Save like Nana did. Gift wrap and decorations.
Yesterday I went into town to see Wendy then do some shopping. I was in the op shop when I got a message that there was a fire. At home! Chloe and the boys had evacuated! So in an instant everything changed. I headed home... As I drove in the driveway my tyre went flat, I just made it! So my plans of our "Save like Nana did" post went out the window! This fire was the closest to our house that we have had. I could see fire our my kitchen window, two paddocks away. By this time there were a lot of fire trucks there and it was under control. It was a warm day but we were just so lucky it wasn't hotter or windy! A close call.
So I guess I need a flexible schedule!
In the lead up to Christmas I noticed a trend that must be very costly. In part I love it as I love Christmas and I love seeing it celebrated but the new trees, multiple trees, all new decorations and themes etc also represented a lot of money and with mortgages and rents are continually rising ... So I was thinking wowsers I hope everyone has a full pantry and good emergency fund before they are spending hundreds on new decorations! I also saw a lot of beautiful table settings. These warm my heart because it means the family is gathering around the table which is such a good and beautiful thing. Maybe this could become a post of its own since both my Nans and my Mums tables were always inviting and full of family members but neither would have ever gone out to buy table decorations.
So today... we are going to focus on how a small fortune can be saved on wrapping, hampers, gift bags etc. I really like to present gifts nicely. Giving homemade hampers and food gifts.... packaging is part of the presentation and makes the world of difference to how the whole thing looks and its appeal! Flair does not have to cost though! In a food hamper some Rosemary or herbs from the garden tied up with string look beautiful and add to the gift. No purchased trims are necessary! Luckily home grown, homemade, fresh picked... are all naturally beautiful. I have used gum leaves, pinecones and all sorts of things I have picked up to pretty up a table or parcel. My favourite of all is to use a fallen birds nest, deer antlers and things that look like they belong on a nature table.
Nana saved ribbons and bows, wrapping paper and boxes. She had a stash. She carefully folded paper and if it needed she ironed it. Ribbons were ironed as well. My version of this is to pass ribbons through the hair tongs or straightener. Instant results! They are then rolled up and I have a box just for those, a large drawer for wrapping papers, another box for trims and flowers etc.
I keep watch in the op shops and also save any container that will be good for presenting baking or hamper type gifts. Also when you get a hamper of any kind you notice half of it is packing material. I save all this and very often there is brown paper, shredded paper or other interesting packing papers from online parcels. I save this now to nestle around and under jars of jam or small plants or whatever I might be giving. In the Tuesday Club Stephanie showed the hampers she made her family for Christmas. She saves good solid boxes and covers them with beautiful paper. They look wonderful.
If I get a chance I love to see how a store has packaged things, how a florist presents things... how they are packed to look inviting. Most times it is 70% presentation and 30% actual gift!
I followed on from Nana and at any gathering I am the one collecting up the ribbons, bags and paper after all the gift opening. If I know it is headed for the bin I ask if I can please save these? Seriously a lot of people chuck it all out!
I also save all the brown paper bags and store bags. As I had quite a heap of them last week I got some ready for birthdays coming up.
These were just simple and rustic. An old calendar had images I really liked.
Some of the bags you get will have a store name or logo on them. No problem just cover that over!
I'm happy to hear everyone is safe and pray you get no flare ups or more fires. I can only imagine how scary that is!
ReplyDeleteI love this post. Lol you know how I love brown paper and the vintage themed bags and boxes I did this year went over really well. It makes lovely jar toppers too or to make decorated paper pockets to fill with goodies. I just love getting creative with brown paper.
XOXO
Vicky
Hi, Annabel! Glad you are safe! Such a frightening experience, those fires. I have saved paper gift bags and ribbons forever! Glad to see others do this, too. I like the idea of gluing pictures over shop logos — that will give me more inventory! Please tell me what you mean by “hamper”. I love your descriptions. Is it a basket or box of goodies? They sound wonderful but I wanted to make sure I understood.
ReplyDeleteI've always saved wrapping and ribbons and reused boxes and bags, but why have I never thought to cover the logos on shopping bags? Such a lovely idea. Thank you! We also used those colorful magazine pages to roll around a pencil and then used the resulting rolls to cover boxes and other containers to use as waste baskets. These covered boxes could also make pretty boxes for giving those homemade gifts. Again thanks you for pushing me to remember these.
ReplyDeleteSorry. Forgot to add that was me, Judy in Tennessee
ReplyDeleteLovely post Annabel. My mum and my nana did all those things as well- saved wrapping paper and ribbons etc I save the ribbons and love your tip to use the straightener to iron ribbons. Also pretty wrapping paper can be reused as drawer lining paper with a quick spray of perfume or a scented sachet added.
ReplyDeleteMy thirty three year old daughter saves decorations and like you saves them in boxes for future use - so some of the older frugal ways are being passed on.
Really enjoy your posts- they inspire me to set gaols and plan ahead.
Love
Virginia
I have also painted cardboard boxes then stencilled them to make treasure boxes for my children. I still have one with craft supplies in it. I used matte paint. They were printer paper boxes I think, though the style of box is different now. Barb
ReplyDeleteOne of my sisters and I exchange baskets every year. We have used the sale two baskets for about ten years now. We just keep exchanging them back and forth. This year I put homemade tomato basil sauce, homemade applesauce, homage pickled beets, homemade brownie mix, homemade cornbread mic, dried Italian seasoning using my home grown herbs, and then fresh onions, garlic, potatoes and winter squash from the garden. It was an overflowing basket.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a beautiful idea. What a wonderful gift!
DeleteHi, I'm Susan. Very nice article and the bags you made are gorgeous. I wanted to add that i also run used, ripped up wrapping paper and tissue paper through the shredder to make colorful shredded paper for the bottom of gift bags or baskets.
ReplyDeleteAlso for Easter you can spray paint cardboard egg cartons, put a few paper shreds in the botton of each segment and fill with candy or boiled eggs. Tie them shut with ribbon and tape little lollipops on top. Our bank gives free lollipops that i save to put on gifts.
Dear Annabel, how scary to receive that message. I’m so pleased they were able to get it under control.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have some rain coming soon.
I love your bags! I’m going to copy your idea. I prefer bags over wrap as they can be reused. And you are so right about how much packaging there is in hampers!
Stay safe
Jen (NZ)
God is good! So grateful to Him that you and your home were spared. I love to wrap gifts to suit the person, but being me the Cheapskate, I don't like to spend a lot of money on something that is just going to be ripped up and tossed. Last year a lot of the gifts to crafty friends were in blank gift bags, with the message that it was blank so they could decorate and reuse it. Little scraps of lace or twine make great bows. Cut the fronts off cards and run them through an embossing folder to make them unique then use them as gift toppers. Tizzy them up with gel pens and glitter or little bows or buttons. Stamp your own paper - make a potato stamp and use watered down paint if you don't have stamps and stamp pads. Cover boxes to make gift boxes. Squash toilet roll tubes or paper towel tubes and paint,then decoupage them to make little gift pillow boxes. Everyone has toilet paper tubes! Alter bottles and jars to make them not only the wrapping but a useful part of the gift. And for ideas for table settings look at nature around you - the colours, the textures, how things fit together for ideas.
ReplyDeleteThese are wonderful ideas, thank you for sharing them Cath. Love, Lily
DeleteAnnabel, that was a close call with the fire. So relieved everything is okay. A reminder of how our lives can be changed in a moment. I love your use of the calendar pages as it seems a waste to toss them and most likely if one hangs a calendar the pictures are appealing and could be put to use. I do use gift bags and ribbon over and use ribbon that is cloth and easily reused. It just seems right and second nature. I have my mother to thank for that!
ReplyDeleteGosh I am so glad to hear your family and property are safe! That fire seemed a bit too close for comfort! It has always stuck with me how you and your hubby spent so much time and energy clearing your property of fallen limbs and timber and installing sprinkler systems etc to reduce the fire hazard/risk. It seems to be paying off! I look at rural properties when I am driving around the countryside and I rarely see such proactive measures.
ReplyDeleteI love the tip about covering logo's on bags! I don't know why I've never thought about that before!
From Cheryl
How scary to get a phone call that there was a fire near your house. Glad you made it home before you got that flat tire too. What a stressful morning!
ReplyDeleteI loved all the ideas you shared in this post and I'm taking note of them as frugality is a major focus for us this year. I hope your week improves and am glad that all are safe from the fire.
Dear Annabel,
ReplyDeleteWhoa...so glad to hear that the fire was so quickly put out, but what a scare!
This was such a great post. My parents saved bows and paper, so I always have, too. BUT---I never thought of ironing the paper! That would give me heaps more "usable" used wrap! Thanks for the tip! I love seeing your beautiful bags. My problem is always that I save more things than I end up needing to use, and feel guilty getting rid of what I still have hanging around. (No, I'm not a hoarder, but I would say that I could sympathize with hoarding tendencies. Ha, ha.)
Do you have a picture of decorating you've done with birds' nests? I think I've seen you put them under cloches, but I would be interested in seeing how you use them for gift baskets, etc. I often come across fallen birds' nests in spring.
Cold and snowy today, but nothing really to shovel, yet!
xx Jen in NS
Hi Jen, when I have an excess of bags I give them to our local charity shop. They are always after good bags, for putting peoples purchases in. 🙋🏼♀️🇦🇺
DeleteHello Annabel and lovely Bluebirds,. Thank God you and the house are safe, fire is so scary for me after being rescued from a burning house when I was little. Matter of seconds! I like your ideas and images,and a lot of practical ideas, too. I haven't bought gift bags for years, I reuse all that I am given and pick up all the papers and ribbons at gift openings. On white or brown paper bags I paint with acrylics some scenery, a flower, a cat or dogs, depending on the person to whom I give the gift. For jam jars or pickles jars I attach a cute tag with rustic string or lacey ribbon and for the plants on the pots or seeds in reused or handmade envelope I always add a paper with the history of the plant, instructions and preferrences in order the plant to thrive - they're my babies, right. I am the one who keeps empty shoe boxes, cover them with calendar pages or brown paper and paint on them or glue some crochet flowers.
ReplyDeleteFor next Christmas I would like to sew some nice fabric bags, because it can be reused. I love reading all the brilliant ideas on the coments, too. What an extraordinary community we have here!🌹❤️🥰 Virtual Hugs for everybody from Laura_s_world from Romania
🙋🏼♀️🇦🇺
DeleteFires scare me, Annabel! I grew up near the hills in southern California and had too many events of ash raining from the sky. Glad you're all okay!
ReplyDeleteLove your bag ideas. I just saw a clever YouTube where a woman covers those padded mailing envelopes with gesso and then mod podge and a decorative napkin. Absolutely beautiful way to recycle and receive!
My mother was born in 1914, so she would be older than most of the nanas of your readers. My grandmother was born in 1875--definitely a different time! Grammie died before I was born, but my mother knew all of the tricks. She saved and reused with the best of them. (She was a teenager during the Depression and 27 when WW2 began in the US). We were the people that saved the paper and ironed the ribbons! I admit I don't do this now, but I did this when I was younger and money was tight.
ReplyDeleteWhen I wrapped gifts this year, only one was actually WRAPPED. The rest went into reused gift bags and reused decorated shirt, robe and lingerie boxes that we bought 7-8 years ago when they were discounted by 75%. The boxes fold flat. When we are opening gifts, I always remind the fam to open carefully so we can use the box again! Over the years, I've also acquired big rolls of curling ribbon and bags of stick-on bows. I don't bother saving the curling ribbon (I am 76 and will NEVER run out). Every few years, I buy a bag of bows for .99 and a roll of sealing tape. That's it.
Use a paper shredder to make "grass" with newspaper or brown paper bags.
I'm curious what you use to glue pictures to your brown paper shopping bags so that the pictures stay flat on the bag. ???
Annabel, how scary to have a fire so close! I am so glad it did not reach your property and home. ((( Annabel ))).
Oops, that was me = Maxine in Idaho USA
DeleteDear Annabel,
ReplyDeleteI am so relieved that the fire was under control and your homes were safe! How scary.
I learned how to present my gifts from you and I think I actually enjoy wrapping the gift just as much, if not more, than making it! My go-to is brown kraft paper or a brown bag made over with a pretty image or stamp and tied with ribbon or sheets/fabric torn into strips. It can be rustic or elegant, masculine or feminine, depending on what designs and patterns are chosen. It has always garnered compliments from the recipient and I smile because it is so simple and inexpensive.
I too save the tissue paper and iron it. I remember I did this after my baby shower when I was pregnant with John and it got several laughs. Well I am still using that tissue paper, so who is laughing now? ;)
Love, Kelsey
Dear Annabel,
ReplyDeleteI thank God that you and your family are safe and nothing was lost. Your bags and cards are lovely. Great idea for pressing the ribbons. I love to beautifully package gifts because it makes even the smallest gift extra special. My most favorite things to do is make my own boxes, rosettes, bands to keep the boxes closed and flowers out of left over card stock from card making projects. I love to paint flowers and fruit on saved glass jars, and paper bags.
I also make baskets from card stock. Nothing gets wasted. Fabric strings get made into string quilts or wrapped around cotton clothes line and coiled into baskets. Blessings, Cookie
Great idea. I am going to try this next year, perhaps using family pictures.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
This is wonderful, Annabel. Funnily enough I was talking to my Mum and she said the other day how my great grandmother would be the first to pick up all the wrapping paper on Christmas Day and would re-use it. I got a whole heap of paper brown bags from a big store and I have flattened them down ready to be used again. I love natural things on the table. My grandparents lived on the beach and my grandmother would often be seen walking along collecting various things for the lunch table. I loved it and still do. Lovely ideas! I too am planning on a frugal year. Lots of love, Lily
ReplyDeleteI love those gift bags! I made a custom 2022 calendar out of some of my favorite photos I used all last year and I hated the idea of tossing it. I'm going to give those calendar pages a second life now. Thanks for the idea!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad your home is safe. I've always saved wrapping paper and ribbon and have a Christmas box where I keep anything I can use for Christmas gifts. I find ribbons are just left behind after people have opened gifts so I gather them up and reuse them. I learnt how to make boxes out of cardboard and old birthday and Christmas cards via Youtube and these have come in handy for jewellery and small gifts.
ReplyDeleteFor many years I worked at a university with mostly female students. As a result I went to many wedding (and later baby) showers. With permission, I would take discarded paper and ribbon. I would then place small curled pieces of each into clear glass Christmas ornaments and give it to the bride as a remembrance of her special day.
ReplyDeleteAnnabel has the CFS not told you to never head back home when there is fire near by?
ReplyDeleteAs a Fire Brigade member, I would say you were bloody lucky you didn’t break down and get caught with fire approaching!
Sorry to be harsh , but black Saturday we lost so many people doing just what you did!!!
Janine
Thanks Janine, Its all good I had up to date info that our road was safe. Chloe was able to return home at the same time. My worst nightmare is to be caught in a car. Many thanks, Annabel.xxx
DeleteWith everyone else, I'm so glad you & your home are OK!
ReplyDeleteI've been saving all the calendars with pretty pictures this new year. I alway save the nice paper bags and make tags from last year's greeting cards. I hurts to buy something that will be just thrown out. However I do "splurge" on double sided wrapping paper (I only get it on sale.)