Making MAGIC

A flurry of paper creations sparks delight for a budgetconscious homeowner who picked up her scissors-and couldn't put them down.

- JODY GARLOCK

EVERY HOLIDAY SEASON, WENDY LAU'S LOVE OF CRAFTS AND DECORATIONS KICKS INTO HIGH GEAR.

She's up and down ladders, dangling paper snowflakes and stars from ceilings and draping garlands across doorways. As much as she tries to show restraint, a little always turns into a lot, and soon she's decorating her Toronto home with abandon. "There's a lot of cardio for me at Christmas," she says.

Her decorating aerobics can be traced in large part to the snowflakes she snips from brown and white lunch bags. They now number in the hundreds and are her creative strategy for a high-impact look. "I'm the paper-bag princess," she says. Earthy flourishes such as dried moss (Wendy's reusable and easy-to-store alternative to fresh greenery) and handcrafted papiermâché mushroom ornaments supplement those statement makers.