Monday, December 13, 2010

HOLIDAY PROJECT # 2 - Pretty Packages


A wrapped gift employing the use of florals, a glue gun, and a recycled bow.

I made quite a score at Michael's the other day when they put their florals on sale for half off and THEN had a coupon to get an additional 15% off of an entire order including sale items.  Can you say, giddy with excitement?

Just a  fraction of the items I got ON SALE at Michael's.

Looking at all of the beautiful winter flowers and greenery gave me an idea (helped, no doubt, by being stuck in a long and slow-moving line next to a rack of glue guns).  Why not skip the ribbons and bows on wrapped packages this year in favor of flowers and greenery? And wouldn't using a glue gun be so much faster?

Do you know what? It is!  And not only faster, but the packages are prettier and it looks like you've spent hours on them when essentially you've just spent minutes (plus the time it takes to you  heat up the glue gun and try to remember where you put the wire cutters).

In order to expedite things, it helps to snip all of the leaves and flowers from their stems using wire cutters, or a sharp and powerful pair of kitchen shears (The kind that cuts through a chicken carcass with ease works particularly well.).  Discard the stems, and divide into "leaf" piles and "flower" piles, then sort by color.

Warm up your glue gun while wrapping gifts so you'll be ready.  Then, assembly-line style, hot glue flowers securely in place with dabs of glue in the center and on about half of the outside petals.  Then put a dot of glue underneath the base of the leaves and place them where desired beneath the flower, pressing down until the glue takes hold. Voila!  A beautifully-wrapped, professional-looking package in no time and on a budget.
I used a bit of sparkly gold curling ribbon on this package to bring out the gold on the flower.
After a while you'll develop both a rhythm and a real eye for design.  If you need some inspiration, I recommend Carolyne Roehm's book, Presentations: A Passion for Gift Wrapping.


Presentations: A Passion for Gift Wrapping

This is linked to Metamorphosis Monday.

5 comments:

aspiritofsimplicity said...

I have done this before with things gathered from the wood such as little pine cones, greens, small pretty branches and the like. I have also done it with small shells. Your packages look so pretty. What a score!

Pattie @ Olla-Podrida said...

That's a great idea, hip-chick! I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for your comment.

Lyndsay Wells said...

You know what? If we lived close by I think you and I would be very good friends :-) I LOVED this!
I found some gorgeous wrap, tags, and bows last week at Costco and felt vitorious! Love the hot glue idea.

Pattie @ Olla-Podrida said...

I think we would, too, Lyndsay. I think that every time I read your blog. :-)

Magdalena said...

Gorgeous gift wrap! I too enjoy the art of gift wrapping, it takes time but it is relaxing! you are very talented.
Bunny