WRAP THAT’S A

IF YOU’RE A KID, everyone knows you like to unwrap presents. But, sometimes, people forget that you can have just as much fun wrapping them up. If you’re an artist, used to working with hard material like glass and stone, it’s fun to play with paper once in a while and help a child wrap those gifts. Glass and stone artist, Judy Klier, stays busy. In past summers she has held a children’s art camp for Mead School District students. Currently she’s busy with a commission to add hand-carved paw prints to a stone fireplace. Klier, a mother of three, volunteers in her daughter’s fourth-grade classroom at Colbert Elementary and this year she was in charge of coming up with a creative package for the students’ hand-made gifts. Teacher, Linda Jokinen looks forward to Klier’s projects. “Judy is so cool. She’s always coming up with these great ideas,”

Jokinen says. “And the kids love it.”

Klier doesn’t consider herself a champion gift wrapper. “Really, I’m not very good at it,” she says. “And in the classroom there’s always a time crunch.” So she keeps it simple

Klier likes to start with white craft (“butcher’s paper”), or generic paper bags

This year, Klier decided to create re-usable gift bags using fabric backed with iron-on adhesive.

The fabric is printed with Christmas designs and the kids cut out shapes,” Klier says. “Then they iron them onto white paper bags.”

The decorated paper bags are sturdy enough to be used again, and the children get the benefit of seeing their handiwork more than once.

Klier says the craft idea can be easily used on plain wrapping paper, or craft paper. “Really, the only thing the kids need help with is the ironing,” she says.

For younger children Klier recommends cutting sponges into shapes and sponge painting plain paper.

The important thing, Klier says, is to let children be creative in whatever they do.

She has passed that concept on to her own children by teaching them to make what they need whenever they can. “The other day I walked into the room and my daughter was busy making paper for her gifts,” Klier says, “She looked happy.”

To make wrapping gifts a kid-friendly activity, and simple for everyone, try using what you have around the house. Here are some tips:

Make a memory. If scrapbooking is your hobby, save your leftover paper. Full sheets can be used to wrap small gifts. Scraps of paper can be photocopied, collage style, to make large sheets of gift-wrap.

Brown bag it. Brown paper bags from the grocery store make great wrapping paper. Keep it plain and tie-on ornaments or small favors, or decorate with stencils, markers and paint.

Everything but the kitchen sink. The kitchen is a great place to scout for gift-wrapping supplies. Aluminum foil, parchment paper, and colorful cling wrap makes covering goodies, and not just the edible kind, easy. Cookie cutters can be used as stencil for decorating paper. Coffee cans, lunch bags and colorful tins can also be decorated and used for gift giving.

See you in the funny pages. The old standby, colorful comic pages from the newspaper, is a classic. And newsprint is recyclable.

Fourth Grade teacher, Linda Jokinen, has her own solution for a quick and easy gift-wrap idea for the handmade gifts her students take home.

“I give them those large brown envelopes,” Jokinen says.

Jokinen says the envelopes keeps things safe and secure, and can be personalized.

“The children can decorate the envelope in whatever way suits the person who is getting the gift,” she says. “It’s simple, but they seem to like it.”

For more information on Judy Klier’s glass etching and stone carving business, “Crystal Klier,” contact her at 218-2426.

Artisan Papers

For a more artistic touch, shop for gift wrapping materials at an art supply store.

For an organic look, try textured handmade paper that features tree bark or flower petals, or that most ancient of papers, papyrus.

Delicate and translucent “Unryu” paper, which is made with fibers taken from the Japanese Mulberry tree, is another option.

Add glitz, and a little sparkle to your gifts with laser- printed paper from Taiwan, or paper infused with confetti.

“Lace” paper created when water is sprayed through a decorative stencil, gives packages a romantic feel.

Shop:

Spokane Art Supply, 1303 N. Monroe, 556-5688

For more information go to www.MyArtSupply.com

Industrial strength

To give gifts a high-tech edge, look at office supply stores or the local home improvement warehouse.

Wrap fragile gifts in tissue first, and use protective bubble-wrap (sold in pre-cut sheets or in bulk on rolls) as the decorative element. Use metallic packaging tape or duct tape to secure.

Supplies can be purchased at these locations:

Lowes Home Improvement Warehouse, 6900 N. Division, 487-2326 and 5204 E. Sprague Ave., 533-0066.

Staples Office Supply Superstore, 2624 N. Division St., 328-6495 and 9960 N. Newport Highway, 466-8989 or www.staples.com

Pet store pretties

Camouflage upscale gifts using supplies from the local pet store. Drop a diamond ring or the keys to a new car in a small goldfish bowl, or hide it in a bag of kitty litter or bird seed.

Shop locally at:

Petsmart, 9950 N. Newport Highway, 466-4594

Northwest Seed and Pet, 2422 E. Sprague Avenue, 534-0694

Accessorize those gifts

Wrap a gift in a gift. Try using a silk scarf, or Pashmina shawl as gift wrap for a woman’s present. For men, use a designer tie instead of a paper bow.

For kids, decorate gifts with add-ons. Use a jump rope tied around a gift instead of ribbon for little girls, or miniature cars or action figures hot glued onto a little boy’s package.

For teens, use a CD jewel case as an oversized gift tag.