I just got my Christmas wrapping done in record time!
I must admit that although
I’m working on it, I do not have the best “green” practices. But a few years ago I got thumped with
a vision of waste that made me want to change my ways. There in the school hallway was a
veritable mountain of boxes filled with gift-wrap; the fundraiser of choice for
schools all over the country. Suddenly, all I could see was a heap of future
trash.
I am definitely a fan of
gifts of all sorts enclosed in enticing and attractive wrapping, just waiting
for the recipient to undo it and discover what treasures lie within. But the idea of the money, time and
energy spent (albeit for a good cause) on wrapping paper, that is doomed from
the start to be trash, jolted me into a project.
I got started at the fabric
store where the adorable Christmas prints were just coming in. Bonus! They were on sale.
I picked up a yard or two in an assortment of prints and got started on
cloth bags in a variety of sizes with drawstring tops.
Simple…
• Cut a rectangle twice as
long as the intended size
• Fold it over
• Stitch up the sides
• Fold over the top edge
creating a casing for a drawstring
• Feed a ribbon or cord
through the casing
YOU’RE DONE!
You really don’t need to do
much, if any, planning since all shapes and sizes of rectangles will be useful.
Although it really isn’t
critical to the overall presentation, you can take as much or as little care
with the details of the casing and ribbon. A larger coordinating ribbon makes for a very pretty package
however a simple cord will get the job done too.
In the end you have saved
some trees, had some fun and the “wrapping” can be part of the gift as
well. OR, as my family will tell
you… I just gather up all the wrapping bags and use them again next year.
