This episode was super duper gay and geeky!

We talked about Gift Wrapping.

And how Siena does beautiful wrapping economically!

Here’s stuff we’ve re-used, divided into 4 sections, plus a “bonus:”

1. Gift Wrap - we’ve saved really nice wrapping paper

2. Gift Tags - we’ve also saved cards with nice designs on ‘em

3. Tissue Paper - ditto for tissue paper

4. Ribbon - and ribbon

5. Gift Bags - …you’re getting the picture

Here we go!

Base Wrap

We try to keep 1-3 standard “Base wraps” on hand. Base wrap is usually a plain solid color, like craft brown paper, or a flat/matte green, and a metallic gold or silver paper.

You can use these for any gift occasion, and just customize it to the occasion it’s for, by dressing it up with an accent of saved wrapping paper.

Siena creates a “runner” out of saved wrapping paper that goes around the base wrap.

Stamping the base wrap

This year we’re gonna try using the bottom of celery stalks as a stamp to decorate our base wrap.

We’ve also been known to cut out cool-looking designs on greeting cards, and use them as gift tags.

Siena even has a couple of fancy hole punchers in the shape of a star or a heart, to punch a hole in the tag, and run a ribbon through.

We don’t know where it is (at the moment), but I think we also have a crafty fancy scissors that can give a fancy edge to the greeting card/gift tag cut-outs.

Glitter pen anyone?

Siena also sings the praises of adding some glitter to the tags, to have yourself a merry little Christmas, and make the Yuletide really gay (we told you).

Yes, we’ve even saved tissue paper. (Not Kleenex tissue, tissue paper.)

Two types:

• Grade A: Really nice and in excellent condition.  Fold it up and put it in a super large ziplock for re-using for real.

• Grade B: You could still use this stuff as padding in boxes that you mail. Or just give up and let the cats have it. (Cat owners know.)

This is Siena’s favorite.

Did you save ribbon from a gift you got, but now it’s all wrinkled?

Iron it on low heat and it’ll be good as new.

Don’t have fancy ribbon at all?

Use simple packing twine; it’s economical and adds a nice handcrafted feel.

Gift bags are, of course, great.

Just ‘plain’ bags without any design on them, even, since what really jazzes up the bag is the tissue paper that’s poofing up.

And the biggest bonus of all:

It’s Still The Thought That Counts

It’s not about whose present looks the prettiest.

It’s about the heart.

Happy Holy-Days and Holidays.