Making Wrapping Paper

So, I left you with a cliffhanger last time...we had dueling art projects going.  Let's switch focus to Eli's project... 

Get it?  Switch Focus?  FOCUS?  (Insert cheesy laughing HERE.)

Wrapping paper seems to be overly expensive to me.  When I was looking for wrapping paper for my husband's birthday, I just couldn't bring myself to pay for it.  Now, if I could have found Star Wars paper I would have purchased it, but, alas, that was not to be found.  It really worked out better that way, because we were "forced" to make some instead.

We have a giant roll (like wrapping paper size) of brown paper in our basement that we used to cover our floor while our kitchen was being redone.  Seeing that paper reminded me of an idea a friend of mine from church had shared with me.  When her daughter was a baby (30ish years ago), she painted her feet and had her baby "walk" across paper.  Little baby feet wrapping paper...seriously, what could be cuter?    Ours didn't turn out so cute, but we did get some wrapping paper.

Coloring with markers.  That's it.

While Eli was coloring, Abby was happily painting away.  I've said it before, but that girl loves to paint.  When she finished the cards, described here, she of course wanted to keep painting, so I gave her a big piece of white paper that came off a big roll...kind of like wrapping paper...hmmmmm....

She told me she was painting a purple Princess Leia.  Ok then.

 Let's check in with Eli:

That looks about right.

Abby finished with the painting, but had still not expended all of her crafting energy so she jumped ship to the coloring.

Whoa.  A little close to the carpet there.

That's safer.

And then...a joining of forces.

Get it?  Forces?  Star Wars?  FORCES?  (Insert more cheesy laughing here.)

The final products:

The brown paper was pretty stiff to use for wrapping and did require a more-than-usual amount of tape.  The white paper wrapped well and is what I will use for our next wrapping paper adventure.  As it turns out, we did end up with Star Wars wrapping paper with Abby painting a "Purple Princess Leia" and Eli coloring a Death Star and Luke Skywalker hanging by a grappling hook from the bottom of at AT-AT Walker...at least that is what he told me he drew.

And just for fun, here are the cards we gave Andy (We are on a bit of a Star Wars kick around here, in case you couldn't tell.):

From Abby, who LOVES R2-D2.

From Eli, who couldn't stop smiling when he saw HIS face on Luke Skywalker's head.

Check out the faces.  I was really cracking myself up while making these cards.

And of course, no birthday is complete without a freezer paper stenciled shirt as a gift and kids that won't smile for pictures.

Ten or so takes later:

Ok.  That one is a keeper.

Thanks for reading!