Wrap kids’ gifts with an adorable DIY animal design to get your recipient excited even before he or she opens it up! (Photo by Danielle Occhiogrosso)

From giving to receiving, here are our favorite GH life hacks for perfect presenting.

Keep a list. Throughout the year, add to a note on your phone every time you see a possible prezzie for someone. Even better if that person points something out!

Create a shopping email. Have an account you use only for retail newsletters. When you sign up, say your birthday is Dec. 1 so you’ll get coupons and promos at the perfect time.

Send an instant pick-me-up. Forgot to buy a gift for your neighbor? Many apps (like those from Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts) let you share digital gift cards in seconds.

Be a wrap star. Don’t stress if you run out of wrapping paper. Use newspaper, brown paper bags, old book pages or even fabric pieces for a statement look.

Mark your calendar. Dec. 14 is Free Shipping Day. Go to freeshippingday.com for details.

EARN MONEY AS YOU SHOP!

Get cash back every time you check out with these top tools:

Ebates.com — The free service has over 2,500 partner stores where you can get back anywhere from 1 percent to 40 percent of the total.

Goodhousekeepingproshopper.com — ($10/month) No matter which of the 1,000-plus stores you buy from, you’ll typically get 10 percent cash back. Plus, free shipping both ways!

EASY DIYS

Wrapped in “stone”

Marble and terrazzo — mainstays in beautiful kitchens and bathrooms — are popping up in unexpected places, like this year’s holiday paper. This gorgeous wrapping has the power to make a practical trinket feel luxe. Don’t have time to grab a roll? Take a quick pic of your marble countertop or colorful tile, print it and use it to cover a small gift on the fly.

Simply Rustic

Use twine tape and twigs to dress up gifts.

ETIQUETTE

Regifting: Thumbs up or down?

You can do it without guilt (yay!), says etiquette expert Elaine Swann. “The key is to regift strategically, not randomly,” she says. Give a vanilla candle to a friend who loves the scent, or a cheese board to your sister who entertains on the regular. Just don’t regift to people in the same circle.

GENIUS GIFTS

Head online for your one-stop shop for all the people you’re never sure what to get (or, oops, forgot). Visit goodhousekeeping.com/holiday-gift-ideas to access the following lists. 

• 55-plus DIY Holiday Gifts to Start Making Now
• Any present you craft with your own two hands is an instant winner. No one needs to know about the time and money you’ll save.
• 32 Best White Elephant Gifts You Can Buy on the Internet
• Whether it’s with your colleagues or cousins, you will get roped into playing this holiday game. These picks are funny yet useful!
• 35 Last-Minute Gifts That Are Better Than Cash
• Shoot! You left the babysitter and your kid’s homeroom teacher off the list. These thoughtful presents won’t seem rushed.

ON ANOTHER MATTER …

Cute Christmas “Tree” Ideas

Make your own masterpiece or jazz up the fir you’ve got with clever, crafty trimmings.

PAINTED BRANCH

Strip a fallen one of its leaves and spray-paint it red. When it’s dry, pop it into a tall, sturdy vase and decorate with keepsake ornaments.

FESTIVE CACTUS

For a nontraditional but oh-so-cheery take on the holidays, decorate a cactus with colorful add-ons.

Pile on frills. Use small pins (or hot glue, if you’re working with a fake cactus) to attach felt-ball “flowers” to the tops of the arms, and drape pom-pom trim ($4, joann.com) around the body, securing it as you wind it around.

BLOSSIMING EVERGREEN

Replace ornaments with flowers. Here’s how to get the look:

Pick flowers. Hit the craft store for a range of small, medium and large blooms in three or four colors to give your tree variety and dimension.

Start with big blooms. Trim wire stems so they’re two to three inches long. Stick them into the tree, larger blooms first, spreading out from top to bottom. Secure by wrapping stems around branches.

Fill in with smaller ones. With the anchoring blooms in place, add filler flowers — these can just be pushed into place. Sneaky trick: Position your tree in a corner and skip decorating the back.

Recalls Alert

The following products and vehicles were recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Unless otherwise indicated, discontinue use of the products immediately and return them to the store where purchased for a refund. For more information about the products, call the manufacturer or CPSC’s toll-free hotline, 800-638-2772. Only some cars or trucks recalled are affected. Contact a dealer for your model to see if it is included in the recall. The dealer will tell you what to do.

PRODUCT/VEHICLE PROBLEM

Falls Creek Kids infant and toddler hoodies, sold at Meijer stores nationwide from June 2018 through October 2018 for about $14.

The zipper slider can detach from the hoodie, posing a choking hazard to young children. Consumers should immediately take the recalled hoodies away from children, stop using them and return them to any Meijer store for a full refund. Consumers can contact Meijer at 800-927-8699 to learn more.

2017-2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia sedans equipped with 280-horsepower engines and all-wheel drive

The brake fluid line may contact a coolant hose clamp, possibly causing brake fluid to leak onto the exhaust and increasing the risk of a fire. Dealers will install a bracket on the brake fluid line to prevent contact with the coolant hose clamp. If damage is found on the brake line, it will be replaced. Both repairs will be done for free. Alfa Romeo automaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will begin notifying owners Jan. 15. Owners can call FCA at 800-853-1403 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s vehicle-safety hotline at 888-327-4236 to learn more.

©Hearst Communications Inc.

Distributed by King Features Syndicate

—GOOD HOUSEKEEPING REPORTS: Gifting secrets–