Decorate your gifts with as much care as you did in choosing them, then watch as eyes light up on spying these perfect offerings
Crepe paper is vastly underrated. Cheerful and bright, we’ve pushed it to its decorative limit and got the very best out of it by fashioning tassels, fringes and twirls for Christmas packaging. Crepe paper streamers are also brilliant to use to wrap awkward shapes such as that tennis racquet or ukelele you put off doing until Christmas Eve.
Getting started
Start with a colour scheme in mind. As well as using crepe paper in creative ways, bright primary greens, yellows and reds were the backbone of our cohesive wrapping. Metallic crepe paper used sparingly gives a luxe touch but brightly coloured packages under the tree will give an optimistic, playful vibe that adults and children will appreciate.
Streaming success
Instead of buying gift ribbon, raid your sewing or craft basket for laces and trims
Round items and other awkwardly shaped things can be wrapped in crepe paper using a similar technique to bandaging an arm. Use brown paper as a base to make sure the gift can’t be seen, then wrap multiple overlapping layers snugly to fit the shape and you’ll never have nasty, poking out corners again. Finish with rickrack trim as an alternative to ribbon.
Reuse
Collect honeycomb paper packaging throughout the year for wrapping.
How to make a crepe flower
It’s so easy, but so effective as a decorative flourish
1 cut your crepe
Cut four to eight pieces of paper to the same size – approximately 200mm square.
2 concertina here
Fold all layers of the paper into concertina strips, making sure to press down firmly at each fold so they don’t bounce back.
3 Knot your work
Use a piece of string to tie a knot around the middle. This keeps the concertina flat and acts as a loop for the finished flower if you want to hang later.
4 round out
Cut the ends of the concertina strips into a round shape.
5 go full bloom
Fan the concertina out to make a flat circle, then carefully peel each layer in to meet in the middle.
How to become a Christmas wrap artist
1 String theory
Twist crepe paper into string, then unfurl the ends.
2 Curl power
Use thin strips of wrapping paper and curl with scissors. No curling ribbon required.
3 What a cracker
Honeycomb brown packaging comes to the rescue again to make a cracker.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use crepe paper wrapping?
Flexible, forgiving, and just a few dollars per extra-long roll, crepe paper is the versatile and enthusiastic wunderkind of gift wrapping.
Is crepe paper durable?
Crepe paper, produced from wood cellulose, is a paper model that is more durable, flexible and has high tensile strength compared to other paper types.
Can you use hot glue on crepe paper?
Once you fringe a strip of crepe, you can roll it up and attach it with hot glue then flatten the fringe to create a beautiful flower center.
What tape do you use for crepe paper?
3M™ Crepe Masking Tape 202 is a trustworthy, go-to tape tape designed with a heavy, thick, crepe paper backing. Engineered with a natural rubber adhesive, this everyday tape features good, instant adhesion and strong holding power, which makes it a favorite among teachers for their classroom settings.
Which glue is best for thin paper?
GLUING SMALL PIECES OF PAPER (PERMANENT). There are many glues on the market that are advertised as “paper crafting glue.” We have found that the best ones to work with are Tombow Mono Liquid, Zig 2-Way Glue Pens, Bearly Arts Precision Glue, and Nuvo Glue.
What is a cheap way to wrap a gift?
Buy white butcher’s paper or brown paper (found at home improvement stores, called “contractor’s paper”) to wrap gifts with; simply add a colorful ribbon, twine and or decorations such as pine cones, leaves, silk flowers, small toys, candy or cookies. Tie small jingle bells on packages for a festive ring!
What is crepe paper good for?
Crêpe paper is popular for streamers and other party decorations. Props and costume accessories can be made of crêpe paper. It can be soaked in a small amount of water to create a dye for Easter eggs, white cardstock, and other materials.
How do you keep crepe paper from fading?
Avoid continuous exposure to direct sunlight. Many of the varieties of crepe paper I work with are highly pigmented, making certain pieces more susceptible to fading than others. To be safe, I recommend placing your flowers in an area with indirect light.
What paper will last the longest?
Alkaline paper has a life expectancy of over 1,000 years for the best paper and 500 years for average grades. The making of alkaline paper has several other advantages in addition to the preservation benefits afforded to the publications and documents printed on it.
What kind of glue doesn’t wrinkle paper?
Rubber cement is a glue that doesn’t wrinkle paper and dries clear. Also, it will not shrink after it dries and gives you a solid rubber layer. This makes it ideal for gluing cardboard for various types of crafting projects.
Why is it called crepe paper?
Crepe paper takes its name from crêpe fabric, which is similarly characterized by a crinkled, wavy surface. The creping process adds strength and elasticity, and depending on the manufacturing treatment, a range of different effects can be achieved.
Does crepe paper bleed wet?
The colors will bleed from the crepe paper onto the watercolor paper creating an interesting effect. Once the paper is fully wet, wait a few minutes or until the paper dries completely. We were so impatient, that we could only wait for about 20 minutes.
How do you flip crepes without breaking them?
Flipping ain’t that bad. Keep your eye on edges of the crepe; you’re ready to flip when they curl up a bit. Use a small spatula or the tip of a butter knife to gently lift an edge, then grab it with your fingers. Lift it up and gently lay it down on the other side, and cook for another 30 seconds or so.
Are you supposed to flip crepes?
After cooking the crepe batter on one side for 1 to 3 minutes, flip the crepe to the other side, using the metal spatula, and let it cook for another minute on the other side. This way, you cook each crepe 1-2 minutes on each side.
Should crepes be folded or rolled?
Traditionally, crêpes are folded or shaped according to the recipe directions. However, there are many recipes that would work well with different types of folds. Crêpes are also very versatile. Once you have the basic crêpe recipe down, you can use whatever ingredients and folds you like.
Are there different types of crepe paper?
There are so many different kinds and qualities of crepe paper, its easy to get confused and intimidated, and so I hope this post helps, especially for my fellow Singaporean crafters who are searching for crepe paper.
Will a Cricut cut crepe paper?
You can use it to cut crepe paper, tissue paper, and a huge variety of fabrics without backing (cotton, felt, fleece, denim, and more). With its gliding, rolling action, it cuts virtually any delicate material like crepe paper like a dream. So yeah, I’m super impressed with my Cricut cutting experiment on crepe paper.
Which is better crepe or poly crepe?
It is a light to medium weight crêpe, it resists wrinkling, and is often used for suiting, pants, and dresses. Polyester crepe: Polyester crepe fabric is any type of crêpe fabric that is made using the synthetic fiber polyester. Poly crepe is typically a lightweight, thin fabric that has a nice drape.
Why should tape have a creped backing?
The backing is generally made from a saturated crepe paper. Crepe paper is known for its ability to stretch, allowing the tape to bend and conform around curves. Saturation helps enhance the paper’s physical properties and can also add color if preferred
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What consistency should a crepe be?
Crepe batter shouldn’t be the consistency of pancake batter. It should be extremely thin! Use a ladle to test the mixture’s thickness and make sure it has the consistency of heavy cream — almost liquid. If you’ve found that it’s too thick, make a thinner batch, then add both batches together to correct the problem.
What can I use to seal paper?
Acrylic Sealer Spray. Spray the paper before folding it or apply it to the finished product. Use acrylic sealer spray on origami wreaths to hang on your door or on outdoor wedding decorations.
Is crepe paper toxic?
This product is classified as not hazardous in accordance with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling (GHS). None identified.
What do the crêpes symbolize?
So why do French people eat crêpes on La Chandeleur? The round shape and golden colour of crêpes represent the sun and the return to the light. From February, days also start to get longer and eating of crêpes also refers to the cycle of the seasons and the arrival of spring and brighter days.
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