It's A Wrap: Wrapping on the Run

I find wrapping to be a true outlet for my creativity. With the holidays coming, I decided to establish a recurring post that speaks to the many ways to resourcefully wrap presents. 

And so it begins…

Over the weekend, I attended the birthday party of a dear friend in Jersey City. In typical fashion, I had a million tasks to accomplish beforehand, including picking up the present and getting an eye exam. Well, I overslept that morning and ran out of time due to cupcake baking, so to save myself from avoiding the eye doctor for the 8th year in a row, I had to leave the borough of Brooklyn without picking up the perfect gift for the birthday boy: Whisky Rocks. 

I was hopeful on my subway ride to Manhattan that I could find the Whisky Rocks within walking distance of my eye doctor. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, I located them a short jaunt from the train station.

Success was within reach despite my poor time management, but, alas no celebratory wrapping! I had in my hand a brown shopping bag and a single piece of tissue, both stamped with the logo of the store. I just could not hand over a gift in such a state. I couldn't bear the thought of the anti-climactic opening that I would witness in a few hours. All in all, it felt thoughtless and I needed to put my signature on it. So on the train to New Jersey, I crafted the heck out of that paper bag and tissue with only my hands to guide me.

First, I neatly wrapped the box in the tissue paper, careful to create only a single fold that would need to be secured. Without tape, a ribbon of some sort was necessary. Enter: bag handles. Most handles on paper shopping bags are made of tightly twisted paper sealed with glue at each end. I carefully removed the handles and unwrapped them to create a paper ribbon. Unfortunately, the two handles were not long enough to go all the way around the box, so I twisted their ends together. I tied a nice knot in the front and fanned out the paper. Relief! It was, free of commercial logos and any impersonal quality it may have possessed before.  HOORAY!

Now, I know this would be more exciting with pictures, but I'm new to this blog-gig and didn't think to document this process. I got enough weird looks on the train as it was. I have recreated the process from similar materials with an alternate version using the bag instead of the tissue. This isn't the most inspiring of projects, but it's good to place in the memory bank for those times you're in a wrapping pickle. 

 

I also want to share this fantastic contest with you all as it is perfectly aligned with the essence of my crafting. I encourage you all to enter!