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Creative Gift Wrapping Day #5

Welcome back. If you are up for some more creative gift wrappings, let’s get going.

Hanging Ornaments
Materials: 
Wrapping paper
Curling ribbon
Buttons
Snowflake Embellishments
Hot glue gun
Elmer’s glue
Circle template: jar, glass, compass

Scissors

Wrap your present in wrapping paper.
Using your circle template, trace different sized circles on colored paper and/or wrapping paper. Cut out the circles. Lay them onto your package with a few buttons to determine the desired layout.
Cut curling ribbon to the lengths needed to meet the ornaments and glue them with Elmer’s glue onto the package. Glue the ornament circles and buttons next using hot glue. Add stickers or snowflake embellishments on top of the circles. Finish by tying some bows with the curling ribbon and attach them just above the ornaments with hot glue.
“Deck the Halls”
Here is my girlfriend, Renee’s ornament package.
I love the little “x’s and o’s” she added for her daughter.
Musical Snowman 
 
Materials:
Wrapping paper
Printed sheet music (do a google image search for: sheet music)
Snowflake hole puncher
white or scrapbook paper
Snowman sticker or embellishment
Elmer’s glue
 
Limber up those thumbs and get to work punching out mini snowflakes. Or better yet, let the kids do it (my boys had a ball making all these snowflakes.)
Wrap your package as you normally would. Using a solid color or wrapping paper with less detail seems to work best.
Tear the printout of sheet music to make the snowy hill. Lay it on top of the package and crease the edges so it wraps around the box.
Glue on the music sheet first. Then layout your snowflakes and snowman and glue them on.
 
 Feel free to add snowflake embellishments or circle hole punches if you want.
Tomorrow is the last day of my SIX days of Creative Gift Wrapping.

Click HERE to see an adorable polar bear and dove!

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Creative Gift Wrapping Day #4

Chalkboard Tags for Gift Wrap

What happens when you have more gift wrapping ideas than presents? I guess I could go buy more presents, but I think Pretty Handsome Guy might not be too happy about that. So, I’ll have to stick with just six days of Creative Gift Wrapping. That’s right, two more posts filled with creative gift ideas! I hope you like them.

Yesterday I showed you some nature inspired gift wrappings, today we’re delving into the popular toxic spraypaint hobby of chalkboard painting! I think 2010 can officially be declared the year of the chalkboard paint. I have seen it EVERYWHERE!

Chalkboard Note Gift

Materials:

Chalkboard paint
Foam core
Chalk or chalkboard pen
Wrapping paper
Ribbon
Hole Punch
X-acto knife
Pencil
Ruler

Measure and cut out a 4″ x 6″ rectangle of foam core. The trick to clean cuts in foam core is to use a brand new x-acto blade! It is that simple.

To make perfect diagonal corners, measure 1″ from the corner (across and down) and make  marks. Then draw a diagonal line connecting the two points. Cut off the triangle.

Use your hole puncher to punch a hole in the middle of the top edge.

Spray paint or paint chalkboard paint onto your foam core. Let it dry.

Season your chalkboard rectangle by rubbing chalk all over the board. Then wipe it off. This will eliminate the chalk message “burning” into the chalkboard and will allow the recipient to re-use the board.

 Write a message on the chalkboard tag.
 Wrap your present and attach the tag to your present’s bow.
Now your gift recipient has a cute little re-useable chalkboard tag.
 
 Merry Christmas Renee!
Clothespin Clipped Chalkboard Message Board

Materials:

Chalkboard paint
Foam core
Chalk or chalkboard pen
Wrapping paper
Ribbon
Hole punch
X-acto knife
Pencil
Ruler
Clothespin
Silver or Gold acrylic paint
Paintbrush
Hot glue gun

Follow the instructions above for making a foam core chalkboard. Eliminate the steps on cutting diagonal corners and adding a hole for this one.
Take apart the clothespin and paint both sides using the silver or gold acrylic paint.
Wrap your present as you would normally.
  Wrap ribbon around your present, but don’t tie a bow. Just make a knot.
 Make a separate bow out of the same ribbon and use hot glue to attach it to the clothespin.

Clip the clothespin over the knotted bow on your package and slide your chalkboard into the clothespin.

 “Merry Christmas Baby!”

Bonus: I thought I’d share with you two more gift packages that were pretty simple and quick. The first one I hot glued crocheted snowflakes from Lillian Vernon onto them (thanks for bringing them to my wrapping party, Renee!)

The second one is an ovaltine can that I wrapped with gift wrap, added some monogram stickers and put a bow on top. Easy peasy!

I hope you will swing on by and check out Day #5 of my Creative Gift Wrappings!

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Creative Gift Wrapping Day #3

Today I have two creative gift wrapping ideas that have a more natural feel. Perfect for the eco-conscious recipient in your life!

Rosemary Gift with Bells

Materials:

Brown paper bag or wrapping paper
Fresh cut rosemary
Red ribbon (fat)
Smaller ribbon
Jingle Bells
Hot glue gun
Deckle scissors
Letter stickers
Plain gift box

Cut a band of brown paper for around the middle of your gift box. Cut the edges of the band with deckle scissors. Secure the band around the package with tape.

Arrange some springs of rosemary on top of the package.

Tie the sprigs together with red ribbon.

Attach a few jingle bells with smaller ribbon. Then secure the ribbon, rosemary, and jingle bells to the package with hot glue.

Add some decorative letters to the bottom of your gift.

“It’s beginning to smell a lot like Christmas!”
 Rosemary Gift with Beverage Napkin

Materials:

Brown paper bag or wrapping paper
Fresh cut rosemary
Red ribbon
Decorative beverage napkin or doiley
Button or embellishment
Hot glue gun
Letter stickers
Plain gift box

Wrap your gift in brown paper. Take out one beverage napkin.

 Cut around edges of napkin.
 Open napkin and glue to the package with a small amount of hot glue.
 Tie a red ribbon around the gift.

Tuck some rosemary into the bow and hot glue a button on the center of the bow.

 And who says you have to use brand new brown paper? I like the texture of this re-used brown paper. Now that is what you call eco-chic!

“Brown paper packages tied up with string. These are a few of my favorite things.”

Want more creative gift wrapping ideas? Check here for Day #4.
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Creative Gift Wrapping Day #2

Clustered Butterfly Gift Wrap

Welcome back! I have some more creative gift wrapping for you today. Next up at the wrapping station:

Clustered Butterfly Gift
 
Materials:
Wrapping Paper
Wire Ribbon
Butterfly hole puncher
Colored scrapbook paper or other colored paper
Snowflake embellishment
Elmer’s glue
Start by using the butterfly hole puncher and punch out oodles of little butterflies.

Crease and fold the butterflies in half to give them some dimension. It is okay to leave a few butterflies flat.

Gift wrap your present as you normally would. And add your ribbon and bow on diagonal corners.


Use Elmer’s glue to place random dots onto your package.

Lay your butterflies on top of the glue. Keep adding butterflies until your cluster is done.

Add a snowflake embellishment and one butterfly on the bow.
“These are a few of my favorite things (butterflies in December!)”
I realize the butterflies are a little feminine, so I have a more unisex gift wrap up next:
3-D Christmas Tree
 
Materials:

Wrapping paper
Curly ribbon
1 – 12″ x 12″ scrapbook paper
Shiny embellishment dots or stickers
Elmer’s glue
Optional: Green construction paper or scrapbook paper for fringe grass at the bottom

Wrap your package as you would normally.

Cut a small square out of craft paper for the trunk. Fold your scrapbook paper into quarters…

…and cut along the fold(s) using the template below.

When you are done you should have two identical trees.

Glue the tree trunk down using Elmer’s glue. Run a bead along the spine of the tree and glue the first tree down on top of the trunk. Run a second bead of glue along the spine of the first tree and lay the second tree on top but slightly lower than the first.

Fold the left and right sides of the tree up to give them some dimension.
 

Add some embellishments or stickers to decorate your tree.

Optional: Adding Fringe Grass

Cut out a strip of green construction paper for your grass line. Tape two pieces together if you need to make it longer.

Cut fringes into the top edge of the green strip.

Using a pencil, roll the fringes over the pencil. I found this worked best on my thigh (probably because of that 10 lbs. of blogger bloat!)

Glue your strip of fringed grass onto the package using Elmer’s glue.

Use your finger to push some fringes up and others down until you like the look.

Finish off your package by tying some curly ribbon onto it.
“Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree”
As I was falling asleep last night, I came up with a few more ideas for creative gift wrapping.  I hope to implement them tonight and then share them with you these final days before Christmas. In other words, I have SIX days of creative gift wrappings lined up for you. So be sure to check out Day #3.
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Creative Gift Wrapping Day #1

Snowman Gift Wrap

The last few years I found myself up late on December 24th frantically wrapping presents, not exactly the way to get into the spirit! This year I knew I wanted to do it differently. These are the three things I wanted to happen:

  1. I wanted to spend some time being creative while wrapping the presents.
  2. Find some time to spend with friends that didn’t involve eating cookies (I have to admit, I’ve gained 10 lbs. since I began blogging, I’ll refer to it at the new blogger’s bloat.)
  3. And finally, give myself time to really get creative and then share the results with my readers.

My genius plan was to have a girlfriend get together and wrapping party. So, I invited four girlfriends to come chat and wrap.

Unfortunately a stomach bug, an out-of-town hubby, and life with kids put a damper on everyone’s plans except Renee’s. Despite our small numbers, we still had fun talking, catching up and wrapping some creative packages!

Over the next few days I’ll share with you the tutorials. I hope you get some ideas for your gifts (if you still haven’t wrapped yours). And I hope you don’t spend the evening of December 24th wrapping them all by yourself.

Snowman Present

Materials:

Black felt or black construction paper
Cake size paper plate
Buttons (2 eyes, 1 nose, 5-6 mouth)
Red Ribbon
Snowflake stickers, snowflake paper punch, and/or other embellishments
Wrapping paper
Elmer’s glue
Hot Glue Gun

Start by wrapping your present as you would normally.
Preheat your hot glue gun.
Then cut out your black felt or construction paper in the shape of a hat. Feel free to use this template or make your own.

Cut a piece of red ribbon for the brim of your snowman’s hat. Then gather your snowman pieces and lay them out on your package.
Use the hot glue gun to glue the cake plate upside down to the package.
Then glue the brim ribbon to the hat.
Glue your hat on the package letting the brim overlap the cake plate.
Cut another piece of ribbon for your snowman’s scarf and fold it in half. From the folded edge, you will want to fold about 2 inches back on itself. This will be your snowman’s scarf knot. Play with the scarf and “knot” until you like how it looks, then use the hot glue to affix it to the gift box.
Use some more hot glue to adhere the buttons to the cake plate.
Then embellish your package with snowflake stickers, etc. Besides the stickers, I used the snowflake hole punch to punch many little flakes. Then I glued them with a small dot of elmer’s glue.
 “Frosty the Snowman!”
Rudolf Gift Wrap
Materials:
Two twigs
Brown craft paper or paper bag
Two buttons for eyes
1 Red pom pom
Red Ribbon
Snowflake stickers or hole punches
Jingle bell
Elmer’s glue
Hot glue gun
Preheat your hot glue gun.
Wrap your present as you normally would.
Cut out a reindeer head from the craft paper or a paper bag. Feel free to use this template or make your own.
Lay out your reindeer pieces on the package where you want them.
Coat the back of the reindeer head with Elmer’s glue and attach it to your gift.
Using your hot glue gun, run a thick line of glue onto the back of your twigs and attach them over the reindeer head.
Use hot glue to attach the eyes and nose.
Tie a bow with your red ribbon. Attach a gift tag and jingle bell to the bow and then hot glue it to the package.
Finish off decorating your gift by adding paper punch snowflakes with elmer’s glue and/or stickers.
“Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer!”
 
Side note: I bought the paper punch, stickers, and embellishments in the scrap-booking aisle at Target. And our Costco has the biggest spools of wired ribbon I’ve ever seen.
Be sure to check back these last few days before Christmas because I have SIX days of creative gift wrappings to share with you! Head on over to Day #2.
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