First off let me say that I do not think this is normal. And normal people do not wrap their presents like this. Nor should they. It's absurd. Just so you're all aware, that I am aware, that this is nuts.
I know. You were probably expecting more. Nothing this subtle. You were thinking I'd do something more along the lines of building box sized replicas of my chicken coop that gifts can be placed inside weren't you? Well, I wasn't going to do that because I only just thought of it. It randomly popped into my brain which is exactly where I'm tucking that idea away until next year.
So. What we have this year is a very simple plaid paper which I miraculously found at my local dollar store in amongst the wrapping papers featuring Bart Simpson, The Little Mermaid and other current animated characters from the 1990's.
It all started out quite simply. Wrap a present in the plaid paper.
Done.
This is where things get weird. Although I didn't think they were weird while I was doing the wrapping. I really did not think this year's Christmas wrapping was over the top in any way.
That is until I started to edit the photos below and got to the one where I'm heating up a branding iron. Yeah. A branding iron. There's rubber cement and leather working tools too.
Who's with me?!
Here we go ...
MATERIALS
- long leather scraps* (enough to make belts to fit around a standard box)
- rotary cutter and mat
- hole punch
- rivet setter
- straight edge
- rivets
- branding iron
- tiny buckles
- rubber cement
Listen - you know when your wrapping requires rubber cement, things are getting f*cking serious.
- I have swaths of leather that I got from a reader who was moving out of the country. But prior to acquiring this stash and teaching myself a bit of leather working with it, I used to go to thrift stores and buy old, ugly leather jackets for cheap and cut them up for leather projects.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cut tag shapes out of leather. I made a little pattern to use.
That super-cool archaic looking tool up there is a combo hole punch/ rivet setter. I just bought it and I love it.
- Punch hole in top of tag
- Insert grommet
- Clamp grommet with super-cool tool
Now you have a finished looking product. You are ALL pro now with that grommeted tag.
- Time to heat up your branding iron because you are in fact made up of 10% regular human stuff and 90% lunacy.
- Brand that leather with that Christmas tree branding iron. (I got it on Etsy, you can get one here)
The hotter the branding iron is, the more black the brand will be. So if you use the same branding iron for 3 pieces of leather, the brand will get progressively lighter.
I'm telling you this for your interest, not because I believe anyone is going to make custom leather tags for their gifts that they will brand themselves.
Will they? Will you? If so, then you're more squirrelly than I thought and that of course pleases me.
- Grab your tool stamping set and whack the first initial of the gift recipient in the spot where the tree's star would go.
"M" is for mom. Or maniac. Or 'member when water beds were the pinnacle of fancy?
Alright your tag is done. Now we move onto the body of the work. The belt.
- Cut a long, thin strip of leather about 4" longer than the circumference of the box.
- Attach the buckle to one end by punching a hole near the end of the leather and inserting the buckle prong thing through the hole.
- Apply a bit of rubber cement then clamp the leather together to attach the buckle. (you can also use a rivet but I ran out of rivets about 2 belts into the project so I switched to glueing)
- After the cement has dried remove the clamp and wrap the belt around the present.
- Make a little tab to wrap around the belt to hold the strap in place.
- Hang the tag.
And you thought this was going to be complicated.
It couldn't be simpler.
For reasons of a poodle nature, I couldn't pile the presents on the floor this year.
So I decided to use them like a centrepiece on my hall table. That's fresh garland. It'll be crispy and awful in 3 days so don't be envious of how nice it looks. It'll be replaced with fake garland for the rest of the season (blogger secrets.)
What I'm really looking forward to is using this idea on other presents. Those belts with smaller tags on plain white paper for instance? Beautifullll.
I really like the wrapping this year. Plus the little leather belt and tags can be used afterwards by the recipients as well. I'd probably wrap the belt around a plain white cookie jar, or straight sided ceramic vase. And the tag can be used as an identification tag for luggage. Or a keychain.
As it turns out, I really like the presents stacked on the table.
Mary W
LOVE this!!!! Love the look on Lip's face as if he knew you were talking about him. Who me? Karen, inspirational doesn't come near how I see your posts - I want to do them all. This one in particular is so cool. I did copy your when you made little snow scenes on top of brown paper packages - I added a little yellow now under the tree just cause. My family loved them so much and didn't want to open the packages. You decorate my mind with lovely ideas and laughs. Thank you for being you AND blogging it. Thanks for the gold for an amaryllis bulb. I've been reading all posts about this now that you've decorated my mind with those pictures.
Karen
Thanks Mary! Good luck with the foil. I bet you could incorporate it into one of those Christmas present scenes! ` karen
Leslie Messersmith
OMG! Just over the top and soooo creative, as always! Thanks for all of your groovy ideas this year and your writing which always makes me gasp with laughter. A very Merry Christmas to you and your lovely doggie.
Karen
Thanks Leslie! I'll convey the message onto Lip. ~ karen!
Jen MacLean
I knew I bought that star branding iron for a reason and not just because “OH LOOK! IT’S A STAR!”
Karen
omg I can't believe you have a branding iron, and a star no less. That's GREAT! ~ karen
Carla Berry
GORGEOUS DOG!
Karen
He's pretty darn cute. Very regal. :) ~ karen!
Sabina
We found that Petey was afraid of the exercise ball when he was a puppy so I rolled it under the tree his first Christmas with the gifts tucked safely behind it. It worked like a charm and I never had to do it ever again.
Laura Bee
Goodness, once again you're making me squirrely. I have scrap leather somewhere around here.
Karen
Smart! ~ karen
Kat - the other 1
"Grab your tool stamping set and whack the first initial of the gift recipient in the spot where the tree’s star would go."
Sadly this doesn't work if your parents thought it'd be cool if everyone had all the same initials. 🙄
Lol!
That pup looks bigger than the last post already!
Before you know it he'll be sleeping in your bed and you'll be on the couch, ha! 😉😁
Karen
Oh, he's huge. HUGE. And he gets bigger by the day. ~ karen!
Miriam
Karen, your wrapping has got everything- sustainability, craft and Diy skills, class, humour (I mean, who else would think of putting a leather belt on a gift!) . They look absolutely fab, and I agree, Lip looks better under the tree, tho he looks disappointed that he can't investigate what's 'inside' these packages! Happy Christmas, and thanks for all the great posts this year.
Karen
Thanks Miriam! He loves laying on a sheepskin in front of the tree but he also loves to attack the sheepskin so, I've had to take it away until he's a bit more of a grown up, lol. ~ karen!
Beth Bilous
I am so envious of your wrapping abilities. Wowza, just getting a gift wrapped like would make anyone smile.
Etta
Once again you take it over the top! I'm saving thi s idea for next year. This year 's already wrapped!! I know...I'm a bit of a n over - achiever this year.
Have a very merry Christmas !
Karen
You're right on track! I'm an underachiever. (gift wrapping results not withstanding) ~ karen!
Gail
“Couldn’t be simpler”. Hee Hee
Carmen Dore
I love your website! By the time I've finished reading and viewing your pictures, I've smiled and chuckled more than once. Your no-nonsense and comical approach to life in general is uplifting and inspiring. Great attitude conveyed as you deal and write about yourself and provide useful information and tips. Keep them coming in...
Karen
Thanks Carmen! So ... are you pulling out your branding iron and rubber cement? 😆 ~ karen!
whitequeen96
Beautiful! And sooo cool!
Karen
Thanks! They are pretty cool! ~ karen
Jo-Ann Pieber
Oh dear, dearheart - you made me laugh/cough/splurt all at once (and really, it was unpleasant except for the Laughing bit) . A Rare treat. And a rare talent that instigates such...intemperance? Erg. I don't know.
The thing that started it all though? Was the "who's with me?!"
Gods. That just - Got me. I'm not sure why Exactly - but it was, Funny - to me - in the old Johnny Carson sort of way - an unexpected line in or after a fairly straightforward set-up. Or situation. Or context.. I don't know. I'm not even Quite sure why I'm analyzing it so much... It's just that so Little makes me Actually Laugh these days.
So - in essence (she said so ponderously) - thanks for the laugh?!!!! And for what it's worth - I'm with you!
Karen
I'm very funny. Now. Can I offer you a knock knock joke? ~ karen!
Lucy Ogilvie-Grant
So frisky, so on it, SO can be bothered, absolutely loved your post - your writing made me laugh out loud and your idea has me dazzled - thanks so much and for
everything you’ve posted this year -
Karen
Thanks for saying that Lucy, and you're welcome! ~ karen
Elmine
This is friggen AWESOME! You have outdone yourself again. (Handclaps)
Karen
👏👏👏👏👏 ~ karen!
Kathleen
That is amazing. Brilliant, in fact!
Karen
Thanks Kathleen! I really like how they turned out. ~ karen!
Kim
I will definitely brand leather at some point now that I see it is so easy. I will likely not go to the bother for present wrapping. Not I definitely will for something else!
But yes. Abso-f--king-lutly stunning. As always. Perhaps one day when my kids are grown and moved out I will go to this trouble for gifts. I really want to try the fake snow and tree ones you did years ago.
Karen
Ah yes. The Christmas dioramas. They were fun! ~ karen
Terri
All I could think of was Yellowstone when you got the branding iron out. ;)
Karen
I don't watch Yellowstone but one of my sisters likes it a lot. :) ~ karen!
Kelly
Beautiful!! Your usual; incredible and beautiful ideas!!
Love it!!
Where did you get the branding iron?
Karen
Thanks Kelly! I got the branding iron on Etsy. Here's the link to it. I'll add it to the post as well! ~ karen
Kelly
Thank you so much Karen!
Merry Christmas and keep sharing your genius and humor!!
❤️❤️
Randy P - the kind that lives in Chicago
Most exceedingly clever woman you are. Sincere creativity kudos. Heck, you had me just seeing your Santa scissors, but throw in a branding iron and maybe a nice bottle of wine and we're talking party.
Maryellen Burdwood
wow. I mean. yay! thanks! That is some uber Christmas wrapping! Thanks! I cannot do it this year, because Things and Stuff and Junk... but maybe next year? That would be sweet and lovely! Thanks! I have leather and a torch, and more... so.. yeah. yay!