Lavender & Washi Tape.
If you've got a lavender bush in your garden, you'll know you end up with a lot of cuttings when you trim it at the end of summer! Dried lavender smells amazing and the stems look lovely... so why not use them to decorate your gifts?
I rescued some stems from last year's cuttings pile and trimmed them with scissors, laying them out across the parcels to plan my arrangement.
Tear strips of washi tape (I used a lovely pink polkadot design) and stick them to the parcel at various angles - leaving space to add the final piece of tape in a moment.
Arrange the lavender pieces, then carefully stick down the final piece of tape, pressing the tape flush around the stems to hold them firmly in place.
Hydrangeas.
I have been slightly obsessed with hydrangeas lately (I blame Instagram, honestly). My mum's hydrangeas were such an eye-popping bright pink at the height of summer, then faded into these irresistibly lovely, soft tones. You could use a clipping from a hydrangea bush for gift-wrapping during the summer, of course, but I think this is a great way to make the most of your hydrangeas in autumn, when the blooms are beginning to fade but still have a lot of charm to them.
One hydrangea bloom makes for a spectacular gift topper. Cut a smallish bloom (one that you can lay on its side) with a few inches of stem. Position it on your parcel and stick it in place with a couple of strips of pretty washi tape. Super easy, but really rather gorgeous. I think the faded tones look particularly lovely with the brown paper I like to use for my gift wrapping.
You can also use the larger blooms as gift toppers - they look amaaaaazing.
To make use of one of the larger blooms, you'll need to cut the stem short so it will sit flat on top of the parcel. Cut two long pieces of bakers twine (or other string, narrow ribbon, etc). Tie the pieces of twine to the top of the hydrangea stem, at right angles from each other (the way hydrangea flowers grow out from the main stem makes it very easy to secure the twine). Place the bloom in the centre of the parcel and wrap the four ends of the wind around, knotting them securely underneath, then trim any excess twine.
Tip: set the parcel on its side as you tie the knots underneath, so you can keep two hands free for the knots and not squish the hydrangea beneath the parcel. Alternatively, get someone else to help out and hold the parcel as you secure the twine.
Painted Leaves.
My third nature-inspired gift wrapping project is all about leaves.
I used white acrylic craft paint to paint my leaves. I painted several coats on each side, leaving the leaves to dry between coats. The paint helps the leaves keep their shape but they're still quite delicate, so take care when working with them!
Position the leaves on top of your parcels and attach them by wrapping round and round with white sewing thread, creating a subtle stripey effect. For leaves without stems, you could alternatively use double-sided tape or craft glue to attach the leaves - but bear in mind the leaf's 3D shape will mean only parts of the leaf will be touching the paper, so make sure to add your adhesive at those points.
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