Recycled Wrapping Paper

Today I went to a baby shower for a good friend.  All the guests were asked to bring a children’s book to help start the baby’s library.  I thought that was a great idea.  After church this morning I stopped by Borders and picked up a book called Bee & Me.  🙂  I wanted to get a book about gardening, since that would be appropriate coming from me, but when I saw the bee book I just had to get it!  It was the cutest book about a boy and a bee and how the bee is sad because everyone is afraid of him.  He explains all the good things that bees do and that they don’t just fly around trying to sting people.  It even had these neat holograms on the pages that made it look like certain graphics were moving.  It was perfect!

I’m always a gift procrastinator, waiting until the day of the event to buy the gift.  After Borders I dashed over to the IL’s house, which was nearby, to wrap the book before I headed out to the shower.  I still managed to get creative during my 5-minute wrapping frenzy.  Check out the finished product:

What do you think??

I actually wrapped the book with a cut up brown grocery sack.  Then I used that bit of blue polka dot ribbon to make the loop.  Then I took the handle from the sack I cut up and tied it into a bow and glued it on top of the ribbon with craft glue.

I have really started to love the look of brown paper wrapped packages.  They look so crisp and clean and are basically a blank slate for decorating.  Any style or color of ribbon or bow can be used.  You can also draw or stencil or stamp right on the paper to make a neat design.  And the best part is that no one will have a package that looks exactly like yours.  It will be completely unique!

Brown sacks are great for wrapping presents.  It’s a good way to reuse a sack and then after the present is unwrapped the paper can be recycled.  I’ve also bought a roll of plain brown recycled wrapping paper at Target.  That’s nice to keep on hand for larger packages that are too big to use a cut up brown sack.

Another benefit of using brown wrapping paper is that it cuts down on wrapping paper clutter in your house!  All you need is 1-2 rolls of the same brown wrapping paper.  Since it’s plain and can be decorated according to the event, brown wrapping paper can be used for birthdays, holidays, baby showers and wedding showers. 

As for the decoration part, I keep a drawer of odds and ends that I find that might be suitable for decorating a package.  Bits of ribbon from other packages I’ve received, brightly colored yarn, stamps, markers, stencils, greeting cards that could be cut up and glued on, etc.  Then whenever I have to wrap a package I just consult the drawer.

To inspire your brown paper package wrapping, here are some other examples I found:

The doily is a nice touch on this package.  From The Sweetest Occasion (which by the way has some fantastic photography):

Christmas packages from Two Crazy Crafters:

These kind of look like baby gifts because of the thing on the top, but I’m not sure.  From Elle Decor:

I love these packages with the music note snowflakes from kaseybuick.com.  This picture reminds me of another benefit of using brown paper.  You can write the “to” and “from” directly on the package.  No need to mess with separate sticky gift tags.  Saves money and less waste!

I could go on and on!  For more inspiration just go to Google Images and search on “brown paper packages”. 

I’m suddenly feeling the urge to watch Sound of Music.  Brown paper packages tied up with string, these are a few of my favorite things!

Hope you’re having a great Sunday friends.