Homemade handicrafts

MsT shares two creative ideas for homemade gifts and how you can wrap them like a pro

A celebration is incomplete without the exchange of gifts as tokens of your love and affection. Nothing conveys happiness better than a thoughtful and beautifully-wrapped gift, regardless of whether we are celebrating a birthday, marriage or graduation. And the more thought and efforts you put into the gift, the sweeter the effect!

Unfortunately, life has become so busy these days that people prefer to buy gifts and outsource the wrapping. Little or no thought is put into what is gifted, so long as one doesn’t have to arrive at the occasion empty-handed. Crafting in Pakistan has therefore developed into a full-fledged industry, with a number of crafters providing creative ways to decorate gift boxes as well as colourful birth announcements, event invitations, wedding merchandise etc. Nonetheless, nothing can express your sentiments better than your own efforts. Read on for two great DIY gifts for any occasion.

Homemade charms, accessories and paper weights

There are a variety of useful gifts you can create right at home by investing in a pack of ceramic dough, available from any local art supplier. Prepare the dough by following the instructions listed on its packaging and once it is ready, rub some petroleum jelly on it, place it in a plastic bag and set it aside to dry. As the dough is white in colour, you can also add dyes to the mixture for fun. Once dried, mould the dough into whatever you wish, according to the occasion you have to attend. The picture below features some ceramic milk bottles and pacifiers made for a newborn baby girl.



You can also create toys, hair pins and various other items.

Homemade candles

These are yet another great option if you are looking for a cheap and easy outlet for creativity. Candles — homemade or not — are evergreen as gifts and can be given to people of all ages. And the best part is that you can utilise old and used candles to make new ones, instead of throwing them out. All you need is to melt some leftover candles in the microwave until they become liquid wax. Once this is done, retrieve the wax and allow it to cool for about 3 minutes before pouring it into a mould of your choice.



Once the wax is in the mould, cut some thread and fold it in such a manner that you have 3-cm-long thread to serve as the candle’s wick. Dip the thread in leftover melted wax and then lay it out on a flat, smooth surface instantly for it to cool. By this time, the wax in the mould will have started to harden so poke the wick into it carefully, until the wax grips it completely. Wait for the candle to harden all over and then decorate it with glitter or sprinkles, as you wish. Allow the decorations to sit for 30 minutes before wrapping, lest they fall off.

Once you have successfully prepared your homemade gifts, it is time to wrap them up to complete the look. Attractive and elegant wrapping will require a little more than just wrapping paper and ribbons: you can also add bows, flowers and glitter to make it prettier! Here are two great ideas you can try the next time you have to present something.

Ribbons with a twist



Invest in a pair of matching or contrasting ribbons and a wrapping sheet which compliments them, along with a glue stick. Wrap the gift on all four sides, as per normal and tie a simple, small bow around it with one of the ribbons. Once this is done, take the second ribbon and tie it into a bigger bow and stick the multicoloured, small ribbon pieces under this bow horizontally, so that they stick out from the sides.

Once the second bow is done, stick it on top of the smaller bow on the gift, diagonally. If you wish, you can twirl the loose ends of the ribbons by stretching them out against a scissor blade. Add glitter, diamantes or buttons for the final touches.

Crepe flowers



These gorgeous, eye-catching flowers are ideal for gifts of a bigger size as they stand out more. All that is needed are three to four sheets of crepe paper, a pair of scissors and something to secure the flower with, such as a rubber band or stapler.

To make the flowers, simply fold the crepe paper in a zigzag manner — somewhat like a Chinese hand fan. Tie the centre of the sheet together and cut the edges into small curves. Once this is done, spread out the combined sheets and fluff them out into the shape of a flower. Stick the flower onto your gift and voila!

No Wrapping Paper? No Problem!

If you ever find yourself in a wrapping paper emergency, worry not! Instead, create your own paper using clean newspapers and your own imagination! Draw on the newspaper using colourful markers, crayons or paint and allow it to dry. You can draw anything you wish, as long as the colours you use stand out against the black ink of the newspaper. Once it has dried, wrap the gift in your customised, homemade wrapping sheet. We guarantee your friends will love it!

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, January 4^th, 2015.