Fun Ways to Wrap Gifts

In its most basic terms, gift wrapping is a means of hiding or disguising a gift. It's supposed to add to the presentation, as well as to the suspense and enjoyment of getting a gift. Most of us have undoubtedly exclaimed at one time or another, “It's too pretty to open!”

Beautiful, intriguing, interesting, or whimsical -- gift wrap can be all of these, and it certainly doesn't ever have to be boring or mundane, especially not in the hands of an experienced crafter like you. The first thing you need to become a master gift-wrapper is to know and understand the basic tools of the trade.

Boxing Basics

First, there's the box. Now, not all gifts need to be contained in a box. A CD, audiotape, videotape, or book, for example, can be wrapped “as is.” But perhaps you don't want the recipient to pick up your gift and immediately have the look that says “I know what this is.” Part of the fun is to confuse or mislead. So, open your mind to odd shapes and sizes when wrapping familiar gifts. Put that CD or tape in a round box or one twice (or even 100 times) its size. Or wrap it in a series of ever-larger boxes.

It's also fun to play tricks with the package's weight. You can wrap a small gift in a shoe box with loads of tissue paper, then add a heavy book at the bottom of the box so the person getting the gift is completely thrown off course.

Another trick is to break a gift into parts and wrap each one. So, for instance, a potpourri simmer pot becomes four separate packages: one for the potpourri itself, one for the pot, one for the candle holder, and one for the candle or tea light. It's fun to create a series of directions on each gift leading the giftee to the next one, detailing which to open first and why. Try a poem or series of riddles to make it even more interesting.

Usually, once you've packaged a gift, you can wrap the entire thing with a sheet of gift wrap or tissue. Another variation is to wrap the box in sections; try covering just the top in gift wrap, or covering the top and bottom in different coordinating papers.

Another idea is to make the box part of the gift. How nice to receive a lovely beaded ornament in a handcrafted wooden box. Or a necklace that's cradled in velvet inside a cigar box you've decoupaged to become a new jewelry box. Boxes for gifts don't have to be boxes at all. Think of your gift box as an attractive container and all sorts of possibilities come to mind -- either ready-made or out of the craft basket. Here are some all-in-one gift and wrapping ideas to try:

• Place cookies in a cookie jar you decorated yourself with paint techniques you learned in Glass Painting. A bow or ribbon and a gift tag is all you need to complete the gift.

• A handmade candle in a punched and snipped tin holder adds to the gift -- and also solves a problem for the recipient. No need to find a candle holder!

• Metal mini-loaf pans with homebaked bread in them can be wrapped in cellophane once they're cooled. Gather the wrap together at the top and tie with a ribbon or raffia. Add a rubber-stamped and embossed gift card.

• Spray-paint a coffee can gold or silver. Fill it with cookies or other goodies. Replace the plastic lid and attach a gold or silver mylar bow. The can becomes a canister when it's empty.

• Homemade potpourri given in a handcrafted clay bowl, simply wrapped in tulle (netting) and tied with a ribbon, is another completely handmade gift.

• An empty oatmeal carton can be covered with paper or painted and used as both a gift box and a container to keep.

• A clay flowerpot can be used as a gift container. Decorate the pot or leave it plain.

• Give edibles in a lunch box or bread box.

• Use all or part of an egg carton to hold several small, delicate gifts. Decorate or paint the outside.

• Decorate a pail or bucket with paint or some other method. Fill with tissue and your gift.

There are lots of resources to teach you how to make your own boxes. Here are a few useful ones:

• Joyful Origami Boxes by Tomoko Fuse and Tamoko Fuse

• Making Your Own Decorative Boxes With Easy-To-Use Patterns by Karen Kjaeldgard-Larsen

• The New Book of Boxes/A Stunning Collection of Elegant Gift Boxes by Kunio Ekiguchi

• Mr. Ekiguchi has also written a highly recommended book on general gift wrapping called Gift Wrappings: Creative Ideas From Japan.

When you start using objects as gift containers that weren't originally intended for that purpose, suddenly you begin to see possibilities all around you. Yard sales and flea markets are full of inexpensive containers that can be adapted for gifts. Keep your eyes open when you read magazines or watch homestyle shows on TV, since they often show innovative gift-wrapping ideas. You might want to start a folder in your crafts filing cabinet just for gift-wrapping!

Bag It

For some gifts, a bag works better than a box. Gift bags can be made from paper, or you can recycle paper bags by adding clever decorations. Bags can be made from fabric, as well. Here are some great gift-bag ideas to get you started “bagging it:”

• Use burlap to make a narrow sack for a bottle of homemade herbed vinegar or oil or a bottle of wine or sparkling cider.

• A larger burlap bag could hold a metal crafted tray. Include a package of mixed cookie dough. The dough could then be tied with a ribbon and a cookie cutter used as an outer decoration. Fray the top edges of the burlap.

• Brown paper bags can be used as gift bags after being stamped with rubber stamps or homemade stamps made from Styrofoam, a clean, new sponge, or cut potatoes. Citrus fruit sliced in half and then dipped in acrylic paint make another interesting decoration. Use acrylic or tempera paints for this (thin with water if necessary). Leave the top of the bag open and fill with colored tissue (or ivory tissue for a more natural look).

• A fabric sack is an excellent way to disguise an odd-shaped gift. Part of the fun is trying to figure out what the heck made that shape! Just use a string to measure around the object so you know how big to make the sack.

• Want a ready-made fabric sack? Recycle an old pillowcase. If the pillowcase is printed, just add a matching wide ribbon at the top. If it's plain, stamp or stencil it with fabric paint.

• Sew up a lace bag to hold potpourri. Tulle works well for this, too.

• Cut the leg off a worn pair of jeans. Cut a tube the length needed and sew across the bottom. This works great for a long narrow gift, such as a piece of sports equipment or an umbrella.

• Use a long, warm winter sock for a Christmas stocking. Roll up the mate and put it inside. A glove can be used the same way for a different gift. Use one glove as the "wrapping" for a small gift. Place the other glove inside as well and tie the opening with a colorful ribbon.

• Make a fabric or canvas tote bag and put your gift inside, along with some tissue.

• A velvet bag with a drawstring makes an elegant gift wrap, then becomes a travel bag for jewelry.

• A fabric bag is a good way to wrap and later store a quilt or fabric throw.

• Make a crocheted doily into a bag by lacing ribbon through the openings around the edge.

Bags are great when you're in a hurry, since they don't require precise folding and taping -- just pop in the gift and go. Keep some ready-made ones around and consider sewing up a few fabric bags out of scraps so you have them available “just in case.”

Excerpted from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Crafts with Kids © 1998 by Georgene Lockwood. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Used by arrangement with Alpha Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

To order this book visit the Idiot's Guide web site or call 1-800-253-6476.