple of weeks or so? Good for you! You just knew they were going to come in handy. As well as the toilet role tubes, you’ll also need some coloured crepe paper sheets, sheets of white lining paper, thin ribbon, glitter, and of course the glue and scissors.

And, yes, flimsy, paper hats, easily made by gluing together the ends of strips of tissue paper. Just make sure the strips are long enough to go around the average-sized head. You’ll also need a bunch of corny jokes – the cornier the better, naturally. They’re easily found online. Just write them onto small strips of paper and add one to each cracker.

Now, the only bit of the Christmas cracker you won’t have, which you’ll be unable to make, is the snapper. Your local craft shop will probably have them. If they don’t, they’ll likely be able to get them for you. Or just check online. You can pick up a couple of dozen for under a fiver. While you’re at it, if you don’t want to make the paper hats, a pack of a dozen will set you back a mere couple of quid.

To make a cracker, cut the crepe paper into lengths about three times as long as the cardboard tube and wide enough to go around it, with a little bit to spare. You’ll have to experiment a little to get everything just right. Do the same for the white lining paper, although make it just slightly smaller in length and width compared to the crepe paper sheet. Now punch small holes all around the middle of the cardboard tube with a needle. It must be weak enough to split in two when the cracker is pulled.

Now comes the good part. Roll the lining paper and crepe paper around the tube and seal the edge with a thin line of glue. When the glue is dry, insert a snapper along the length of the tube. Then add a paper hat, a joke and a small gift – or even a couple of luxury chocolates instead. Now gather each end of the cracker and tie with a length of thin ribbon. Add little dabs of glue over the surface of the cracker and sprinkle with glitter. Shake off any excess glitter when the glue is dry.

There you have it, an easy-to-make Christmas cracker that’ll go down a treat, especially with grandma and granddad and other members of the family. OK, so it’s about as far away as you can get from the luxury cracker end of the market. Nobody will care. Guaranteed!

The great thing about this board is that it performs like a regular tack/bulletin board, but you do not have to employ pushpins of any sort. This board is decked with strips of ribbon, you can put your letters, photos and other things behind and it holds them properly in place until you remove them.

Following is the process of making message board-

Materials

• Old serrated knife

• Ceiling tile

• Quilt batting

• Fabric

• Button

• Staple gun

• Drill

• Ribbon

Steps

1. Cut a ceiling tile to the preferred size. Draw diagonal lines from center to center and from corner to corner of each adjacent side to create a diamond shape. Drill 2 holes at each intersection, which will be utilized later for buttons.
2. Wrap the tile with a coating of quilt batting and the selected fabric. To fasten the fabric, cut away the surplus at the corners and fold it in to the edge. Staple it to the back.
3. Stretch coordinating satin ribbons on the diagonal, and fasten them with staples.
4. Sew coordinating buttons through the pre-drilled holes, and secure each in the back with a knot.

Materials Needed:

• Pencil

• Paper-Backed,

• Fusible Web

• T-Shirt

• Fabric

• Iron

• Scissors

Instructions:

Sketch a tie outline onto the paper side of the fusible web. Spruce around the tie design, staying about one inch outside of the line.

Find a piece of wisp fabric large enough to fit your tie design. Select a piece of fabric that is appropriate for the receiver. For example, if the receiver likes fishing, try to discover fabric featuring boats, fish or fishing poles.

Using the instructions that came with your fusible web, press your tie design to the wring side of the portion of fabric. Slice out the tie on the line you sketch previously.

Eradicate the paper patronage from your tie fabric. Press the fusible web backed tie onto the t-shirt, close to the neckline.

Your t-shirt with necktie is now ready and can be worn or given away.

This candle holder you will create can also be the best item to present as gifts for your relatives and friends, but of course you have to practice and make decent ones so your item can really be beautiful and functional. This gift you will offer to them can be a fine item to add some extra cozy light in their lawn.

The materials are very affordable and easy to get. You will need following things to make a card holder-

• Copper wire

• Small nails

• Coffee can

• Small hammer

• Freezer

• Small paint

• Sharpie marker

• Tealight candles

• Water

First step, sketch simple shapes with the help of sharpie markers on the outside of the coffee can. Simple drawings like moons and stars will do.

Second, put some water in the can until there is an inch space left for the can. Keep the can with water inside the freezer; wait until the water is frozen solid.

Third, start stabbing the outlines of the shape you sketch outside the can using small hammer and small nail. Start piercing at the peak as ice melts first there. Tap the nail lightly so as not to harm the can.

Fourth, let the ice melt and dry the can. Paint the can with your preferred color.

Fifth, if you want to make it a candle lantern, simply create 2 holes at the top of the can and add the copper wire through the holes.

Now you can hang your candle holder on a tree or porch at your lawn.

You can make your own card with the help of following tips-

Step 1: First of all look for a nice pattern to make a card holder.

Step 2: Get a stylish and thick cardboard paper. Select the color you want. Decide the size of the card you want.

Step 3: Fold up the cardboard in half. Get another piece of paper and fold it in envelope-like shape. You will keep the gift card here. Paste this envelope in the second fold of the cardboard.

Step 4: Draw the outer part of the card. Put glitters or ribbons to make it more tailored. It will be good if you draw your design first, before actually pasting the glitters and ribbons.

Step 5: Put your message at the back of the front cover of the card. Make it more tailored so the person you are offering will appreciate it.

Step 6: Put the gift card in envelope and place a sticker on the flap to protect the card inside. Close the card and place it on another envelope if you want or just leave it as it is.

Materials Needed

Pencil or pen
Craft wire
Alphabet and regular beads
Needle nose pliers
Wire cutters

Instructions

Cut piece of wire to about 6-8 inches. You may adjust this as per the design you wish to make. Make use of the needle nose pliers and turn down the tilt of one end of the wire.

Twine beads onto wire to make special word or name. Once you have all beads on the wire, cut off any additional wire leaving just sufficient to twist over the end so the beads settle in place.

Now all you have to do is to enfold the wire into a stiff twirl around the pencil or pen and you will come up with a beautiful beaded pen and pencil.

The selection of gift is definitely an art. The gifts must represent two issues. Very first, they need to fulfill the needs of friends and relatives. Second they ought to be creation of themselves. They need to be the component in the own nature. Distinct creative gifts turn out to be a part from the memory of the individual who receives.

Gifts are token of trust, live and good will. They play an essential component in creating us adore one an additional. The given of the gifts bring to surface all great qualities which we posses. They make us humble and help us in shedding off pride and vanity.