(I’m going to stick with the gift theme for another post.)
This is a household that consumes rather a lot of chocolate. Not any old chocolate, but still vast quantities of the dark and luscious food of the gods. With that large consumption, comes wrappers. A lot of them.
So with all those wrappers accumulating, I started to collect them and turn them into things. The chocolate of choice that we generally buy is Whittakers, and the wrapping of it really is lovely to begin with, dark and gold with a lovely picture. First came the birthday card and then came the wrapping paper.
For the birthday cards, most people haven’t even realised it was once a chocolate wrapper. I match it with a couple of other coloured papers and card, then stick it down. For the wrappers, they are all just stuck together to make whatever size I need.
I really love beautiful wrapping paper, but hate to see it being ripped and torn as a present is opened. I either see it as part of the present itself or like to see it as something that can be more easily discarded. I was always one of those annoying kids who carefully peeled back the tape on a present, not ripping and then gently refolding the paper for another use. People would go to sleep while waiting to see their gift unwrapped.
I hope people don’t think I’m just being cheap when I give it. As I really do think it looks good and it’s something to do with all those wrappers….I could cut back a bit I guess on the buying and consumption…but nah, that’s not going to happen any time soon.
cityhippyfarmgirl 
As someone who has not sent anything resembling a card in, oh, forty years or so, I should hardly think your using perfectly nice wrappers was cheap! I give you credit for sending them at all, let alone making them personal.
As a side, I do call and visit and contact folks electronically. not a total hermit, yet.
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Really Steve? 40 years…I would be lost without sending cards. I read somewhere once that Australians send the most cards in the world. Whether this is true or not I’m not sure, but I do like sending them.
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Fabulous use of wrapping, Brydie! But…but…what is inside? I can remember my nana teaching me how to smooth the easter egg foil wrappings with the back of my fingernail when I was a kid, great fun and it changed my whole egg-eating habits, lol! I’ve never seen ‘packaging’ this lovely before, and I would be using it up too…I’m a softie for a cloth wrapping (no pun intended). 🙂
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I didn’t get so many easter eggs as a kid, so they were demolished without care! (I saw a woman once on the Collectors that had an Easter Egg wrapping collection, pages and pages of them)
I love a good cloth wrapping as well. Wool or twine for ribbon…
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Clever idea! I’ve not had Whittakers chocolate since their peanut slab was popular years ago…must go search them out..
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Ah Celia. The draw of the Whittakers. Unfortunately or fortunately, I can talk you through all types available here in Australia. You don’t need to though- you temper! Until I master the art of tempering, it will have to do.
I can talk about whittakers like they are a member of the family (much loved and always dependable 🙂
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That is a great and thrifty idea.
I’m sure your friends and family enjoy the ENTIRE gift.
My sister used to wrap boxes with similar materials and I still have some of her gift boxes holding treasures about the house.
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Thrifty it sure is.
It’s lovely having handmade things as reminders about the house isn’t it.
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Yum… Whittakers chocolate, its been way too long since I dabbled. I’m pretty impressed by your card making, I love getting and sending cards, this one is great.
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Ah Anna, I wish I could say the same (dabbled that is) …..actually there isn’t that much guilt attached to it 🙂 Currently on sale this week too!
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I really love these ideas! I do a lot of cardmaking and I’ve been thinking a lot about using all sorts of recycled odds and ends instead of virgin papers and the sort. I’ve used many pages from unwanted books but never chocolate paper!
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I eye off a lot of foody things now seeing if I can turn it in something else. The chocolate wrappings make it easy though as it already looks gorgeous.
Unwanted books is a fun one too. Opshop vintage kids books- pages falling out- even better, then I have no guilt when cutting. Old postcards from op-shops are good too, then you just vamp them up.
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This is such a great idea. i would never have thought of that!!!
AND…that chocolate is delicious!
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72% dark, sandwiched between white, was going down a treat last night 🙂
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Lovely stuff! Don’t know the chocolate brand but by what everyone else is saying we are missing out here!
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Its a New Zealand based company, nothing fancy, just really good chocolate.
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No no, you are so not being cheap – look at all that time you are lovingly giving. This is a splendid idea and I think I might be adopting it. My “green” side hates waste and I refuse to buy wrapping paper as there is so much paper around. I actually quite like brown paper tied up with something pretty and I always reuse any wrapping paper and packaging I get. CT could learn a thing to two from you though – he just used newspaper.
I took your charity shop plate idea this weekend. I was making some cupcakes for a friend who was getting married and managed to find a silver tray for 50p to put them on. Made them look so much nicer – great idea, thank you.
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Choclette thats awesome, I’m so happy that you found something lovely for your cupcakes. It can give your gift a completely different look can’t it- and 50P- bargain.
I also love the look of brown wrapping tied with a ribbon or twine. The wrapping is always perfect for drawing on as well and designing your own print, (or putting Monkey hand prints all over it.)
I did do newspaper once years ago- didn’t go down as well 🙂
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