String these cheery garlands along your mantel, on the front door or across a special present. Made from old grocery bags, the project requires little that you won't already have on hand--a plus if you're looking for a craft to start right away.

MATERIALS

Brown paper bags
Scissors and pencil
Construction paper
White glue
Puffy paint or tempera
Small paintbrushes


Cut a 5-by-3 1/4-inch strip from a brown paper grocery bag. Fold up the rectangle, accordion-style, four times. On the top layer, draw a gingerbread person, either by hand or by tracing around a cookie cutter. Make sure the hands and feet extend out to the folded edges. Now, cut through all the layers of the paper except where the hands and feet touch the fold. (If you have young children, you may want to do this, the only tricky step, and leave the decorating to them.) Cut scarves, hats, boots, mittens and skirts out of construction paper and glue in place. To put the icing on the "cookies," use puffy paint or white tempera and a small brush. Add buttons, hair, smiles and eyes. To make a longer garland--for your tree, say--tape together a few smaller chains.

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