A little bit of giving

December 18th

Sustainable wrapping

Every year since the children were born I have said to myself, next year I will make more of an effort with gift wrapping.  Years ago, I used to pride myself on beautifully wrapped presents and over the past two decades how on earth has the time passed by like that? my wrapping has become quick, last-minute and somewhat slapdash.  Albeit, often the present inside was homemade and made with love and care, the outer packaging left much to be desired.

This year, with both children living away from home term time, I thought surely I would have the time and energy to create the most beautiful gift wrapped presetns...er...no, but I have made more of an effort.   The below ideas are relatively quick, cheap and fun to make than really looking amazing.  What they do is show that I have given my wrapping some time and thought.  Next year, I will get better. Have you noticed a recurring theme here?

Gathering wrapping resources and presents to wrap

A week or so ago, I emptied the fruit bowl of oranges, lemons and limes that were not in their prime and decided to dry them in the oven.   To see how to dry citrus fruit, follow the link to my Advent Wreath as I made my Advent Wreath with the oranges this year too.

I bought cinnamon quills, not cinnamon sticks, the difference being that quills are longer.  I found they were much cheaper bought from an Indian supermarket than online or elsewhere.  Raided my pine cone store, I collect pine cones whenever I am out walking, for just such a crafting moment. And amassed florist wire, scissors, tissue paper saved from a shoebox and cellophane bags that I had bought the previous Christmas but had not used up. And finally, old takeaway food trays washed and saved from weeks ago.  Then I began to play and wrap.  Christmas carols were playing quietly in the background whilst I myself played with faffing the wrapping.  Not a professional wrapped look but none the less better than my usual efforts.  I am at least pleased my wrapping is moving in the right direction and I loved the fact that other than the cinnamon quills, which in fairness I need not have bought, everything was already in the house or reused from something else.  Now that must be the way forward.  Bet many of you remember grandparents as I do, that carefully folded and wrapped gift wrap, saved the ribbon and string and reused it for the next gift they were to wrap.  I think we are coming full circle, don't you?

Norwegian cookies wrapped and ready to gift

Notice the tissue is a little crinkled as it is 
reused tissue paper from a shoebox!

Inspiration comes from all sorts
of places, can you see where
the idea for the gift tag came from?

I love playing with paper and along with hearts, I have a big thing for Nisse too.  The small little
Christmas Norwegian gnome-like figures.  The Swedes call them Tomte and some British people, I believe call them gonks?  Correct me if I'm wrong, but to me these little fellows are nisse.

Below the white cut-outs show you the basic parts for the nisse gift tags, each one I cut freehand so to give them individuality and to avoid a fully uniform look.  I happen to have a bit of scrap card from previous crafting makes but they look quirky made out of magazine and newspaper and plain paper combinations too.  This is a wonderful activity to do with the small people in your life, create unique gift tags for your wrapping.  Where to write on the gift-tag?  Well, that is up to you, either on the back or take a peep under his beard! 

Basic Nisse cut out shapes

Each Nisse is slightly different from the others

Peep under his beard to see who the gift is to and from

The tissue is rather crinkled but does it matter? 
Better to reuse I think?

The first batch of wrapped gifts ready to be dispatched

And finally bringing several of my blog post ideas together in one gift:  A gift for a family of three.  One of my crochet giant baskets, the paper weaving animals full of sweets and chocolates, Norwegian cookies (the bottom of this cookie link takes you to all 7 baked cookies from Christmas 2019) and a something 'bought extra gift' for the mummy of the family, wrapped in reused tissue paper and home-dried citrus fruit.  I loved gifting this, hope they liked it as much as I enjoyed making it all.

A basket of homemade goodies

♥  I still have much to wrap but this year I am enjoying it more than previous years, what about you? Are you a last-minute just get it wrapped person or are you a let's make it look perfect type of person?  ♥