Pages from an old dictionary

Every year I like to choose a theme for wrapping my gifts. This year I am entering them in the The holly and ivy Christmas challenge where it's anything goes.

Here they are

and a close up

I found this image and rather liked it 

Unfortunately I discovered that I have used all my old music scores for other projects so I had to make a plan. I eventually settled on pages from an old dictionary. It was quiet a labour intensive excercise as I had to cut and paste the pages to fit each individual gift but I think it was worth it in the end. Keeping with the recycling nature of the wrapping I decided not to buy matching gold ribbon but to rather use what I had in my stash. The bells are also upcycled as they are off Easter eggs from years gone by.

You may click here if you would like to see what I have done in years gone by. 

Supplies:

Old dictionary

Ribbon from my stash

Double sided tape

Bells: Lindt easter egg

My 2020 gifts

Merry little Christmas challenge  always has the same challenge  

'Anything Christmas goes'

and Krafty chicks challenge has this one

'Any Occasion'

So I am sharing my personal gift wrapping from this year and will be entering the tag in these challenges.

I used plain white paper and blue satin ribbon. To finish I added a sprig of Rosemary and a candy cane.

In retrospect the candy cane wasn't the best idea as between the ants and Durban's humidity I had to wrap each one in cling wrap before putting them under the tree.

The tag is a free download which I added glitter to.

You will find precious gift wrapping ideas here 2019, 2018, 2016, 2015 and 2014 

31/30 dec

Gift wrapping

The holly and ivy Christmas challenge is

'Anything as long as it's Christmas'
so I have decided to share my gift packaging from this Christmas

I always choose a theme and this year it was kraft paper with tartan. I made a simple tag with a a tree die and some dark green card stock. 

I had a little help wrapping the gifts....

.... as well as staging them for the photos.

This feline member of the family is Cleo.

If you would like to see previous gift wrapping ideas please click here.

12 jan

This year's gifts

Dragonfly journeys is

'Hand made Holiday Magic'

These are the tags I made for my gifts this year.

 

and a close up

I always try to stick to a theme for my gifts. You can see past ones here 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014.

My inspiration

 



Source: Emily Leiphart

 

 

Supplies:

Card stock: 160gsm in cream

Liquid pearls in gold

Flat backed gems, stars and pearls

Sequins

Cuttlebug

Die: Tree; Sizzixx Triplets 659926

        Oval: Spellbinders Nestabilities Class oval small

Pentel fine liner in black

30 Dec

Gift wrap

Now that Christmas is over and all the presents have been given and received I can share with you what my gifts looked like this year.

I always try to stick to a colour theme and use the same kind of embellishment on them all each year.

 

Here are my 2016 gifts

 

 

I used a strip of hessian tape and some red satin ribbon on each one and made my own clay hearts with air drying clay.To make the hole I used an old take out chop stick and to make the design I pressed an embossing folder into the clay before leaving it to dry.

I traced around the heart and cut out a card stock shape to write the messages on.

 

Here is a close up

 

 

Next time I'll roll out the clay a little flatter as they where a bit thick and heavy.

 

If you would like to see how I wrapped my gifts in years gone by click here and here.



Parcels

Well now that Christmas is over I can show you what my gifts for this year looked like.

Every year I choose a colour scheme and wrapping style and try to stick to it.

This year the colour was silver and I made each person a small felt tree ornament which I used as part of the decoration. I then used a satin ribbon in a matching colour to pull the theme together.

 

Here are a couple of my gifts

 

 

and up close (be warned this is a photo heavy post)

 A Christmas pudding

 

 

Father Christmas (as we call him here in South Africa)

 

 

A selection: two hearts, an owl and a tree. Love the owl.

 

 

more hearts

 

 

and finally some cats

 

 

My youngest sister lost one of her cats earlier this year and so decided that she wanted a new kitten for Christmas (don't worry this one will be loved for life!). The problem was that she rescued him from a shelter about a month ago and so he won't be wrapped up and under the tree on Christmas morning. I wanted her to have something to open so decided to make her three ornaments, one for her boy who has passed on and the other two for her present babies. I embroidered their names on the back of the ornaments.

 

 

I have fun making all these ornaments and they were all very well received.

I got my inspiration from Pintrest.

If you would like to see what I did last year click here.



Present time

I am sharing something a little different with you today and that is the gifts which I have wrapped for Christmas this year. I was busy this last weekend and here is the end result.

 I always have some kind of theme for my gifts. This year it was green and white. The idea was to wrap using white paper and decorate with the green ribbon and button tree. Somehow I miss calculated horribly with the white paper and ended up running short. I really needed to get this job finished and not carry it over into the week, so I went scratching in my paper stash in the hope that some white paper was lurching there, but no luck. I did however find this dotty paper which was perfect.

Sorry this photo seems to be a little out of focus.

The little button trees are an idea that I saw on Pintrest. I made a fair dent in my collection of green buttons but as they needed to be specific sizes I ended up having to buy some too.

The stars on the top are beads that I have left over from my jewellery making days. (Am always pleased when I am able to diminish my craft stash in some way.)

Now all I need to do is put them under a Christmas tree. It won't be one in this household as I am away for the celebrations. Hope the gifts survive being packed in a suitcase and flown half way around the world!!!

Happy wrapping everyone