Earlier this week, I went to lunch with my friend Kay. She brought me several gifts that were beautifully wrapped. Her wrapping was all from recycled, reused and hand selected items. Kay used things like the paper she kept from a dream group attended earlier this year. She took plants from her yard and added them to the reused tinsel she tied the packages with. One of the gifts was actually a beautiful pine cone she found in her yard and embellished with glitter. And all of the gifts were placed in a recycled gift bag that Kay painted to go with the silver theme.
It is always nice to get an unexpected gift, and even better when it is give with love and care. I was especially aware of the attention Kay gave to my gift, given the topic of Conscious Choice that has been on my mind all week.
Just in case you are interested in increasing your consciousness this holiday season, here are 10 easy ideas for creative and conscious wrapping:
1. Reuse newspaper, magazines, children’s art, old maps, brown paper bags, sheet music, calendars and writing pages for wrapping paper
2. Use found objects such as feathers, sticks and pine cones to tie onto packages. Other found objects: all those old happy meal and bubble gum machine toys that get thrown in the trash shortly after they make it home
3. Cut fresh herbs and flowers to embellish your packages. Dry herbs and flowers too. Paint dried herbs and flowers all the same color for a uniform look
4. Gift tags can be made from last years cards, cereal boxes, and reused card stock. Reuse the image or draw or stamp your own, cut them down to desired size, punch a hole at the top and tie onto gift with a ribbon or string.
5. Reuse ribbons, bows and string from packages you have received
6. Reuse gift bags (surely you are already doing this, right?). You can also reuse bags from stores. Many stores and restaurants have nice bags with handles. For a personal touch, paint over the store label with your own unique design
7. Make your gift container or wrapping a part of the gift: try baskets, bags, buckets, watering cans, scarves, pots, mixing bowls.
8. Paper towel and toilet paper rolls can be used as storage/box containers for small items. It makes for an interesting shaped package. Try using cereal type boxes and oatmeal containers too
9. Create fabric bags from old clothes and linens. Here is a site that has a ton of free patterns for you to try
10. Make bows using recycled magazine pages. Here is a site that has a pattern for you to use.
Post contributed by Mary How. Mary is the owner of Angelfish Creations, LLC and editor of the Flying Fish Blog
