Wrap it green - recycled paper turned into Christmas wrapping paper

Ranger Rick, Dec, 1995 by Rose Greene

What's green about these colorful wrappings? They're Earth-friendly "green" because they're made from reused paper and other "recycled" stuff. These gift wraps look as good as store-bought ones, but you make them yourself. Here's how:

BECOME A SCRAP SAVER

* Fill a box with all kinds of used paper bags, wrapping paper, greeting cards, ribbons, string, buttons, bottle caps, cloth scraps, toilet-paper rolls, small boxes, and natural objects (such as pine cones, shells, and dried plants). The more stuff you collect, the more interesting your gift wraps will be.

* Depending on what you are making, gather art supplies such as glue, scissors, non-toxic paints, brushes, felt pens, sponges, newspaper, and a work shirt.

WRAPPINGS

Look at the wrapped gifts on the right for ideas--then follow these easy steps to make your own. Put on your work shirt, spread newspaper on your work area, and you're ready to start.

* Paper

To wrap small gifts, cut apart old grocery bags. Ask an adult to help you use a warm iron to press creases from them. You can tape grocery bags together to make larger wraps or buy a roll of brown kraft paper.

* Sponge painting

Cut old sponges into small shapes. (You may want to trace around some cookie cutters with a felt pen.) Pour a small amount of paint into a pie tin. Dip a slightly damp sponge into the paint and print on newspaper to remove extra paint.

When the sponge is printing just right, press it heavily on your wrapping paper. Be sure to press down the edges with your fingers. You can use different colors, but let one color dry before adding another.

* Stripes, Spots, and Plaids

You'll be amazed at what pretty wrappings you can make just by painting colorful stripes or spots on brown paper. You can make a plaid by painting a pattern of stripes with a one- or two-inch paintbrush in one direction. After the paint dries, make a pattern of stripes across the first ones.

SHAPELY BOXES

It's fun to wrap gifts in boxes with interesting shapes, such as the round cartons oatmeal comes in. You can even hide small gifts inside empty toilet-paper or paper-towel rolls. Wrap them like the "crackers" you can buy in party stores.