Wandering Mist » favors

Gift a Plant – DIY Green Gifting Tutorial for Eco Friendly Party Favors

ishrath — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 08:20:10 +0000

Green Gift of Life for your Loved Ones

Gifting season is coming soon. Festival after festival, occasion after occasion, there are plenty of good times waiting to happen to everyone. This is the time when you start to budget for the holiday season. And this is also the time for us to recap green gifting options.

Eco-consciousness is serious business for every Government, company, association, community or individual. One can never emphasize much on the value of green gifts, handmade gifts, recycled gifts and and more… as everyone is more or less trying to turn ecofriendly in their individual capacities. People are changing but the pace is not quite enough to reverse the damage we have already unleashed on our planet. But we must try true.

Plants always top as gifts for someone who love nature. These living gifts, in right hands grow, bloom and blossom into lifelong companions. They keep reminding you of the love that lives, the love that grows and the love that will be shared for years to come. There is never a case of oh! not another one! with plant gifts.

Here is a quick visual step-by-step tutorial on making this simple green gift of plant which work great for any occasion such as birthday, wedding, family parties, thank-yous, etc.

Things you need for giving the gift of green:

Fresh well watered and drained plants
Roll of corrugated paper or old cardboard paper
Scissors
Stapler
Satin Ribbons
Thats all

The idea behind green gifting is to make the gifts out of recycled or waste resources. To go out and buy materials for giving the gift of green makes no sense. So look around for many options your may find right in your home.

Plants, Paper and Tools - For Gifting Green

Green Gift Making and Wrapping Tutorial:

You need to create a container out of the corrugated cardboard paper to hold your plant securely. The photos are self explanatory to help you make the plant wrapper with corrugated paper.

Wrap the paper around your plant pouch and secure the shape with staples. Cut the bottom base of the corrugated paper cylinder into 4 slits and fold them as shown above to seal the base. Staple this base well.

Step-by-Step Tutorial for Wrapping your Plant Gift

Insert the plant pouch back into the little wrap you have made. To carry this gift in your hand, add a handle with a strip or corrugated paper or use a satin ribbon. Staple to secure the ribbon strip. Or you could also use a ribbon instead of the paper strip.

Recycled or Handmade Paper for Ecofriendly Gifts

The green gift is ready for its recipient. You could further embellish it with satin ribbon bows, dried flowers, paint, etc.

Who says green gifting is a bore?

It does not take long to make many of these. You can make these party favors in advance and keep the plant’s soil moist with few drops of water now and then.

In the plant gift below, I have used satin bow make it look as a gift for I had made if for the first time and was not sure of the reaction if it did not look like a gift

Ecofriendly Party Favors Ready for the Party

The next time, I used the ribbon itself as a holder to carry the gift.

Green Party Favors Return Gifts for Birthdays and Other Parties

And on both the occasions, it was pure delight to give and take. And I hope that these plants are thriving in different homes, in different containers and soil. And I am happy that I did not use off-the-shelf party bags and goodies.

Need more on Eco friendly gifts?

For a more detailed tutorial on how to make this plant gift, please click to my article on Gift a Green Plant at TreeSouls and make these cute green gifts for special occasions such as birthdays, weddings, or any parties.

And if you happen to make this too, do share your pictures and you ideas to help me improvise these party favors… for there are many occasions in life to celebrate. And being close to nature in everything you do, is the closest you can get to life.

Tell me.

Recycle Old Magazines into Eco-Chic Gift Wrapping Paper

ishrath — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:17:36 +0000

Green Festival Ideas - Recycle your old magazines and make unique giftwrappers this holiday season

Gone are the days where newspaper wrapping were frowned upon. Its the green era of eco-friendly living and eco-chic style. This holiday and gifting season can be gentler on the environment. Here are a few giftwrapping idea for the eco-loving soul.

All these wonderful giftwrapping papers are torn from an old issue of Home & Garden magazine - 1996. The glossy magazine pages, classy pictures, full page advertisements were perfect raw material for tearing and using them as gift wrappers. Moreover, these gift wraps were chosen keeping the recipients in mind.

All Screwed Up - Recycled Gift Wrapper from a Magazine Advertisement

All that was needed for this all-screws paper advertisement was a black ribbon to accentuate the dark colors, raw theme and ofcourse the preferences of the giftee. Though its considered bad and inauspicious to gift black color, there are many who would love it.

Musical Notes Gift Wrapper Recycled Paper for better Cresendo

Got a music lover amongst your loved ones? It cant get any better than this… you love the person so you gift, and you love your earth and care for it.

Graffiti or Pop Art? This Generation Recycles Paper for a Good Cause

Be it a music lover, art admirer or pop art collector, this wrapper is quite a conversation starter I love it as this does not need any embellishment.

Roses, Satin & Love - Recycle Old Magazines with Interesting Themes for Gifting

For the gentle, tender, loving souls, there are plenty of roses and flowers to choose from. Complete the gift with well cordinated satin ribbons and bows. These wraps never fail and are the safest options for any occasion.Dried Flowers and Recycled Paper – Perfect Gift Wrapping Combination for Nature Lovers.

Dried Flowers and Recycled Paper - Perfect Gift Wrapping Combination for Nature Lovers

Its best to go with the look and feel of paper. Let it determine the kind of embellishment and decoration it needs. This gift wrapping paper is a beauty by itself and needed nothing more. Yet, a spring of dried baby’s breath flowers does the required magic.

: Newspaper Recycling for Wrapping Gifts

The content areas of the magazine, that look like boring news are perfect for gift wrapping. All they need is a flashy ribbon for contrast. And if the news is interesting, we dont mind not opening the present for longer

All the above wrappers were sourced from a single magazine issue. There are still many lovely pages that can be used in future. If one magazine can offer so much recycling potential, then it is quite a fodder for thought. It is not about being a cheap-skate when it comes to gifting. It is the thought that matters. Giving a gift as an appreciation is a lovely thought by itself. But giving with care is what makes you stand apart.

While you have loads of fun, make sure it is gentler on everyone! Wishing you happy holidays and exciting recycling season to come.

Gifting Green this Festive Season

ishrath — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 10:53:25 +0000

Take a break from the routine gift options this season. Try gifting a plant, a tree, flowers, or something more full of life. Bunch together different plants in a wicker basket or a ceramic pot and top with a satin bow. And for a change, try including a card or note - handwritten by you. Let that little gift of life grow with and on your loved ones…. but do make sure that the recipient love plants and wont let them die

Give the Gift of Green