Gift-wrapping the green way
Here’s our take on furoshiki, a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth. We used the 5-inch-deep bottom of an Ikea panel sheer. The scrap, not quite 15 inches wide, was knotted in the middle, with each side wrapped and twisted to form a fabric rose. The ends are tucked in, no glue needed; a bit of pink grosgrain ribbon forms a floral center. (Joel Koyama/Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT)
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Try recycling some of these old standbys rather than reaching for a new roll of gift wrap. You use your creativity when you choose a gift, so why not extend the fun to the wrapping?
Not just for fish anymore. We enlivened a black-and-white page with greetings cut from magazines attached to two wide bands of hot pink grosgrain ribbon and a band of pick-stitched black-and-white ribbon through the middle. (Joel Koyama/Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT)
A paper grocery bag makes a great, natural background for a handful of backyard twigs nestled on a bed of chartreuse reindeer moss. (Joel Koyama/Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT)
The book jacket from an oversized coffee-table book of botanical drawings made a lush covering. We cut another drawing from the flyleaf of the cover and pasted it on cardboard for a spot to label the gift. (Joel Koyama/Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT)
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This old poster, printed with large flowers on each side, made for an exuberantly colorful wrap. We made a tag from a gerbera daisy cut from one end of the poster and pasted to a wide band of striped ribbon. (Joel Koyama/Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT)
Purchased for pennies at a rummage sale, old maps have color to spare. We used sections of its border to create contrasting bands, a good spot to record the “to” and “from” info. Three headbands form color-coordinated “ribbons,” a bonus gift for the recipient. (Joel Koyama/Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT)
A stack of old music books, purchased at an occasional sale for $4.50, will wrap more than a tree’s worth of presents. The ribbon holds tiny ornaments, a gift in themselves. (Joel Koyama/Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT)
The wrinkles on this oft-recycled copper tissue paper add texture. A pine cone strapped on with a reusable wire star garland imparts a woodsy look. (Joel Koyama/Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT)