Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Recycled Wrapping Paper

A few years ago my Grandmother gave me a "Christmas Bible" book. It's mainly full of recipes and gifting ideas. One of the chapters is dedicated to wrapping gifts and has a homemade wrapping paper idea that I thought had so many possibilities. In the book it suggests buying a roll of plain coloured or white wrapping paper to complete the project, but I thought I'd just use up some extra, left over, wrapping paper we had around the house.

I know lots of people that save their used wrapping paper to reuse or are bothered by the fact that wrapping paper isn't often recyclable. So I thought I'd share this idea in the hopes that some might be able to revamp their used paper!

The things you'll need (to make a snowflake design):
Old or blank wrapping paper (I used the back side of left over birthday wrapping paper)
Cut out paper snowflakes and/or wooden, plastic or other hard snow flakes that you don't mind getting paint all over (refer here to see a video I found last week on how to cut round snowflakes)
Spray paint

Lay your wrapping paper flat (and pattern side down if reusing paper) in a well ventilated area, I used the garage floor.
If it's all wrinkly from previously being used, you can just iron it (on a low setting) flat!

Place your snowflake cut outs randomly over the paper.

Then simply spray paint everything! If you're looking for an even colouring then you'll have to go over it a few times, but I think it looks really nice when it's done just however it falls, lighter in some areas, darker in others...
If you only cut enough snow flakes to do one patch of the paper, give the paint some time to set, but then just carefully lift the snowflakes off, place in the area that still needs to be covered and go at it again with the can of spray paint.

Let it dry completely and then use as usual!
I think it looks wonderful!!!

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