Wrapped up

One of the enjoyments in receiving a gift is the feeling of suspense while undoing bows and peeling off wrapping. I rarely use gift bags for this reason; it’s not quite the same to look into the top of a bag and reach in for your treat.

When my children were younger our infinite supply of butterfly paintings on butcher’s paper became wrapping paper – bright abstract designs perfect for all occasions (I would set up pots of green, red, gold and silver at Christmas). I’ve always loved the serendipity of butterfly paintings, the beauty in the unplanned splodges and streaks of thick colour with a sprinkling of sparkles thrown in. But the children are not so enthusiastic about getting out the paint pots as regularly as they used to – their crafty exploration time is divided amongst many new endeavours.

Look a little closer.

 

Yes, this beautiful paper is made from the discarded pages of home magazines. It’s surprisingly difficult to find upcycling examples. I think of it as giving something a second life, but googling ‘second life’ provides a multitude of links to the online virtual world of that name. Whole Living provides us with a way to make gift wrapping bows from magazines. And Brit + Co offer some great ideas to deal with those used mags – check out the drywall (No.6)!  Australian Ethical really sums it up with their explanation of the excesses of Christmas and the implications for the environment. They actually like gift bags for that reason, they can be reused – fair point.

We all love to give gifts and we all love to receive gifts. A gift that is well chosen is so enjoyable to buy and give, and wrapping it with the same amount of thought is part of the pleasure for me. I think we can still give achieve those qualities while being green.

I would love to get a gift that looked like this.