| Creative Giftwrap |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-105 |
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Q: I'm a big gift giver, but even the coolest wrapping paper gets boring after a while. I'm creative and would love suggestions on new gift-wrapping ideas.
A: (Debbie Stapley, Ask DIY Crafts expert) There are lots of creative ideas out there, from a new take on tissue paper to a way to wrap a present like a piece of candy. Just follow these directions. Materials for Tie-Dye Tissue Paper:
Tissue paper
Eyedroppers
Food coloring in several colors
Cookie sheet
Place to hang wet tissue
Materials for Designer Lunch Sack:
Brown paper sacks
Stencils (optional)
Fabric scraps
Paper-backed adhesive
Hole punch
Ribbon or raffia
Iron
Dimensional paint
Materials for Hard-Candy Look:
Solid wrapping paper
Cellophane
Various ribbon sizes for candy-wrapper stripes
Double-stick tape
Materials for Chocolate-Kiss Look:
Paper plate
Tinfoil
Slip of white paper
- Tie-Dye Tissue Paper: Cover your work surface with old newspapers so that you don't get food coloring all over. Set a folded piece of tissue paper on a cookie sheet. "Paint" the paper by dripping streaks of food coloring from eyedroppers, using a new dropper for each shade (figure A). Hang the paper to dry, clothesline-style.
- Designer Lunch Sack: Use stencils to draw a pattern on the paper side of some paper-backed adhesive (figure B), or do it freehand. Iron the adhesive patterns on the back side of the fabric scraps you plan to use, and then trim the fabric to the pattern of the adhesive. Peel off the adhesive paper to reveal the sticky side of the fabric, and then center the fabric cutout on the paper bag. Iron the fabric in place with an iron set on medium -- it takes about five seconds to set. If you like, use dimensional paint to add faux "stitches" around the fabric edges. Also punch two holes in the top of the bag, front and back, so you can thread some ribbon or raffia through to tie in a bow. This looks pretty and will also keep the bag closed.
- Hard-Candy Wrapper: Wrap the gift in a cylinder shape with plain paper. Using clear tape and ribbon, add some stripes of different widths to the package (figure C). Wrap the striped package with clear cellophane, tying the ends hard-candy-style with more ribbon.
- Chocolate-Kiss Wrapping: Set the gift on an inexpensive paper plate. Set the plate on a sheet of aluminum foil, and then draw the sides up and squeeze them together at the top, so they look like a chocolate kiss. Before you squeeze the top closed, slip in a paper label (like the ones on Hershey's kisses) to serve as the gift tag.
More questions for Debbie:
Q: I love the way gift bags look when I buy them in stores, but when I make them at home they seem flat and a bit empty. What's the secret?
A: If your gift doesn't fill the bag, make it look fuller by wadding up paper or tissue paper in the bottom of the bag. To fill out the top of an open bag, grasp a piece of tissue paper in the center and smooth the ends down a little bit to form a loose cone shape. Then upend it and put it into the bag. You may need several pieces of tissue paper to fill out the top of the bag.
Q: I'm giving my sister a camera lens for her birthday, and I'm looking for a unique way to wrap it. Any ideas?
A: Why not wrap it in a decorative photo box? That way, the wrapping becomes part of the gift.
Q : My bridge club gives gifts, and there's a competition among the ladies to make the gifts stand out. What can I do to win the contest?
A: Buy a pretty scarf and wrap the box in it -- tying the four corners knapsack-style. Web site resources for creative gift wrapping: Gift Wrapping With Michael Foster Recycled Gift Wrap Hints From Heloise on Creative Gift Wrapping Creative Gift Wrap Creative Wrapping Tips for Shower Gifts How to Wrap a Birthday Gift Book: Handmade Gift Wrap, Bows & Tags
by Jill Williams Grover
Sterling Publishing, Inc. (1999) 387 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016
Phone: 212-352-7160
Fax: 212-213-2495
Customer Service: 800-367-9692
Fax: 800-542-7567
E-mail: webmaster@sterlingpub.co.com
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