This post is sponsored by merci Chocolate.

The holiday season is finally here and we could not be more excited to get into the spirit! There are a lot of people we want to thank this year: teachers, delivery drivers, healthcare workers, and our local supermarket employees just to name a few. Instead of just giving gift cards as thank yous, we decided to spend some time crafting some handmade gifts instead! 

Each of these three handmade gifts have one thing in common: they all feature merci chocolates! The holiday season can definitely feel busy and rushed, so we wanted to focus on ways to break through all the hustle and bustle and show your loved ones just how much you care. No matter who you are giving to, at least one of these three ideas is bound to be perfect! 

The D-I-Y gift wrap is the perfect way to get your kids involved and create a completely custom wrapping paper that’s a keepsake in itself! Kids of all ages can help with this, and we’re sharing three variations on the technique that works for all skill levels. And of course, we used all our handcrafted paper to wrap up boxes of delicious merci chocolates!

The candy cane gift toppers are the perfect way to add a personal touch to any gift. Pulling together just a few supplies you likely already have at home, use these adorable toppers for all your gifts (and even Christmas cards!) this year. The individual merci chocolates fit snugly into the candy cane toppers and are the perfect treat for whoever is unwrapping their gift.

And of course there is the D-I-Y gratitude wreath! We love this project as a gift for multiple people: the main office at your kids’ school, your doctor’s office, or even your favorite local coffee shop. The wreath holds a whole box worth of merci chocolates, so it’s a great way to thank multiple people. You could also hang this on your front door with a note that says “please take one!” as a way to thank all the delivery drivers who will be dropping off packages over the next several weeks.

You’ll likely have all the materials you need to get these projects started, so pick up a few boxes of merci and keep reading for the full instructions for each craft below! #GiveThanks #sayitwithmerci 

• Box of merci chocolates 
• Craft knife
• Corrugated cardboard
• Paint (white, red, pink)
• Paintbrushes
• White cardstock
• Pencil
• Hot glue OR double sided tape

Step 1
Cut out a candy cane shape from corrugated cardboard. Make sure that the width of the candy cane is the same as an individual merci chocolate. Paint the candy cane white, being sure to paint all the edges too. Let dry.

Step 2
Paint red diagonal stripes onto the candy cane and let dry.

Step 3
Cut a rectangle of white cardstock so that it wraps snugly around the merci chocolate completely, forming a paper sleeve.

Step 4
Glue or tape the paper sleeve onto the candy cane, so that the seams of the paper sleeve wrap around the cardboard and meet at the back. Paint red stripes onto the paper sleeve to match the ones already painted on the cardboard.

Step 5
Slide an individual merci chocolate into the sleeve and use double sided tape or ribbon to attach the candy cane to the top of your gift! 

• Boxes of merci chocolates
• White paper on a roll
• Paint (assorted colors)
• Paintbrushes
• Clear plastic garbage bags
• Markers, crayons, stickers, etc

Step 1
Unroll a large piece of white paper from the roll. For a fun, mess free technique, cover your work surface with a plastic garbage bag and place the paper on top. Apply blobs of paint onto the paper in various shapes and sizes, using different colors. Depending on the thickness of your paint, you may want to mix it with a little bit of water. Doing this creates a slightly different look, so have fun experimenting with different options!

Step 2
Lay a second clear garbage bag on top of the paint. 

Step 3
Have your child use their hands (or feet!) to help smoosh the paint around under the plastic, spreading it out and mixing them together. 

Step 4
Once the paint is all spread out, carefully remove the top plastic bag and set aside to dry to reuse, or throw away. Let the painted paper dry completely before using to wrap boxes of merci!

Step 5
There are other ways to have your kids help make art wrapping paper, too! For older kids, give them markers, crayons, paint, stickers, etc and have them draw holiday shapes and patterns all over a piece of paper. Give them prompts like “draw only stars!” or “use only the color green” and see what they create!

Step 6
You can also have kids use paint and paintbrushes to make abstract lines and patterns onto wrapping paper for a look similar to the “smooshed” style but using a little less paint for a slightly different look. 

Step 7
Whichever method you choose, use the dried paper to wrap your merci chocolate as you normally do and top with ribbons and gift tags!

• Boxes of merci chocolates
• Corrugated cardboard
• Craft knife 
• Cutting mat
• Paint (shades of green)
• Paintbrushes
• Paper (green and pink)
• Tape (regular and double stick)
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Stamps and ink pad
• Ribbon

Step 1
Trace a large dinner plate onto cardboard and cut out with a craft knife. Find the center of the circle and trace around a jar about 3” wide. Cut this hole out the cardboard looks like a donut.
Step 2
Paint the cardboard circle a shade of green and let dry.
Step 3
Open a box of merci and gather all 16 chocolates. Cut a piece of green paper into a 2.5” wide rectangle and then use it to wrap around each merci chocolate, using tape to secure the paper sleeve on the back. Do this for all 16 so that the gold foil wrapper sticks out the end.
Step 4
Draw a diamond shape into cardboard and cut out. To figure out the exact size you’ll need, arrange the individual merci chocolates around the perimeter of the painted wreath so that the gold foil lines up with the edge. The diamond pieces should fit nicely between the individual merci chocolates.

Step 5
Paint each diamond green and let dry. Paint lines inspired by evergreen needles onto the diamond with a contrasting green paint. Let dry.

Step 6
Arrange the wrapped merci pieces and cardboard diamonds on the wreath. Use double stick tape to adhere everything into place.

Step 8
To add a festive note onto the wreath, cut a piece of pink paper into a thin banner and use stamps and an ink pad to spell out your message – you can also do this with a marker if that’s what you have on hand. Use double stick tape to attach the banner onto the wreath

Step 9
To make the wreath hangable, cut a piece of ribbon and tape the ends to the back of the wreath.

Happy holidays!