eric's little black star » Cheap gift wrapping !

eric on Dec 17th 2008 at 4:09 am Geeky Things

Cheap gift wrapping !

I really dislike wrapping paper. I don’t mind getting stuff wrapped in it, of course, but I hate using it. I hate the obnoxiously expensive recycled stuff even more. So I have discovered a cheap (free) alternative re-using recycled grocery bags.

Sure, I’m not the first one to do this, but it’s still fun. Especially since these bags are holiday themed and have handles. The handles are what really sold me on the idea. I like handles.

Let’s go step-by-stepish.

First, get yourself a holiday bag with handles. No reason to buy one, of course. Just go to your local grocery store and buy the groceries you’d normally buy. One of the stores that I go to uses recycled bags. I’m re-using recycled! I care about the environment more than you ever will. Woo! (barf)… Anyway, for this example, I’ll be using a large-ish and noticeably blurry gift. You can do pretty much any size.

These particular bags have words on one of the sides. You don’t want that as it looks like crap. So I cut them out while also cutting out the bottom of the bag. It left me with a large sheet of wrapping paper AND a handle. As for the other handle, I carefully removed it. You’ll soon see why.

Step Five (three, sir, three)... Step Three!

Now I start to wrap it like a normal present. But instead of tape, which I don’t much like, I’m using hot glue. I like hot glue and have the blisters to prove it. Hot glue is probably toxic and not good for the environment. I guess I’m not green, but you won’t notice because the bags are recycled. So be careful with the hot glue. You might burn yourself or decrease your social status with the NPR crowd. I folded the “bottom” of the present like one would normally fold the bottom of a present, hot gluing it as well.

You’ll notice the second handle has been hot glued onto the present. For some of mine, like wrapped books, I used only one handle. But for this, since it was bigger, I glued the second handle onto it. This is your chance to use your freewill. Have at it!

Now for the top. With a normal present, you’d fold the top like the bottom. But because of the handles, that’s not possible. So I took an extra piece of bag, cut it down and made another “top” and glued it in place.

Presto! Hot glue dries quickly and suddenly we’re finished! Hi-Keeba!!

Here are the presents that I did this way this year. Naturally, all of them are for Tom Servo.

Just see all the fun things you can do with enough paper bags! Sure, you should use canvass bags (and make a show of it so that everybody in line behind you will know that you’re “green”). But when you need some free recycled paper bags, have at it!

Huzzah!

20 responses so far

20 Responses to “Cheap gift wrapping !”

Rati says:

December 17, 2008 at 6:55 am

That is so totally cool! I love the handles.
Prema-Rupa dd says:

December 17, 2008 at 9:11 am

That is a great idea! I need to try that. I would just steal some bags from work but Wal-Mart makes it a point to destroy the life out of everything it sees- in other words, they dont have paper bags, just plastic. Im not so good with wrapping gifts, making everything align and taping it in exactly the right spots. Lot of work.

btw. my guru maharaj broadcasts his classes, and I was surfing around on the site they use and found this channel- made me think of you: http://www.justin.tv/thesynth

eric Reply:
December 17th, 2008 at 11:30 am
They *only* use plastic? Weird. I’m not sure you can get plastic bags at grocery stores here. I know in San Francisco, there’s a city-wide ban on them.

Thanks for the link. Quite a lot of fun there! Huzzah!
Mandy says:

December 17, 2008 at 3:05 pm

This is B to the A! But I in fact do use canvas so I usually never have spare paper bags and if I do, I use them to roast peppers. Buuut we always have a newspaper around the house so I use that! yay! But stay away from the obituaries, they tend to bum people out.

p.s. I’m pretty sure I love glue guns more than you. I have one dangling from the outlet in the ceiling of my craft room. Thats right, my glue gun DANGLES! Beat that, blister boy. :D

eric Reply:
December 17th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Generally, yeah, canvas. But when you need free wrapping paper… I have used newspaper quite a lot, but honestly, it doesn’t have handles.

I am totally aware that your love of glue guns far surpasses my own. I’m actually jealous of your love of glue guns! Earl, however, is actually jealous of the glue guns. He cries. A lot. Why do you make him cry? Such a sad shame.
izzy says:

December 17, 2008 at 10:54 pm

thats awesome!!

eric Reply:
December 18th, 2008 at 7:19 am
I have my moments… :)
Cole says:

December 18, 2008 at 5:42 pm

The *logical* thing to do with the handles is to make bows with them. Unless you’re really going to tote around your still-wrapped presents.

I’m just jealous they’re all piled on to Tom Servo.

eric Reply:
December 18th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
You know, I didn’t even *think* about making them bows. But then, I don’t pee sitting down. Not a bad idea, really (the bows, I mean).

I don’t think the bows are logical. They’re pretty and really would have been grand. But the handles are logical. I mean, that’s what they are. They’re handles.

Also bows don’t mail well. All of these were being shipped across the US to PA and FL.

For future reference, however, bows it will be! Thanks!

And yes, please be jealous of Servo. :) It makes me very happy.

Rati Reply:
December 19th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Neither is sitting down to pee…

eric Reply:
December 19th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
1. This world’s full of challenges
Some are big and some are small
War, greed, pollution
Might take some time to solve ‘em all
But if a long march starts with just one step
There’s one I’d like to mention
If you live with your nostrils open
Perhaps it’s come to your attention

2. You may be fighting for freedom
All the night and day
But when you come back home
Someone’s bound to say
“You wanna change the world, man
Believe me, I do, too
But in the meantime is it required
That we live in a fucking zoo”

-Chorus-
’Cause the revolution starts at home
Let me tell you this
Stand up for your rights, boys
But sit down to piss

3. If you’ve ever lived with other people
You may know what I mean
Who’s gonna wash the dishes
And get the bathtub clean
As we scrub the tear gas from our eyes
The issue may seem so little
But what might make or break the movement
Is exactly how you piddle
(Chorus)

4. If you just love to clean the toilet
I say that is really neat
But you could still save yourself some effort
By pulling up a seat
However if you claim your aim is true
And you don’t have to sit
All I’ve got to say, son
Is you are full of shit
(Chorus)

5. Yes if you really like to clean the loo
That’s all well and good
But if you’re like most guys
You don’t do it like you should
So just make this tiny move
Towards gender equity
Try it for a couple months
And I’m sure you’ll agree
(Chorus)

6. Well I don’t want to cramp your style
Or keep you from doing your thing
In your own apartment
You can surely be the king
But if you’re indoors, sharing space
I hope by now you see
That the respectful thing to do
Is to sit down when you pee
(Chorus)

-David Rovics

Rati Reply:
December 20th, 2008 at 5:54 am
How wonderfully bizarre!

eric Reply:
December 20th, 2008 at 7:17 am
I thought you might enjoy that.
Kate says:

December 19, 2008 at 3:53 pm

You buy a lot of groceries :)

eric Reply:
December 19th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
hey now! this took about a month of saving! hehe

Kate Reply:
December 19th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
:) Just teasing. I use the paper bags to collect paper recycling. :)

eric Reply:
December 19th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
i do that as well! actually, all of recycling. seattle has a team of mole people that sort out the recycling for us. we also have composting. :)

Kate Reply:
December 19th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Sooooooo jealous! I love Seattle. It’s a super place.

eric Reply:
December 19th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
yes. except now… with the snow and all…

Kate Reply:
December 19th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
We had snow last week in Houston! It’s the end of the world I tell you.