Fun at home with wrappers

Faux Leather Wrap

Materials needed

• Brown paper grocery bag
• Shoe polish (brown was used for his project)
• Make-up sponge
• Rubber gloves
• Paper towels
• Scissors
• Gold metallic stamping ink and pinking shears (optional)

Procedure

1. Cut the bag along the back seam, then cut out the bottom to make a piece of paper about 14 by 37 inches.
2. Crumple the bag until it is wrinkled all over. Smooth it out.
3. With the paper blank side up, use the make-up sponge to smear the paper with the shoe polish. Wear rubber gloves to avoid getting polish on your hands. Work in a well-ventilated area. Wipe the paper with a paper towel to remove any heavy globs of polish.
4. Allow the paper to dry. If you desire, lightly brush the top of the paper with the gold ink pad.
5. Use the paper as is for wrapping or cut it into strips and use as an embellishment. Use pinking shears for a decorative edge.

Polka Dot Wrap

Materials needed

• Brown paper grocery bags
• Scraps of paper from magazines, newspapers, sheet music, junk mail
• Scissors
• Pinking shears (optional)
• Glue stick
• Strong double-stick tape
• Sewing machine and contrasting thread, or needle and thread
• Miniature brads or buttons
• Pushpin

Procedure

1. Cut along the back seam of the bag with a scissor, then cut out the bottom to get a piece of paper about 14 by 37 inches.

For a larger piece, overlap two bags and adhere them with strong doublestick tape, or sew them together. Gently press the seam open.

2. Cut circles from different types of paper — the funkier, the better. Cut some with pinking shears for a different look.

3. With the blank side facing up, smooth out the grocery bag and stick the circles along imaginary lines on the paper.

4. After the glue has dried, sew the circles in place.

5. For a faux flower, cut circles in incremental sizes.

Poke a hole through the centre and insert a brad to hold them together, or sew on a button. Fix the flower to the box with double-stick tape.