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Sarah Hearts

Sarah Hearts

diy, holidays
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December 3, 2020

Gift Wrap Ideas Using Recycled Materials

I love gift giving! But one thing I think I love even more than surprising a loved one with a perfect gift is wrapping the gifts! I find a lot of joy in the small details of life and wrapping gifts definitely falls under that category. While it’s something that can totally be skipped, if you enjoy making packages oh-so-fun with extra little details keep reading. I’ve got some fun ideas on how you can use materials you likely already have on hand to make your gift wrapping shine.

Since I sew a ton, I end up with so many fabric scraps after each project. If you are also a sewist or happen to have some extra fabric laying around, a great way to use it up is to transform it into tape! It’s only takes a minute to make a ton of tape strips. Just smooth out your fabric (you might need to give it a quick press with an iron first) and apply strips of double-sided tape to the wrong side, or back side of the fabric. Use your hands to press down firmly on the tape to make sure it’s adhered.

Then use scissors to cut the tape into long strips. I like to store it like this and then cut it down to size when I’m using it. It can be used in place of clear tape when you’re wrapping gifts and it adds such a lovely texture and pop of color to the wrapping.

If you happen to have a rotary cutter and acrylic ruler handy, this is my preferred method of cutting the tape into long strips because it’s quick and yields nice, straight lines. But if you don’t, no worries, a sharp pair of scissors will work just fine too.

Since we often have our groceries delivered, we end up with a surplus of paper grocery bags. If you have a bunch of them too you can recycle them into gift wrap this holiday season. Cut them down into large sheets for wrapping packages and when you’re done, use the side panels (or any piece that’s cut into a rectangle about 4″ x 7″ or so) to create a paper tassel. Use regular scissors to cut a fringe along the long side of the paper rectangle as shown above. I happen to have fringe scissors so I used those, but again, not necessary they just speed things up a bit. Cut down the handle on the grocery bag to create a small loop for your tassel. Then begin to roll it up and secure the top of the tassel with a bit of glue from a glue stick. Or you can use a small piece of the fabric tape you just made.

Another fun thing I like to add to brown paper bag wrapped packages are office label color coding stickers. You know, the circle stickers you might have in your junk drawer that are left over from a garage sale? They make excellent polka pots on packages and instantly turn a paper bag into patterned gift wrap.

Lastly, another fun detail I like to add is a simple one. Grab a scrap piece of cardstock and sketch out an uppercase letter. Then use scissors to cut just inside your pencil lines to create a fun monogram that can be added to the outside of the gift. If you’re a perfectionist, you can also print out a large letter on cardstick and cut it out, but I personally prefer the more organic look of doing it by hand and wasting a little less paper.

What materials do you reuse when you’re wrapping gifts? I’d love to hear your ideas!

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3 Comments
  • sudoku 247
    January 12, 2021

    They look great!

    Reply
  • Karen
    January 15, 2021

    I love wrapping gifts as much as giving them too! I love using left over wrapping paper (prints) to create bands around a gift wrapped with plain brown paper, black butcher paper, or white butcher paper. It gives it a pop of color and gets rid of those small pieces of left over wrap that just seems to accumulate in my shoebox storage containers. I love using natural elements (a snip of pine or holly) instead of a bow. I’ve also used brown butcher paper and a bouquet of cheap unique faux flowers from Walmart instead of a bow to dress up a package. I love making my own gift tags. Instead of expensive cardstock I save postcards for advertising that come in the mail and cover them with pretty textured cardstock and hand letter my “to and from” on them. The postcards that come in the mail are heavy paper and glue adheres to them really well. I just love the creative aspect of recycle and reuse to make beautiful gift presentations!

    Reply
  • Jen
    December 7, 2021

    I love this idea! Wrapping gifts is so much fun! Thank you for sharing your creative ideas. I will definitely be using some of these ideas! Who knew it could be so easy to have gorgeous wrappings!?!?

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Sarah

Hi, I’m Sarah

Hi I'm Sarah Rivero Khandjian and I'm a graphic designer turned maker. I find joy in creating things and helping others do the same!

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LIVE SEWING WORKSHOP! Have you ever wanted to learn how to sew in-seam pockets into a skirt/dress/top? And what exactly is the difference between all the different types of elastic available? I’m going to show you—I’ve teamed up with @fiskars for my next live @michaelsstores class!

In this $10 class you will learn how to sew an elastic waist skirt with in-seam pockets. And after signing up you will be emailed the pocket pattern I created just for you Plus we are going to get technical and talk all about different seam finishes and choosing the best elastic for your project.

Join me next Friday evening, June 3rd at 7pm ET and let’s create something together! Link to sign up in stories and on michaels.com

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LIVE SEWING WORKSHOP! Have you ever wanted to learn how to sew in-seam pockets into a skirt/dress/top? And what exactly is the difference between all the different types of elastic available? I’m going to show you—I’ve teamed up with @fiskars for my next live @michaelsstores class! In this $10 class you will learn how to sew an elastic waist skirt with in-seam pockets. And after signing up you will be emailed the pocket pattern I created just for you Plus we are going to get technical and talk all about different seam finishes and choosing the best elastic for your project. Join me next Friday evening, June 3rd at 7pm ET and let’s create something together! Link to sign up in stories and on michaels.com #MakeItWithMichaels #fiskars #sarahheartssews
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For Mother’s Day I asked for a day alone and here’s a peek at how I spent my time…making this top out of pillowcases from the 60s and 70s. More details to come! #sarahheartssews
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For Mother’s Day I asked for a day alone and here’s a peek at how I spent my time…making this top out of pillowcases from the 60s and 70s. More details to come! #sarahheartssews . #babylockambassador #babylocksewing #isewmyownclothes #memademay2022
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I’m so excited to share that my next live @michaelsstores online class with @fiskars is coming up! It’s this Saturday 4/30 at 1pm ET and we will be making a multipurpose apron and focusing on lots of technical skills. The class is $15 and you have access to the video recording forever. You can find more info and the link to sign up in my workshops highlight! #MakeItWithMichaels #sarahheartssews
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I’m so excited to share that my next live @michaelsstores online class with @fiskars is coming up! It’s this Saturday 4/30 at 1pm ET and we will be making a multipurpose apron and focusing on lots of technical skills. The class is $15 and you have access to the video recording forever. You can find more info and the link to sign up in my workshops highlight! #MakeItWithMichaels #sarahheartssews
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I’m excited to announce my first live workshop of the year!!! 🎉 Who’s going to join me? I’m partnering with @fiskars to teach a @michaelsstores workshop where you will learn how to make a quilted wall hanging like this one—from start to finish! The class on Saturday, March 26 at 1pm EST is $15 and includes access to a recording of the class. Check the “workshops” highlights on my profile page for the signup link! . If you’re new to quilting or have been wanting to dip your toes into quilting this is a great place to start. Please leave a comment below if you have any questions. Cannot wait to create with you! #makeitwithmichaels #fiskars #sewingworkshop #quiltingclass #sarahhearts
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We left the bagel shop and she kept saying, “sculpture! sculpture!” and we had no idea what she was saying until she pointed and then said “paleta! popsicle!” and asked to take a photo 😆 #junehearts
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