Easy Gift Wrap Ideas from your Recycling

Scenario #1: You've got the gift bought and you're ready to wrap it and OH NO! Not a shred of tissue paper/wrapping paper left in the house- What to do??? You run back to the store, shell out another $8-10 on a card and a bag (not forgetting the tissue paper) and wrap it in the car, in the Target parking lot. You are, of course, late to your event, and there's tape stuck to the back of your dress.

Scenario #2: You've got the gift bought and you're ready to wrap it and OH NO! Nothing to wrap with. But you're crafty and don't despair because you know there's SOMETHING in the house that you can make look good. You walk over to the recycling bin and take a look and find a few tin cans, some saved brown paper grocery bags, and assorted boxes. A little paint or glue, some ribbon, and you've all you need for a fantastic presentation. Go to it girl!!!

I've had a few occasions to buy gifts for lately and have made the commitment to using recycled materials to wrap them with.The purple can? the previous night's fire roasted tomato's. The paper wrapping? Grocery bags.

Here's a birthday card I did up recently- I cheated with this and used some left over scrapbooking papers and letters I had on hand. But the inside of the card is a page torn from the flyleaf of an old book and technically the button is a found object.... :)

There really are so many options. Sew an old sock shut, use a toilet paper tube, Shona Cole and Lisa Guerin had a fabulous article in the first Greencraft about transforming old cereal boxes into beautiful gift bags. Following their cue, I prepped up a bunch of boxes recently and am embellishing them in my spare time. My hope is to get a small stockpile started so that when I do need a quick bag or box I've one on hand and can avoid that last minute rush to Target. Hopefully this post has given you some ideas too!

Tin Can Inspirations

Soda Can Flower Pendant

What to do with tin? Shape it? Cover it? Cut it? Stack it? The artist behind the flower pendant at left tried it all when she created this mini work of art. I stumbled on Monica Marie's shop when searching for tin can creations on Etsy. I've been playing around with a few myself and wanted to see what others are doing. Here's some of the crafty goodness I found....

The Bird and Nest embellished tin can below was created by Faith Meadows' Designs and is part of what she terms her new "tin treasures" line of items. While this can was covered, painted, and embellished it's actual shape wasn't re ally altered.


Then there are the tin tops. What to do with them once you've opened the can and cut them off? I toss them into the recycling with this reluctant "I should be able to do something with this...." feeling. They seem a little large for pendants (although I suppose I could use the tomato paste lids in that way).

But I LOVE the solution picardcreative on Etsy came up with. She creates these outrageous, "sassy girl" MAGNETS out of them. How super clever is that??

So there's a few ideas to get both of our minds whirling... what would you do? Would you create a curtain of tin can lids? Would you stack the cans, make little banks, or planters of them?

 Edit: I'm at my mom's and showed her the tin can from Faith Meadows and she loved it and bought it! Thanks Mom for supporting handmade!