Shopping Bags Undone HOLIDAY HOME DECOR & GIFT WRAP
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GreenCraft • Winter 2016
BY FRANCES PEETS Let’s face it — even at the very best of times, the holiday season can be overwhelming. No matter how carefully I plan ahead, organize, and prepare, I seem to fall short of what I thought my holidays would look like.When I really think about it, I begin to see it is only me who had these high expectations for the perfect day. When I stop and slow down, the day comes and it goes, and fond memories are formed despite my hope for perfection. Hindsight tells me each holiday season is different. Sometimes my entire family is together and other times it’s just a few that gather near. Traditions are great ways to approach planning celebrations, but sometimes the pressure of keeping up with traditions causes me more stress. I can choose to create new traditions, or stick with tried-and-true ones. When family and friends visit and I relax into the flow, miraculously my Christmas days are more joyous. There are always last-minute parties and extra presents to wrap. Dreams, wishes, and plans for the holidays naturally build as the day approaches, and my list grows longer. Maybe this year I will try a minimalistic Christmas and start a new tradition. I want to get back to the basics this holiday season. I want to do more with less. Kraft paper is everywhere and can be easily transformed with small amounts of creative time. The humble kraft paper shopping bag is overlooked and taken for granted. Take a step back from it and then take it apart, literally. You may get a whole new appreciation for this champion of bags. Before automatically sending it out with your recyclables, give it a second chance and create some homey holiday decor. Kraft paper is appealing because of its simplicity and versatility, high elasticity, and durability. It protects and transports packages safely, not only during mailing but when traveling home for the holidays. A kraft-adorned, artfully decorated wrapped package will not be easily torn or damaged. When I receive a gift wrapped in kraft paper, memories immediately surface. Kraft paper transports me to childhood and the wonder of what is hidden inside. It is porous and absorbent, therefore it’s a perfect substrate for paint. My now more durable decoration becomes a keepsake that can be re-used for years to come. greencraftmagazine.com • GreenCraft
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I love to put my whole self into a project. I must have fun while creating. Kraft shopping bags can be torn, inked, stamped, painted, and re-glued into another size or shape. They can be folded, scrunched, stapled, sewn, twisted, curled, and cut and scored. I can manipulate them into a myriad of possibilities, and the fun never ends. With a project like this, I like to begin with a theme. I gathered some supplies and used gold paint instead of the traditional red. With an added touch of decorative tape here and there, creating patterns and shapes, I felt a bit like one of Santa’s elves crafting joy into each decoration. Once you start taking the bags apart and creating, you will deck your halls with banners, deck your windows with stars, and deck your poinsettias with paper planters for the best holiday season yet. Get Christmas “krafting!”
t ool s & mat eri a l s
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Acrylic paint: gold
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Decorative tape
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Glue stick
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Kraft paper tubes
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Kraft shopping bags
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Paintbrush
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Scissors
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Sewing machine (optional)
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Star template: made from chocolate box (Ferrero Rocher)
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Twine
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t echni que Begin by carefully taking bags apart at seam lines. Remove and unravel raffia handles, reshaping into bows or ribbons, or tie together to create a “handle bag banner” to display Christmas cards. Apply paint onto bags around manufacturer’s logos. Remove handles, fold bag opening over repeatedly to create a rim, and then round out bag shape to form a plant holder. Tie raffia ribbon and bow around gold-painted rim. Cut out two star shapes, and sew around stars leaving a small opening to fill with leftover scraps for a 3-D effect. String stars together or leave singular to place each one in a special spot around your space. Twist mermaid icon into a cone shape for a tree topper. Use leftover scraps and create a miniature stamped banner. Create streamers by cutting out a large circle, and then begin cutting a continuous thin strip from outside edge inward toward center while following the circle shape. Highlight decorations with gold acrylic paint. Draw and cut out two stocking shapes, and sew together to use as a gift bag or home decor piece. ◆ 24
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tips •
Remember to gather all leftover scraps as stuffing for the stars.
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Use paper tubes wrapped in decorative tape with raffia bows for tiny pillow-shaped gift packages. Just fold the sides into the middle of the tube to form a “pillow” shape. Use these as place holders or as tree decorations.
Frances Peets chooses the slow meditative process of creative living. She unleashes the healing power of art by experimenting along her path, and cultivates her imagination by creating something from nothing. She welcomes email at fpeets@me.com. To view more of her innovative projects, visit her website, somefromnone.com, or her Etsy shop, somefromnonecompany.etsy.com.
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