Instead of scribbling in felt tip on the wrapping paper or buying those expensive packs of usually rather hideous Xmas labels, why not do what I've always done and recycle your old Christmas cards (or at least the majority of them - those that don't have writing on the lefthand side).
Cut out details from the cards with pinking scissors - a haloed angel; a donkey standing beneath a star; a king bearing a gift; a sprig of holly or a robin - punch a hole at one edge, thread in some festive string or, if desperate, coloured wool, and you've got an attractive label that's cost you nothing.
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From California to Cornwall: How surfing became a cornerstone of Cornish cultureA new exhibition at Cornwall's National Maritime Museum celebrates a century of surf culture and reveals how the country became a global leader in surf innovation and conservation.
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18 magnificent homes for sale from £550k to £20 million, as seen in Country LifeFrom a charming thatched cottage to a 300-acre estate with its own vineyard, here's our pick of places to come to the market via Country Life of late.
