Gift Wrapping Techniques for People With Way Too Much Time on Their Hands
Finding yourself with an unreasonable amount of spare time this holiday season? Sick of seeing the same old wrapping paper and bows in the trash on Christmas morning? If so, we’ve found the perfect activity for you: crafting your own wrapping supplies.
All it takes it a pinch of creativity, a slightly obsessive personality, and about 100 hours of your life. Here are some ideas to inspire you.
First, the paper, because those big, convenient rolls of paper from the store are just too impersonal.
• You can upcycle those stacks of newspaper you just have lying around into tie-dye wrapping paper. Liz Ohsiek Designs suggests that you enlist your kids, who can use brushes or “get crazy and use [their] fingers’’ to spread paint all over the newsprint. See kids, it’s crazy fun! [Image below.]
• Got a lot of large security envelopes sitting around your house, too? The outside is boring, but have you ever noticed the pattern inside? Just turn those babies inside out and boom, mail-inspired wrapping paper. Via The Gifted Blog.
• Martha Stewart-level gift wrapping isn’t for the faint of heart, but painting your own wood-grain wrapping paper is a great first step towards domestic goddess status.
• If that’s too intimidating, you can make a stamp out of a lint roller so you can then make your own wrapping paper for double DIY points. Via Handmade Charlotte. [Image below.]
• Or, you can carve a stamp out of a potato to transform plain ol’ paper into special potato paper.
• If stamping is just too fast-paced for you, you can always hand-draw your designs on paper. But don’t cop out: Make the paper yourself!
• If the paper itself is too basic, try fabric. The Japanese technique is called furoshiki, but you can upcycle a pair of tights or a sweater into super delightful, pre-worn gift wrap in a pinch.
Screenshot/Helenphilipps.blogspot.ie
Next, other containers, because it isn’t from the heart if you haven’t shed blood, sweat, and tears over the packaging.
• Pages from those pretty old books stored in your attic can be sewn together around the gift to make a package that’s extra hard to open. Via Helen Philipps. [Image at right.]
• Any gift bag can be improved by gluing a jean pocket onto it and stuffing it with candy. Via Older and Wisor. [Image below.]
• Here’s how to make a tiny little bag from a tiny shampoo bottle, to fit just a tiny lollipop to give to a tiny human. Adorbs.
Finally, bows ‘n tags: At this point, you might as well DIY these too.
• Why buy a bag of 15 bows for $3 at Target when you can spend 15 hours making three bows yourself? Find instructions for making bows out of old magazines on Whole Living.
• Check out the recipe (yes, these tags require baking) for “Grungy, Grubby Hang Tags.’’ Dipping them in coffee, vanilla, and spices “to your liking’’ gives them a distinctively dirty look, if that’s what you’re after. [Image below.]
Screenshot/Bittersweetivy-prims.blogspot.com
• You can also decorate tags with evergreen clippings from your garden. (You didn’t forget to tend to your garden while you were holed up crafting, did you?) Via Heather Bullard.
While you’re at it, you can use leftover clippings to make tiny wreaths.
We’d say you have your work literally cut out for you. Happy crafting!
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