The 25 Days of Christmas Day 8: Christmas Greeting Gift Bags Complimented by Cheesy Mac and Cheese Recipe

Merry Christmas Friends,

It's our pleasure to continue the 25 Days of Christmas feature for you, our good friends. December 1st through December 25th you can visit our blog for helpful, money-saving ideas to decorate your space for the holidays. It's just a little something to show our appreciation for your continued support of Interior Design eBlog.

Give new life to last year's Christmas cards by turning them into beautiful gift bags. Affordable, adorable and a great way to make the special people in your life feel special. Accented with buttons picked up at your local craft store, minimal cost but big on style. An overall result that is dramatic yet impressive in it's simplicity. A myriad of possibilities awaits this holiday season. Get started this weekend!

Materials and Tools:
small canvas bag
old Christmas card
scissors
pinking shears
hot glue gun and glue sticks
small hole punch
4 buttons for each bag
needle
thread or yarn in a color to coordinate with buttons

Steps:

1. Cut desired images out of Christmas card. Add a decorative touch to the edges of cut-out designs with pinking shears.

2. Attach center only of card cut-out, leave corners unattached, to canvas bag with hot glue.

3. Using a hole-punch, punch small holes in each corner of the cut-out.

4. Embellish bag by sewing buttons onto each corner of cut-out with chunky yarn.

6. Use the sack to wrap a small gift.

Enjoy and share this The Ultimate Lady’s Cheesy Mac and Cheese recipe courtesy of Paula Deen.

Ingredients:
2 cup dried elbow macaroni (4 cups cooked)
1/3 cup grated Cheddar
1/3 cup grated Swiss
1/3 cup grated Jack
1/3 cup grated Colby
1/3 cup grated Muenster
1/3 cup grated Gouda
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoon butter, cut into pieces
6 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk
Nonstick spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Season water with salt and cook macaroni until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta and place in a large bowl. While pasta is still hot, add all cheeses. In a separate medium bowl, using a whisk, combine the sour cream, butter, eggs, salt, pepper and milk and add to the macaroni mixture. Spray casserole dish with nonstick spray and pour macaroni mixture into the dish. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown. Top with additional cheese, if desired.

Servings: 8-10 servings
Prep Time: 25 min
Cook Time: 45 min
Difficulty: Easy

Check back for more holiday ideas and share those beautiful, unique Christmas gift bags with family and friends.

Wishing you all the timeless treasures of the season; the warmth of home, the love of family and the company of good friends.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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Live well,
Yvonne