Gifting with Purpose

Last month, my youngest sister turned six.  Her party is this week.  I searched and searched the web for a meaningful gift for her.  I came upon a board game from Eeboo called Gathering A Garden.  The entire contents of the game (including packaging) are made from paper and cotton.  No plastics at all!  This is right up my alley, and so I make the purchase.   For “giftwrap”, I purchase a couple of yards of super fun prints from a local fabric store and whip up a simple pillow case.  I wrapped the pillowcase around the game and secure it with ribbon that can be re-used for her arts and crafts or as a pretty hair bow for her or her dollies.  Get where I am going here?

Check out the game!  Visit vendors to gather goods for your garden!

Helping to wrap the present with the pillowcase.

And....Lucy thinks this is her present....

If you are anything like me, you hate shelling out cash for gift wrap, bags, and tissue paper.  I am very, very frugal with my gift bags and have even asked for gift bags back after giving it to someone if I know that they will not re-purpose it.  I am an avid “used” bow collector, and have kept every scrap of salvageable tissue paper that has come my way in the past, say, six years.  Yes, I am that person.  

For some time now, I have meant to switch over to more thoughtful, more purposeful gifting.  This includes the wrappings it comes in.  Some have been on the receiving end of this change – mostly babies – receiving hand-stitched blankets and one-of-a-kind hand-knit hats, scarves, and leg-warmers.  At a loss at what to get that gal that has everything she needs (and most of what she wants, as well??), why not head over to Smashed Peas and Carrots blog for a tutorial on beautiful cotton sandwich cozies and re-useable napkins?   Or better yet, design your own.