Sounds easy, right? Take a dozen pieces or sets of pieces of fruitcake and drop it in the jars and seal tight and wrap. We never do things the easy way. I bought red saran wrap specifically for this gift, and yes, I wrapped the fruitcake, two pieces at a time and dropped it into cute little pint sized mason jars. I ran out of fruitcake around jar 7. I stretched the last pieces by placing single pieces in the saran wrap and jars. But I couldn't give empty jars, and not much stuff was inexpensive that fit in the jars.
I considered candy and may have put some in 1 or 2, but my brother is not a big candy fan. I searched the house and came up with nothing that would fit and/or work. I shopped while he was at work and found nothing. Finally, in desperation for something to put in these darned jars, I took the money in my purse, sorted it out. I placed a dollar bill in one, wrapped in saran wrap. Then I pulled out the coins, and since I was being silly, placed two cents in another saran wrap and jar. After those two, I did a couple more with some silver coinage, each in saran wrap and twist tied closed.
Then I sealed these jars up tight, put them back in their case and proceeded to wrap them multiple times, including a great deal of newspaper. This was one of the gifts I had the most fun wrapping, but the point of doing this is not just to make it difficult for the other person to open, but to have fun wrapping the gift and even more fun when you sit back to watch them open a dozen cute little mason jars to figure out what their gift is.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Mop Bucket 2: Revisited in Tree Form
I promise, I did not create a boy doll for my brother out of a mop bucket, nor did he recreate his with better hair, this time...we try not to repeat gifts or gift wrap too often, but this was a fun concept. I think my brother and his wife and young son had moved into their first actual apartment and I found cleaning supplies to be a great gift. So, of course I got him a mop bucket, and naturally, it works great when the gift can become part of the gift wrap and still be concealed, we all have our tricks.
I put his other wrapped gifts in the mop bucket, and took a piece of poster board, shaped it into a cone and cut off the excess that did not fit in the bucket. I stapled and glued the poster board into the shape I wanted, then I applied with glue or tape a string garland decoration, without lights. I probably drew some lights and ornaments on the tree. After I got the tree all decorated pretty, I put it together and wrapped it in two yards of Christmas fabric to be used as tree skirt under the Christmas tree in future years. I was able to tie it at the top.
I do not recall if I found a star for the top of the tree, but the fabric would have likely been too heavy for it if I had. This gift required a good deal of adjusting. It also had to travel from Virginia to Michigan and be prepared only a few short hours before it was presented. In the future, I would consider using a tacky, but removable substance to hold the poster board in the bucket or taping it better. It did prove easier to open than I had planned; but most people found it a very fun and creative gift-wrapping.
I put his other wrapped gifts in the mop bucket, and took a piece of poster board, shaped it into a cone and cut off the excess that did not fit in the bucket. I stapled and glued the poster board into the shape I wanted, then I applied with glue or tape a string garland decoration, without lights. I probably drew some lights and ornaments on the tree. After I got the tree all decorated pretty, I put it together and wrapped it in two yards of Christmas fabric to be used as tree skirt under the Christmas tree in future years. I was able to tie it at the top.
I do not recall if I found a star for the top of the tree, but the fabric would have likely been too heavy for it if I had. This gift required a good deal of adjusting. It also had to travel from Virginia to Michigan and be prepared only a few short hours before it was presented. In the future, I would consider using a tacky, but removable substance to hold the poster board in the bucket or taping it better. It did prove easier to open than I had planned; but most people found it a very fun and creative gift-wrapping.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Mop Bucket Series
Every so often, one or the other of us realizes we need cleaning supplies like mop buckets and mops...The question comes up, how do you wrap these items? I was entering college when my brother made the first in a series of mop bucket doll type gift wraps.
He took a bucket, wrapped it in newspaper and filled it with newspaper, cleaning supplies and canned goods to hold up the broom my family got me as well. He put the stick end in the bottom and left the top out as the face. He put a string mop (I believe) on top of the broom for hair.
While you may be getting the idea, he wasn't done there. He took a cereal box, wrapped it in newspaper, cut holes in the end of it and inserted the broom stick upside-down through the box to make a body. Then he wrapped two cans of beans, separately, and attached them to the side of the box. He may have glued them, as the weight of the cans will pull at most materials holding them up. These were the arms. He also took newspaper and wadded it up to make the girl parts above the waist. He decided more cans wouldn't work here. He used the mop bucket every thing was placed in for the girls skirt, and gave me a very useful cleaning gift in a newspaper cleaning supply image of me.
Its not the most exciting gift I ever received, but it was a great deal more fun to open than the standard everyday. Good luck in your endeavors.
He took a bucket, wrapped it in newspaper and filled it with newspaper, cleaning supplies and canned goods to hold up the broom my family got me as well. He put the stick end in the bottom and left the top out as the face. He put a string mop (I believe) on top of the broom for hair.
While you may be getting the idea, he wasn't done there. He took a cereal box, wrapped it in newspaper, cut holes in the end of it and inserted the broom stick upside-down through the box to make a body. Then he wrapped two cans of beans, separately, and attached them to the side of the box. He may have glued them, as the weight of the cans will pull at most materials holding them up. These were the arms. He also took newspaper and wadded it up to make the girl parts above the waist. He decided more cans wouldn't work here. He used the mop bucket every thing was placed in for the girls skirt, and gave me a very useful cleaning gift in a newspaper cleaning supply image of me.
Its not the most exciting gift I ever received, but it was a great deal more fun to open than the standard everyday. Good luck in your endeavors.
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