Saturday, December 21, 2013

Cute and Cheap Christmas Wrap Ideas


We are all looking for ways to keep costs down and to recycle what we
have.  Now my Mom is the master of Christmas gift wrap.  She spends
so much time making each package extra creative and wows us every
year.  I bow to the master, but I also have a couple of ideas of my own.
This is a package I created a couple of years ago.  It's just plain
brown wrapping paper (love the stuff), some white craft paint, yarn,
and twigs and a pine cone collected from a walk and sprayed white.
Cheap and cute.



Here's one for Bentley.  When we lived in Idaho a friend of ours owned a
cigar shop.  I loved to buy the wooden cigar boxes from him.  Here is one
I painted and filled with dog biscuits.  I will tell you more about the cigar 
boxes at Christmas later in this post.




Here is a fun way to wrap gifts that go together.




I really love the simplicity and homespun prettiness of this package.





Such a cute way to wrap up a gift of homemade soap or even a fancy store
bought bar.  Cuteness alert!




Sharpen up your grade school paper folding skills!





I love felt and buttons and rick rack.  Adorable!




Burlap ~ how could we live without it???




Here are some cute buttons again.  And ribbon too.






What little boy would not like a race car attached to his package?
I happen to know a big boy who would like a Corvette in any size.




Pipe cleaners and mittens.  Can't go wrong with those!




So back to the cigar boxes.  For a number of years I painted cigar boxes and then
took them to an adorable ice cream parlor where they also sold hand made
chocolates.  I would select the chocolates to place inside.  Each year there was
one theme for the box and I painted several to give as gifts.  This particular
year was a simple Christmas tree and snowflakes on the lid.




I would decorate the interior as well.  This year I just glued a bit
of wrapping paper to the lid.




I put my initials and the year on the back.  This is one I made for my
Mom and Daddy back in 1998.  Mom brings it out and puts it on her
coffee table each Christmas.  After several years I quit doing this 
because how many cigar boxes does one need?  But it was fun 
while it lasted.




Time is fleeing Bentley so lets get to baking some
Christmas cookies now!


Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
















10 comments:

  1. Your artistry shines here; love that first package, so simple and pretty. Burlap bags, soap wrapped in the wash cloth (it looks like) and those cigar boxes. Fabulous.

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  2. Love, Love, Love your creative gift giving. I adore the cigar boxes. You are very creative and have just inspired me today. Thank you ~ have lots of wrapping to do ;-)
    (((Hugs)))

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  3. I'm a sucker for anything made with burlap, my favorite. I especially like the top picture you wrapped with brown paper-its lovely.
    ann

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  4. I am not a wrapper, sad to say. I just don't like doing it. I do like to recycle, though and save pretty embellishments from years past to add to my gifts. Your cigar boxes are wonderful. Merry Christmas, sweet friend. xo Laura

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  5. Really cute ideas..Love the cigar boxes Susan..Have a very Merry Christmas..

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  6. Susan, my favorite of the wrapped gifts is the first one that you did yourself. For many years I wrapped gifts in brown craft paper. Many times I'd cut up brown paper bags to use for the paper. Then I would use plaid ribbon on the packages. Love the look of simple brown craft paper. So many ways to embellish it. Thanks for sharing all these lovely ideas for wrapping gifts.
    Merry Christmas! ~ Sarah

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  7. I love the creativity. I seem to fall short in the wrapping area.

    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

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  8. Thanks for sharing so many adorable ideas!!!

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  9. All of these ideas are just precious. I'm a big fan of brown paper. Back in the day when it was "Paper or Plastic" I chose paper. I saved those bags. Lordy Mercy the things I did with those bags. I have a wonderful pattern for making baskets out of brown paper bags (grocery store size). The bags are extremely hard to find here. I have a friend who shops at the Navy Exchange and they have brown paper bags. Whoop Whoop - new best friend. She saves them for us. We use them to make the baskets as special gifts. We found the directions in guess where? A Library Book. If you'd like a copy of the directions just e-mail me and I will get it out to you after the holidays. I always get a lot of ideas from a library book about how to recycle old books and turn them into TREASURES.

    I was wondering if you could let me know what the tag says on the reindeer wash cloth. I really would love to do that. I bet you could so Easter Bunnies too.

    I'm dying to hear from you. dianelwhiting@gmail.com or diane@neflin.org

    Merry Christmas to you, your hubby, your Mom, and of course Bentley

    Love
    Diane
    The Library Lady

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  10. SORRY...I forgot to tell you the name of the book. "Ecobeauty : scrubs, rubs, masks, and bath bombs for you and your friends / Cox, Lauren." Check out your library to see if they have the book. If they don't - little secret here: As them for an Interlibrary Loan. This book is great and has several great crafts. And look for this book too. It's great "The repurposed library : 33 craft projects that give old books new life - Occhipinti, Lisa."

    I'll hush up now.

    Blessings,
    Diane

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Oliver and I LOVE and read every comment.