Buttons and bows.

It's Christmas Eve Day! Time to wrap those presents! 

What? You didn't buy them yet?

Well... get some and come on back. I want to show you something.

🕢🕗🕣🕘

My parents left us quite some time ago now, but every Christmas I encounter some of their things that I somehow kept. A bunch of ornaments for the tree, of course, but even some giftwrap supplies. Actually, quite a bit of giftwrap supplies. I swear I have enough curling ribbon to hang every hoarder and wrecker in the average People's Republic. Festively! 

Here's the thing:

The Pixie Bow Maker, proud little gadget of the eighties, is in my possession, along with a supply of the bow pins on which you wrap the ribbon to create the bow. And a fun little item it is, too. 

First, take a pin out of the storage compartment in the base. Lift the center column and put the pin in to hold it on position.

Take a length of festive ribbon and put it festively over the pin. Then make successive loops, passed over that pin, to build the bow.

See? Now we're getting somewhere! When you think you have made enough loops, pop the pin out of the column. Now you not only have a bow, you have a bow with a sharp plastic pin in the center, which you can apply to your gift by shoving into the cardboard. It sits in place beautifully. 

I would not shove it through the plastic bottle of Georgi Vodka you're giving to Otis, or get a large one and shove it through the roof of the Lexus you're giving to your kid, but if you have a gift in a cardboard box, it works like a charm. You can make a large, cheery bow out of any color ribbon you like. Also, you can leave enough ribbon attached to wrap around the box and get the classic ribbon-secured gift without any tape or knots.

The Pixie Bow Maker and pins were a product of Mag-Nif, Inc,. of Mentor, Ohio, as we see on the back of the box. Bloomberg profiles it thus: "Mag-Nif, Inc. manufactures toys and games. The Company offers gift mazes, brain teasers, coin sorters and banks, and pixie craft kits. Mag-Nif operates in the United States." Founded in 1963, according to other data. 

Unfortunately the company seems to have gone out of business, and recently too. They still have a Web site, but all the pages are blank. So that's the end of the Pixie Bow Pins. I think I have enough pins to make about another seventy or so bows. Then, like so many great things about the eighties, the Bow Maker will be no more. 

Sad, but don't be blue. If you are committed to making your own bows for gifts - - and if you were, you wouldn't be the type of person I addressed at the top of this post -- you can find plenty of other products like the Pixie Bow Maker around now. The Pro Bow, for example, supposedly can make all kinds of bows, of all shapes and sizes. Well, good for them. But I'll bet it's not as easy to use as my Pixie Bow Maker.  

Enough of this slog down memory lane! Off you go! You have things to do! Get merry! Get bright! 

We'll be here tomorrow for a quick hit, then back on Saturday for post-Christmas summary. Meanwhile, happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!