Here’s an easy idea for gift wrap. Use a faux wood wrapping paper for a fun idea and add a branch to the front to create an evergreen tree with a tag.

Remember the faux wood wrapping paper from the bookcases?

It’s back.

In all it’s glory….as Christmas wrapping paper.

I was planning my Christmas wrap this year….

…..and I was going to go all fancy.

Seriously.

I was planning on creating a box out of sugar cookie dough and decorating it to look like a present.

Then the gift wrap would actually be the gift.

I thought it was brilliant.

And then I remembered the gingerbread men and the challenge of a handmade Christmas tree.

Here’s how to create this simple DIY faux wrapping paper gift wrap….

….and a little Christmas story just for you.

DIY your own DIY faux wood wrapping paper present

supplies:

faux wood wrapping paper from Hobby Lobby (you can see the details on where it is in the store at the bottom of the post)

faux evergreen branch

large branch

glue

step 1: wrap with faux paper

step 2: glue branch to front of paper

step 3: glue wood to the bottom of the branch

step 4: tie on tag to branch

And now?

Here’s the story of our very first Christmas.

I can remember when all I had to decorate with was a box of shiny red ornaments and a little ribbon.

We were newly married and living in an old farmhouse that had seen better days. All we had to our name was 8 place settings of wedding china and a few pieces of furniture that our family had given us. Living on love without anything left over for Christmas decorations. So we went to a neighbor’s farm and cut down a tree.

It was kind of a Charlie Brown Christmas tree….there were big branches missing and it kind of leaned to one side and looked like at any moment, without the slightest bit of provocation….

…..it would topple over.

But I didn’t care.

I loved it.

It was my first Christmas tree and I cut ribbon bows and tucked pine cones in it and hung those shiny red ornaments on every branch.

And then….for the finishing touch….for the icing on my Charlie Brown tree….

….I baked dozens of gingerbread men.

They weren’t very fancy.  They looked more like ginger blobs then men….but I decorated them with great gusto and Christmas cheer and hung them everywhere.

I hung them on the tree with ribbons.

I hung them in the windows and doors and from the back of chairs and cupboards.

Until every inch of that old farmhouse was covered with grinning….bright-eyed…..bow-tie wearing….gingerbread men.

 

An entire farmhouse decorated from almost nothing.

I was so proud.

So all about myself and my budget Christmas decorations.

Gingerbread men?  Who knew?

It wasn’t until later that my husband called me into the kitchen.

“Why did you make the gingerbread men with only one leg?” he asked in a puzzled voice.

We both turned to the smiling bedazzled gingerbread man hanging in the window.

I just shrugged.

“It must have broken when I hung him up there,” I said with a grin.  ”But at least he’s cute.”

Then we smiled at each other and our little one-legged gingerbread man in our little farmhouse festooned with homemade Christmas decorations.

Decorated with love.

 

I was so busy over the next week….wrapping and drinking hot chocolate and window shopping and watching “Prancer” on television….

….that I forgot all about the gingerbread man with the missing leg.

Until….

Until I saw another one on the tree…..

…..missing part of his head.

And another one….missing part of his arm.

And then…..I heard one as it dropped to the ground…..

….completely chewed to pieces.

I SCREAMED.

And jumped on a chair.

Wildly hopping around and hands waving and yelling for my husband to immediately get every gingerbread man out of our farmhouse….as far away as possible.

Because those half-eaten gingerbread men were no accident.

It seems we had plenty of friends.

Of the furry four-legged whiskered variety that were enjoying Christmas at the farmhouse, too.

I don’t think I really ever recovered.

As a matter of fact….I’m sure.

Because when I unpacked our 37 boxes of Christmas decorations in the attic…..full of ornaments and garland and trees and mistletoe…..I double-checked one more time…..just to be sure…..

…..that there was not a gingerbread man in sight.

Here’s the paper I used.  I bought it at Hobby Lobby in the hobby section (not the gift wrap).

Then I hot glued a greenery pick to the front and used a branch from outside as the stump.

And added a tag.

The roll is only $8.99 (and you can use your 40% off coupon).

If you don’t have a Hobby Lobby, I found it on Amazon here. 

Happy gingerbreadless wrapping to you. 🙂

(affiliate links are used in this post)

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