Wednesday 29 July 2015

All Wrapped Up

How to recycle newspaper?  New Newspaper Paper.  I mean, it can be recycled into new newspaper.  But it hardly makes it's way to our recycle bin, specially in Winter!  We use it heaps here at home.  In fact, we even collect unsold newspaper from the supermarket and bring it home to use.  It really is a product of processed trees.  We line our kitchen scrap compost bin with newspaper and layer it between the scraps to absorb the liquid and smells.  We also use heaps for keeping our fires lit and roaring-hot.  But what else could we use it for?  Ofttimes I have stapled newspaper together into rudimentary paper bags to hold produce I needed to give away in the absence of plastic bags and they have worked satisfactorily.

My friend's birthday was a good excuse to get crafting with the wrapping (awkward-shaped pressie), so I ended up sewing a newspaper gift bag!  Tricky (handle) but easily possible!
The travel section of the paper, complete with plaited handles for added strength.
Then I saw an idea on the WWWeb.  Printed newsprint wrapping paper.  So I had a go.  Tried a few ideas, discarded what didn't work too well and ran with what did work.
2 pieces of the same, sewn together.

Feeling like Noah - 2 of every type of newspaper page.
Sewn together to form a larger piece of wrapping paper.  let the advertising speak for itself.
 I tried painted swirls and patterns onto newspaper, but wasn't too happy with the outcome.  So I reached for an old wall stencil of a lotus flower and my old trusty roller.  I simply ran the roller over the stencil, using student acrylic paint.  Each image takes 4-6 seconds to achieve.  Changing colours half way gives a little depth and in no time at all, you have a sheet of wrap-worthy paper.
Stencil, roller and acrylic paint.  Simple ingredients.

Several sheets of lotus-wrap ready to use.

Printed newsprint, rolled and ready to wrap'n roll!
Saving money, saving the planet, one present at a time!  Now to work on making some earth-friendly pressies!

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