Upcycling: Wrapping With Fabric

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While wrapping paper is available for a few dollars in practically every store during the holiday season, there’s something a little disturbing about that pile of paper that serves it’s purpose for a short while and then ends up in the trash or recycling bin. This year, reduce the amount of wrapping paper that you use by making a few of these reusable fabric wrappers.

***Note: this patterns makes one, 5×17 inch sized wrapper but can be adjusted for larger gifts starting with a piece of fabric the same size as you would need in paper if you were wrapping in the traditional way. You’ll also need to change the “ends” to reflect this new size as well.

Things you need:
1/2 yard each of two colors of quilting cotton
Sewing machine
Pins
Coordinating thread
Coordinating ribbon – 2 yards
Pinking shears

Things to do:
1. Cut the fabric that you want for the main part of the wrap into a 15 x 20 inch rectangle.
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2. Cut the other fabric into two smaller rectangles, each 7 x 20-in
3. Pin the two smaller rectangles to the ends of the larger one and sew with a 1/4-inch seam allowance, down each seam, creating a longer rectangle.
4. At each of these seams, fold a 1/4 inch pleat in the “end” fabric, pin into place and stitch, creating a channel for the ribbon.
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5. Folding the rectangle in half lengthwise (so the two alternate colored pieces are at the ends) with the right sides together. Sew up this seam to create a tube but leave a 1/4-inch gap where each of the channels hit the seam so that later the ribbon can be fed through.
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6. Trim all seams with pinking shears to avoid fraying including the raw ends of the tube (you can also sew a hem here but a pinked edge is fun, festive and quick!).
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7. Cut the ribbon in half and feed each piece through the channels (a yarn needle or safety pin tied to the end can make this easier) and pull them through the gap left in the seam.
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8. Insert your gift and pull the ribbons to draw in the ends. Tie with a bow and add a tag!

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