DIY Monogrammed Gift Toppers

 

Now that you have made a bunch of ornaments (here, here, and here) and whipped up lots of goodies (here, here, and here), it's time to wrap them up to give to your loved ones!  This week is devoted to fun ways to dress up your holiday gifts.  To kick the week off, I'm going to show you how to make cute beaded monograms to top a package.

This is very similar to the beaded ornament DIY from two weeks ago, but the effect is so different!

You will need:

• Silver or gold wire
• Glass beads (I used silver and blue)
• Needle nose pliers
• Round nose pliers
• Wire cutters

First, form the wire into the shape of the letter you want to top your gift either by hand or using the needle nose pliers, and trim the wire with your wire cutters.  Some letters are easier than others (I had a bit of a time with K...), but it's worth the effort to get it just right.

Now, if your letter doesn't have a nice spot for a ribbon to slide through, be sure to include a little loop at the top.

Next, make a little loop at one end of the letter to prevent the beads from sliding off.

Then, simply string the beads onto your letter.  You might need to undo the letter's shape slightly in order to string the beads on.  If you do, just reshape the letter as you go along.

Once the letter is loaded up with beads, add one more loop at the end to complete the letter.

I made four this year for the mothers and sisters (-in-law) in our family

Finally, string your letter onto a gift as an extra Christmas goody for your recipient!