Wanted: Reader Questions

It's that time again!

I've toyed with the idea of an advice column, but as I've interacted with readers of The Gifted Blog, it's clear that YOU are the ones with a wealth of knowledge! Last year I ran a series of "Reader Question" posts, giving you the chance to ask your burning gift wrapping questions.

So, how can we help? Got a hard-to-wrap gift that's plaguing you? Secretly dreading the coming of wedding season? Want to wrap your gifts with class, but just not sure how? Comment below with your question for the Gifted Reader Mailbox. If you're lucky, your question will be featured so everyone can chime in with their creative gift wrapping ideas!

Past reader questions:
I'm traveling this summer. How should I wrap the gift?
I don't have quite enough wrapping paper. What should I do?
How do people wrap gifts in other parts of the world?
How can I wrap a non-material gift (gift certificate, day at the spa, etc)?

I can't wait to see what you ask - so don't be shy!

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{Image by Marco Bellucci}

Gift Wrapping Zine to Help Japan

Especially in writing about furoshiki all last week, I have been thinking about Japan as the nation recovers from natural disaster. I am so glad my family and friends there are safe, but have been wondering how to help.

Amazingly, I came across a gift-wrapping-related way to support relief efforts in Japan. Talented Australian artist and graphic designer Ebony Bizys self-published the Hello Sandwich Gift Wrapping Zine late last year. She is donating proceeds from the PDF version of the zine to the Red Cross to help survivors in Japan!

As you can see, it's really beautiful. Ebony lives in Tokyo, and the zine is rife with Japanese influence and aesthetics. Hard copies of the zine retail for $18, but the PDF version is just $5. You can preview the Hello Sandwich zine here, and buy here to receive the PDF and help Japan!

EDIT: I just found out that Ebony's Paypal account is shut down and the PDFs are not available! Such a bummer - I wish I'd posted about this sooner! Will let you know if and when they become available.

Thanks, Ebony. This is a beautiful merging of creativity and compassion. Have you seen any creative ways artists have helped during times of crisis?

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{Images via Hello Sandwich}

Vintage Scarves as Furoshiki

It's the last day of Furoshiki Week here - I hope you've enjoyed it!

Back when my blog banner was getting redesigned, Hanna and I worked out a trade - she'd make the banner and I'd send her some specialty gift wrapping materials. I sent her images of vintage scarves she could use as furoshiki and some small cloth gift bags so she could pick.

I wanted to show her how the scarves looked in use and the pictures were too fun not to share! Here's a polka-dotted one from Iowa. Furoshiki are such a fun gift wrapping idea because they can make even the simplest box special. Here, I simply placed the box in the center of the scarf and tied the opposite corners together.

A couple of long scarves made cute bows.

One oblong scarf could even be used as minimalist gift wrap for a toy drum or tin of cookies!

And also from an Iowa thrift shop (but made in Japan!), a gauzy cotton blend scarf wraps a jar with cheer. For those of you who can't be bothered with folding crisp corners, gift wrapping with fabric is a nice alternative.

I'm not sure what they were all used for, but it seems like every thrift store worth its salt has a rack in the corner overflowing with old scarves. It's so satisfying that we can take this obsolete fashion trend and make it useful!

Do you have a favorite?

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Napkin and Nosegay Furoshiki

It's Furoshiki Week at The Gifted Blog! All this week we'll be exploring the many ways you can incorporate furoshiki - reusable wrapping cloths - into your gift wrapping practice.

As you probably know, furoshiki originated in Japan, and there are plenty of very Japanese-looking furoshiki as a result. (Just see all the varieties at the Karakusaya furoshiki store!) So, I was pleasantly surprised to find these decidedly non-Japanese looking images on GaveThat.com.

Marie used a vintage embroidered napkin and dried bunch of flowers to give this furoshiki gift wrap a romantic look. Something about it reminds me of the Victorian era, like a little parcel passed between lovers on a seaside picnic (or is that just my overactive imagination?).

Bottom line, I love how Marie took the general principles of furoshiki and personalized them with an unusual textile choice and nosegay embellishment. It's a lovely example of how to make the art of furoshiki your own!

For more details on this gift wrapping idea, see Marie's full post here. Check out her gift wrapping with paper airplanes and dried fruits, too! Very cool.

*****

Many thanks to Beth of Molly Merchant for featuring me in an interview this week. Pop on over and say hello!

*****

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{Images courtesy GaveThat.com}

Furoshiki in India

Welcome to Furoshiki Week at The Gifted Blog! All this week we'll be exploring the many ways you can incorporate furoshiki - reusable wrapping cloths - into your gift wrapping practice.

Some of you have read about my use of furoshiki, in my Japanese culture posts. Namitha, a dear reader in India, set out to make her own version using textiles readily available to her. The results are beautiful, especially for her first experimentations!

My favorites are the gifts she wrapped using khadi, a signature Indian fabric that is hand spun and hand woven. Khadi was championed as a symbol of self-reliance and simplicity by Mahatma Gandhi, giving it a special place in Indian history. I love how the finely woven furoshiki above merges Indian and Japanese traditions to create something new and blended.

For more pictures and a fascinating reflection on the role that wrapping cloth already plays in India, please see Namitha's post here at Ephemera Studio. Thank you, Namitha!

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{Image via Ephemera Studio}

Furoshiki Week

If you're new here, I thought I'd take the opportunity to share one of my favorite gift wrapping ideas. And if you've seen me write about these before, I have a few new stories up my sleeve for you! It's Furoshiki Week at The Gifted Blog!

Furoshiki are Japanese wrapping cloths. Literally translated, furoshiki means "bath spread". They are thought to have originated in the Edo period, when patrons visiting the public bath would bundle their belongings in a square cloth while enjoying a nice soak.

One of the best English-language sources for furoshiki tutorials is Chewing the Cud, maker of beautiful, modern fabric wraps like the ones pictured here. Take a peek here for clear, tastefully presented instructions for gift wrapping with furoshiki.

All this week I'll present different ways to use furoshiki in your gift wrapping practice. It can seem daunting to some (maybe because of the unfamiliar name), but once you look around, you'll find that there are materials you can use for wrapping with cloth everywhere! Visit tomorrow for an international version of furoshiki I'd never seen before a reader e-mailed me.

And if you've missed them, you can see all posts about furoshiki on The Gifted Blog here. Enjoy, and see you soon!

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{Images via Chewing the Cud: 1, 2}

Make Your Own Gift Bag | Tutorial

While most of my gift wrapping ideas don't involve gift bags, that doesn't mean I'm against them. They're fast, convenient, and a life-saver when you have a funny-shaped gift to wrap. But what about when you don't have a gift bag handy, or need one in a non-standard size?

Make your own! This tutorial will show you how to make your own gift bag using just paper and tape. I had to wrap these luscious hot-chocolates-on-a-stick for Valentine's Day. A homemade gift bag seemed like the best way to conceal them without making a lumpy package.

First, find a box with the dimensions you'd like your gift bag base to be. You can also substitute a book.

With the box toward the base of your gift wrap, fold the long ends over and tape. You'll need to pull the box out at the end, so don't tape too tightly!

Fold the edges of the paper in in standard gift-wrapping fashion. Tape. Run forefinger and thumb against the sides of the box to form the edges of your gift bag.

Slide the box out.

And slip your gifts in!

On the top half of your bag, crease the sides flat and fold the top flap over.

Secure with tape and a decorative shape if you'd like.

Done! Many thanks to Paper Tiger Shanghai for supplying me with the beautiful wrapping paper. I hope this is something you can try at home. Please let me know if you have any questions!

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Linked up at Craft Schooling Sunday.

Butterfly Garland | Free Printable Friday

Edit: Sadly, it looks like Nonpareil Magazine and its wonderful downloads are no longer available online. We will miss you, Nonpareil! To see my version of a recycled paper garland, take a look here.

I don't know about where you are, but the sun is out today here and it's just gorgeous! Whether it feels like spring in your neck of the woods or if you're barely hanging on for its arrival, today's free printable is a nod to the fair weather of spring.

Click here to download and print this butterfly garland, a beautiful addition to a gift or just a festive way to decorate for a party. Many thanks to Anne Sage and Nonpareil Magazine for sharing their free printable goodness with us!

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Gift Wrapping Eye Candy

I made my first Etsy treasury! Naturally, it's all about gift wrap. These are some of my favorite picks for creative gift wrapping with paper, cloth, and wood (yes, wood!).

Check it out here, or go here to curate your own collection of Etsy items! Have you made any handmade purchases lately? After starting work at Common Thread, I have such a new appreciation for supporting small businesses like the ones above.

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Uncharted Territory | Gift Wrap Story

This Wrap Story is part of a series documenting every present I’ve wrapped since the launch of The Gifted Blog. Click here for the whole series! 

In collecting creative gift wrapping ideas for Christmas, I was attracted again and again to gift wrapping with texture. I was digging gift wraps that used lots of layers and dimension. This year, I want to try it!

I approached this gift with that spirit. Our dear friends' daughter, L, (the same one we celebrated in this post) turned 1! She is such a cutie. Look at that face!

We gave her a soft t-shirt and a copy of Japanese Children's Favorite Stories, a favorite from my childhood and now N's.

Inspired by the delicate translucence of this take-out bag, I cut it and another bag into 'ribbon' in a similar manner as I did here.

Time to get crazy. I finger-crocheted the peach ribbon...

pulled out one of N's recent drawings...

and 'solved' the problem of how to wrap the shirt by sticking it on top of the book. How's that for a gift wrapping idea? If I'm going to try layers and dimension, might as well go for it!

I tied the crocheted peach ribbon in a bow. At this point the gift looked a little plain. And the pink of N's scribbles didn't seem to meld well with the ribbon.

So I added a bow made from the other bag and secured it with an orange drawstring salvaged from that same bag.

Fun!

Fun trivia: over 2 years ago I wrapped this same book using hand-drawn gift wrap by our friends' son. I wished for the day I could collaborate on gift wrapping with my own kid. We've come full circle, folks!

Do you like it? In what ways are you looking to branch out creatively this year?

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{Image 2 by Michelle Brenhaug}

Featured on Craft Schooling Sunday.

Working Woman Update

As many of you know, I've started working at a local sewing studio called Common Thread. After two years of blogging and stay-at-home-mothering, this has been a very cool addition to life. It's absolutely part of God's answer for what it means for me to do creative work. Here's a little peek into my time so far!

1. Re-entering the working world (especially such a stylish and cute slice of the working world) has meant carrying myself in a different way. When getting dressed for work, I channel my inner boutique owner. (Who knew I had one? I'm in a bathrobe as I type...)

2. It's a beautiful little shop. I feel very lucky to spend my work day in these surroundings.

3. My first day on the job, I took on a hand-embroidery gig for a high school cross-country coach. Anyone else need some custom stitching?

4. I got better acquainted with the studio's sewing machines by turning this unwanted wrap skirt into...

new pillow covers! Hooray for re-purposing! We actually offer a pillows & curtains class if you want to make your own.

5. I'm working on my sidewalk sign skillz.

(Did you know that Trader Joe's hires a sign artist at each store to make their hand-lettered signs? I'm so not at that level yet.)

6. I went through our Tote Bag class as part of my training. So fun! It's amazing what satisfaction can come from making a simple bag. It makes you appreciate everything sewn so much more. And Jin (the owner) is a great teacher - she kept me on my toes!

7. I marvel at Jin's merchandising and display skills. Hoping to absorb some through osmosis.

8. I'm having fun photographing and finally blogging for the store!

It's good for me to practice photographing stuff other than wrapped gifts.

9. Finally, a stand-out pleasure of working at Common Thread has been interacting with customers. People come to us to be creative and learn, and that makes them truly fun to work with.

I'm amazed by the way God put me in a business whose core mission is to connect people to their inner creativity. That mission is at the heart of my blog, and I'm boggled by the way these two parts of my life overlap, yet don't compete. So very grateful!

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