It's the kids who will be doing the nibbling when these sweet mice are around. A combination of two Christmas icons -- mice and candy canes -- these tiny fabric creatures with their red-and-white-striped tails make fitting favors at a holiday dinner or delightful gifts for children to give to friends and relatives.

Mouse How-To:
On a photocopier, enlarge mice template by 150 percent; cut out. With a pencil, trace ears and body onto felt; cut out. Cut inner ears and a dot for a nose from felt in a contrasting color, cut dots for eyes from black. Glue the face and inner ears in place. Make slits in body for ears and candy-cane tail where marked; to make cutting easier, fold felt across center of slits, and snip. Slip ears through slits at front; then slide wrapped candy cane through body slits, tucking the end underneath the ear piece at the back.

COULD JUST AS EASILY USE CONSTRUCTION PAPER FOR THIS PROJECT!

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Ribbon-Poinsettia Wreath

Satin ribbon provides a wide range of shades with which to form these beautiful facsimiles. Their hardiness makes them a delightful choice for a fine (and everlasting) indoor wreath.

Step 1

Cut three lengths of wide satin ribbon diagonally to form equal-sided diamonds. Pinch each diamond at the center, and pin to hold it. Hold all three together, staggering them to form the six-leafed blossom, then fix together by looping 26-gauge wire twisted at the back; using wire cutters, remove excess wire at the twist. Cut the stems from four store-bought stamens and attach them to the front of blossom with craft glue.

Step 2

Use green ribbon, about half as wide as the first, for the decorative leaves. Cut two lengths about three times as long as they are wide. With the back side up, fold half the ribbon over so it forms an L shape. Fold the other half of the L over the first so it covers the previous fold. Cinch the bottom of the resulting house shape and hold it with a pin.

Step 3

Shave the edges off of a 19-inch Styrofoam wreath form to give it a rounded profile. Wrap the form with satin ribbon, securing the loose ends with straight pins. Affix ribbon poinsettias and leaves to the wreath with large straight pins (which will be hidden within the folds) held firm with subtly applied hot glue.

Festive Paper Wreath

This wreath is the ideal complement to a tree filled with paper ornaments and is also lovelydisplayed on its own. Trace a leaf, or draw one freehand; use your design as a template to cut lots of leaves out of various shades of green paper. Make a cut in a 12-inch single-wire wreath form, and bend the form into a horseshoe shape; bend the two ends back 1/2 inch to form small hooks for hanging. Onto the back of each leaf, glue a 12-inch length of 20-gauge floral wire (available precut at craft stores). Starting at the top of one side of the form, attach a leaf by wrapping its wire stem around the form. Continue adding leaves, overlapping them so that each one covers half of the previous one, until you reach the center. Repeat, covering the other side with leaves. Bend leaves on their stems into just the arrangement you want. Add a big red bow in the center; hang the wreath from small nails or hooks, and suspend with fishing line.

Doily Wreath

A delicate-looking wreath that creates the magical effect of candles flickering in the snow is easy to make and surprisingly sturdy. Wreath frames are strung with twinkling lights that are nestled in frothy, doilylike paper bouquet holders known as "Biedermeiermanschetten."

Step 1

Working on a covered surface, lay a 24-inch wreath form inside a 30-inch one. Attach them with 24-gauge wire at 6 to 8 evenly spaced points.

Step 3

Wrap wreath form with a 20-foot strand of white holiday lights (test lights beforehand), leaving the plug end unwrapped (as much as is needed to plug in).

Step 4

With scissors, widen the center-hole slits slightly in paper bouquet holders (we used 10 8.8-inch ones, 20 6.4-inch ones, 20 4.8-inch ones, and 50 3.2-inch ones). Poke a finger through center hole of each bouquet holder (from front to back) to create openings large enough to accommodate a lightbulb.

Step 5

Beginning with largest ones, place bouquet holders evenly around wreath, slipping a light through each hole so that bulb bases, not bulbs, rest against paper. (From time to time, hang wreath, and step back to ensure that the arrangement is balanced and attractive.)

Step 6

Add remaining bouquet holders in descending size order. Use smallest bouquet holders to cover centers of larger ones and to fill in any gaps. Hang near an outlet. Unplug when unattended.

Read more at Wholeliving.com: Paper-Doily Wreath - Martha Stewart Crafts

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