Pastel Painted Gift Wrap on Craft Paper
This pastel painted gift wrap took around 30 minutes, including the time to wrap the gifts. I made it for Abbis birthday last week to pretty up her presents with some customised gift wrap. Her main gift this year is a double bed and built in wardrobe – a little more difficult to wrap in craft paper.
Materials
- Gifts – (lots & lots!!)
- Craft Paper
- White paint & assorted inks, or assorted paints
- Paint brush
Method
First wrap up the gifts. For maximum effect on the pastel effect use a minimum of 4-5 gifts. Use standard craft paper as the base like I did. For a white base, printer paper for small gifts or lining paper would also work well.
Collect or mix up a variety of colours. I used white paint mixed with a variety of inks. When combined they give a pretty pastel palette.
Apply the paint in blobs, spots of stripes as preferred. This can be as precise or rough and ready as you want. personally I like the rustic look of a rough and ready approach. All those imperfections look deliberate!
Applying the paint after the gifts are wrapped means minimal waste – though you could obviously make sheets of gift wrap in advance.
Apply blobs, or teeny spots. 
Ideally use a mix of sizes in the pattern, like large circles.
Contrast with smaller blobs or spots.
Stripes make a nice contrast too.
The gifts were all wrapped the night before her birthday, then as it was a Saturday night, Mr PaintSewGlueChew and I went out for dinner for the night with friends. At the same time as making the gift wrap, I painted a quick little birthday banner (which is a bit of a tradition in our house).
Abbi and I actually share the same birthday, and she is always very keen to make sure that my birthday isn’t over shadowed by hers.
When I came down for breakfast on the morning of our birthday I was treated to a nice surprise. While we were out for dinner, my gorgeous daughter had copied the pastel gift wrap idea, and wrapped my gifts to match. (And probably done a better job than me!)
When I looked closer, I saw she had also edited my birthday message to her “HAPPY 14th BIRTHDAY ABBI’, with an addition for me! I will be honest, there may have been a tear or two shed!!
So pretty, and so touching! I will post details of the birthday banner shortly.
