Christmas at my mom’s house is always a truly magical experience. The majority of the magic is found naturally through the spirit of Christmas, another part is found in the warm embrace of family, but a part that is unique to Christmas at my mom’s house is her whimsical and dazzling display of gifts. My mom wraps each gift in craft paper, stencils our initial on the corner with sparkly craft paint, and tops every gift with a hand-tied bow. Not only is the presentation so lovely that you actually feel guilty to tear off the paper, it is a gift in itself that my mom takes the time to make each gift so special and unique.
This was the inspiration behind Susquehanna Style’s 2015 Christmas card. It can be so easy to get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of the season, and throw a gift thoughtlessly into a bag or not even wrap it at all (guilty). But, moments like Christmas morning are irreplaceable memories that should be cherished and filled with considerate acts, so let’s bring back the power of wrapping! Because, as we all know, it’s the thought that counts.
Whether you love this whole look, you have your own unique wrapping style, or you wish to stick to a simple yet effective technique, nothing completes a gift like a bow. Save a few dollars and give all of your holiday gifts (or, any gift for that matter) a unique and thoughtful touch by adding this cute, and eco-friendly, DIY recycled magazine bow.
What you’ll need:
- Old magazines
- Scissors or paper cutter
- Double sided tape (or regular tape)
- Brads (or a stapler)
Get crafting:
Step 1: Remove the covers to all of your old magazines (recycle the remainder of the magazine, or keep to read).
Step 2: Use scissors or a paper cutter to cut nine 3/4” strips from the cover.
*You won’t use the whole cover, so feel free to cut off the ends if they are sticky or worn out.
Step 3: Leave three strips full length, cut about 1” off of three strips, cut 2” off of two strips, and the last piece should be cut to be about 3-4” in length.
Step 4: Make “figure 8s” out of the eight longer pieces, and use either double-sided tape (or, regular tape) to adhere the ends together.
Step 5: Make a “donut” out of the smallest strip, and use either double-sided tape (or, regular tape) to adhere the ends together.
Step 6: Use a brad to pierce the center of the smallest strip (poke from the inside cover to the outside cover), and layer all of the strips on top of each other (ending with the longer strips).
You may not use all of the strips depending on the length of your brad and the thickness of your magazine cover. When you’re finished, secure the brad on the back of the bow by bending back the ends.
*What’s a brad? If you’re a scrapbooker then you probably already have them. They remind me of the tact-like objects on children’s folders. If you don’t have any, I found a pack of 100+ for $4 at the craft score (in the scrap book section).
*Don’t feel like visiting the craft store? Instead of a brad, staple the strips together in the same layered fashion stated above. This is a little trickier, but works all the same. You’ll probably have to use 3-4 staples total, and you’ll have to “fluff” up the strips at the end if they get squished by the stapler. The orange and brown bow pictured was created with a stapler, so, it may be a little more time consuming, but the end result will look the same.
Step 7: Use tape to add the “donut” piece to the center of the bow.
Complete the look:
Step 1: Wrap your gifts in craft paper.
Make sure your gift is in a box so that the glue doesn’t come through onto your present.
Step 2: Create a pattern, design, or letter on scrap paper, cut it out to make it a stencil, and use a pencil to outline the design on the craft paper.
Want to get the kids involved?
Have them create a little paper snowflake, and use that as your design.
Step 3: Use glue to outline your design on the craft paper, cover in glitter, and let dry.
Step 4: Brush off the access glitter on the gift and use tape to adhere the bow.
Thanks for crafting with us, and Happy Holidays!
