A few holiday faves

Stocking stuffers & cards to send

Only 358 days until Christmas! So here are a few of my favorites from 2015 you'll want to take note of for next year.

Instagram gifts from Print Studio (formerly Prinstagram)

I'm a little bit obsessed with Print Studio. Fist, the interface is really nice to work with — user-friendly and attractive. This year, I ordered 2-inch magnets through Print Studio — a set of 10 for $14. I gave a few to my dad and split up the rest among friends and family. Talk about a fun, affordable gift! Every single one of my giftees gave a little squeal and laughed to see our memories on a magnet. They really are the perfect stocking stuffer for those friends you love but say "no gifts this year" (but nobody listens).

The only catch is that you can only choose from photos you've loaded to Instagram, so keep that in mind as you snap away in 2015. I know I'll be asking myself "What do I want to see on a magnet next Christmas?" Or in a frame, on a poster, in a book — Print Studio offers a lot of fun options for printing your grams.

Quill & Fox cards

While I'm a huge fan of Rifle Paper Company, I found another new favorite this holiday season: Quill & Fox. They're based in Portland and also have an Etsy shop with great prices for specialty cards. Just like Rifle Paper Company, Quill & Fox offers rather nostalgic, hand-designed cards. And they don't stop at wintry greetings — you can find cards for Mother's Day, birthdays, and just because. I plan to be a repeat shopper at Quill & Fox long before next Christmas.

And for those of you who appreciate customer service, I can speak from experience that Quill & Fox is fabulous at it. I noticed after my "your order has shipped" notification that I had selected the wrong shipping address. I contacted the shop owner right away and he promptly and kindly corrected the error immediately. Love that!

Handmade paper star ornaments

These stars are called Froebel Stars, and you can find them as handmade ornaments on Etsy — or you can make them yourself! I was lucky enough to have a little lesson in making my own paper stars, and I can tell you it's so fun and rewarding. There's just something therapeutic about folding colorful paper. Try it yourself and see!

It takes a bit to master the craft, but once you have the movements down you could churn out a bunch in no-time. You can make them with just paper, or (as my teacher did) dip the stars in hot wax, then add a dusting of glitter. The wax dries quickly and seals the glitter and paper, making the star much sturdier. By next Christmas, I plan to invest in some wax and oodles of quilling paper of my own.