Time To Wrap it up!

With the December holidays and New Year's Eve, there are lots of gifts to give. With the gifts come a lot of wrapping.  As retailers, we know presentation is the key.  You can make the simplest thing sparkle. I like to use gift packaging as a time to use what I already have.

via MarthaStewart.com

Original Artwork

  One of my favorite choices for wrapping are my kids drawings. A stick figure dinosaur with a santa hat -- who can beat that!  I have rolls of drawing paper for the kids to draw on endlessly.  I can find the best patterns and story lines to give people and my kids have fun doing it.  I also like to use watercolors and make my own artwork to wrap up a special gift.

via  Poppytalk

Scrap Fabric or Clothes

Not all shrunken or destroyed, worn out clothes make good rags, some may make great wrapping.  Also scrap fabrics are great for bows and decorations. Over at Poppytalk they show a great tutorial on making a printed fabric for tying up your gift.

via Grey Likes Weddings

You can cut up that moth eaten sweater and sew a gift cozy! At Grey Likes Weddings they show you a reuse of a sweater for a wine cozy. A great way to use the sleeves of your worn out knits.

 A great alternative for those who are not stitchers would be the Japanese Furoshiki wrapping method. It involves tying knots to secure the package in a beautiful way.  Uniqlo has a lovely video on Furoshiki wrapping.

via How About Orange

Simple Everyday Materials

If you look around there is always something you can find -- from newspaper, kraft paper, cardboard, containers -- that with a little paint, thread, yarn, stamping, hole punching, and cutting can become the perfect presentation for your gift.  It's almost a gift on its own.

There's a great tutorial on creating a bow from magazines with newspaper wrapping at How About Orange.


Reuse, Create and Give!
Happy Holidays!

Karen - Lark Practical