Thursday, December 22, 2011

A Christmas Quirk…


A few years ago, I decided to quit buying wrapping paper for Christmas and most other occasions.    Giving up wrapping paper wasn’t easy for me.  I love pattern and color and I’ve always enjoyed the act of wrapping and making beautiful packages.  But one year, it just hit me that it was naughty and not nice for me to spend the money or use all that virgin paper just for one day. 

Over the years, I have used up piece by piece what commercial paper I had laying around.  So I have had to get creative.  I have a stash of cloth bags I’ve made that we use every year.  And I use old, outdated road maps and newspapers for most of the bigger stuff.  Brown paper bags make terrific gift containers.  They can be decorated and used over and over and over. 

So anyhow, that’s my quirk.  Greg and the kids are used to it by now and don’t expect shiny, glitzy packages with ribbons and bows.  They’ve also gotten used to the fact that I almost always forget about something that I’ve bought and remember it on Christmas night or the next day.  One year I bought Greg a Rolling Stones CD that he got almost a year after the fact.  I found it when I was cleaning out a closet.

What they haven’t gotten used to is that I often forget to put who the package is for on the darn thing after it is already wrapped.  So it is inevitable that on Christmas morning someone unwraps something that is meant for someone else.  Oh, well, it keeps things interesting.  Maybe I will try to reform myself this year and go see if there are any unmarked boxes down there now.  Nah.  Why change a life long tradition?!




My friend Dianne O-J repurposed some old blueprint paper using an egg cookie cutter as a stencil, a black sharpie and her imagination.  I think it’s great!  


O-J also gave me the directions on how to make these great bows out of just about any kind of paper you have laying around.  Jaunty and nice.



10 comments:

Betty Manousos said...

your photos are amazingly beautiful!!

wow, presents wrapped and ready!
everything looks beautiful.
what a lovely post!

wish you and your family a very happy and merry Christmas!

TexWisGirl said...

oh, i rather like this quirk! nice!

Debbie said...

ooohhhh boy, do i hear ya!! you offered up some wonderful ideas, using old maps may be my favorite!!

i learned how to make bows here:

howaboutorange.blogspot.com

it's a wonderful blog to follow!!

theconstantwalker said...

A lovely post to see...
At long last I am looking forward to Christmas.. xxx

Best wishes Andrew.

Pinecone Stew said...

Have a Wonderful Holiday Season, Barbara !

Ginny Hartzler said...

I LOVE these!!! I made all my own wrapping paper one year, but it wasn't as pretty as this. Your Christmas day sounds like lots of confused FUN!!! Hoping you have the best Christmas ever, Barbara!!!

MadSnapper said...

they look wonderful, you are talented to think of all this. i am going to forward your post to a craft making friend, she will love this. and all this saves money, saves trees and helps keep our dumps from filling up. Merry Christmas and i hope you got all the gifts out this year.

Nancy said...

A fantastic idea and think of all the wrapping paper that won't end up in the landfill. Well done! :)

Anonymous said...

This year, most of the gifts I got for my friends were either wrapped in a newspaper or a magazine article; keeps them intrigued as to what gift it was while being entertained by the articles on their wrapper (albeit, being an article a few days old LOL)

Happy Holidays!

Stratoz said...

this is the second blog I have read who have certainly inspired me to step away from wrapping paper. Thanks. We did not have to buy any this year and soon enough it will be gone