Spotty Dotty Paper

Last year I made my own Chevron wrapping paper and I loved it.  But my lungs did not... I inhaled more spray paint than any person should.  Therefore, I decided to do something different.

I wanted to include Peaches McGee, but wasn't ready to give up complete control and let her have free reign on the paper.  My solution: give her a pouncer paintbrush where she could put simple dots on the paper.  It turned out so well and I can't wait to wrap all the presents in it.

Things you need:

• Contractors Paper (I bought mine at Lowe's last year - see this post)
• Red, White, and Green Acrylic Paint (or whichever colors you want)
• "Pouncer" Paintbrush (similar to these, but I bought mine at JoAnn's near the stenciling items)

I placed a squirt of each paint on a different paper plate (can't mix those colors), and then let Milla "pounce" away with her paintbrush.  She didn't really understand spreading it out, so our dialogue kind of went like this:

Me, "No, honey.  You need to spreeeeeaaaaadddd around the dots like this." Trying to do a good example and not become the controlling OCD mother that I am.

She places a million dots over one other.

Me, "Like this honey.  No.  Like this."  

Peaches, "Like dis?" Putting multiple dots in the same one inch diameter again....

"Oh forget it; it'll be extra special now." *sigh* 

Can you spot Peaches' spots?

Finished product!

Chevron Take Me Away

I finally like something that I did!  Woo hoo!

The Chevron pattern is all the rage right now (as if I have to tell you).  But just in case you’ve been living under a rock, or never knew what it was called, here it is:

I love it!  I love the simplicity, and it’s so classic, so I decided that I wanted to “make” my own Christmas wrapping paper.  I first got the idea after reading the ‘Creative Ideas” magazine from Lowe’s… they suggested purchasing contractor’s paper and then decorating it with a holiday theme.  The paper is awesome because you get a ton of it on a roll, and the entire things costs about $10.

I had some gold metallic spray paint and an idea popped into my head… I would just spray paint a Chevron pattern onto the paper!

I tinkered around with several ideas on how to “make” the zigzag pattern, but settled upon using a metal bracket.  I traced around it on a cardboard box and then cut it out.  Finally, I placed it on the contractor’s paper and spray-painted around it.  Here it is…

Completed Chevron pattern

Supplies... contractor's paper, metallic gold spray paint, zigzag pattern from cardboard

Wrapped present with a toilet paper roll star ornament

The experience was gratifying because I wound up with something that I really like; however, I'm pretty sure I killed off thousands of brain cells when I chose to use an entire can of spray paint in a small, enclosed room.  Oops.

Oh, and one downfall... regular wrapping tape won't work, it's not strong enough.  Instead, I used packing tape.  Not as pretty, but well worth it!