Use Kraft & Scrap To Make Beautiful Wrap

Combine ordinary kraft paper and odd bits of wrapping and ribbon to create super attractive gift wrap.

WASTE NOT | Do you have odd bits and ends of old gift wrap and ribbon lying around that you can’t bring yourself to throw out? I was on the verge of chucking out my growing pile of scraps when Brendan Power, my good friend and Frugalbits D.I.Y columnist, suggested I combine them with commonplace kraft paper to give it a lift. What a great idea.

Oh Scrappy Day!

White or brown kraft paper, the kind that comes in big rolls from art supply stores, is the perfect blank canvas to use for wrapping  gifts. I particularly love the way Brendan used brown kraft as both a base wrap (with a scrap tissue sleeve) and as a sleeve over commercial gift-wrap (see photo at the top of the story). In both instances he combined the kraft with coloured twine, scraps of wire and greenery such as sprigs of holly or bits of twig. The result is artfully wrapped packages that look sophisticated and earthy at the same time.

An even easier trick is to wrap your package in plain kraft (Brendan used the white version above) and then add a sleeve of recycled or roll-end commercial wrap and just a wisp of reused wire ribbon. Simple. Attractive. Done. —Ruth Rainey

Opus Framing has kraft paper rolls 36 inches wide by 100 feet long (it feels like 30-40 pound weight). Brown is priced at $20.50, white is $23.10. Visit www.opusframing.com.

Photos, top to bottom: Clinton Hussey, Casey Phaisalakani