Tiffany Pratt is a designer, artist, creative director and television personality on HGTV Canada’s Family Home Overhaul.
Gestures of love, kindness and compassion don’t have to cost a lot of money. They take a little time and thought — but creating something for someone or putting that extra special touch on a project or a gift can really make all the difference in the world.
Even when I’m renovating full houses, it’s always the little, personal touches that we add that the homeowners love the most.
Here, I am sharing a very fun and very easy-to-create DIY that will have you creating one-of-a- kind wrapping paper for those you love no matter the occasion.
One of my favourite holiday activities is wrapping the gifts that I give each year. I believe that the gift begins at the wrapping, and when you give something that is extra special, starting with the wrapping paper, there is a different appreciation to what is inside. I like that the gifts that I give stand out from the others under the tree, and I love the creative freedom that comes from doing things in my style all the way through the gifting season.
For this unique wrapping paper project, I’m using chalk paint. It’s perfect because the matte pigments on the paper pop, and you can even use those painted surfaces to write your holiday message.
Here are the materials you’ll need to make DIY chalkboard wrapping paper: plain coloured paper of any kind (craft, table or floor paper), chalk paint in any colour, paint brushes, wallpaper (optional), string and twine. Most of these items you probably already have at home, and chalk paint can be found at most hardware and craft stores in Toronto.
The first step is to cut your wrapping paper to the size you need.
I like to make my DIY gift wrapping in big batches so that I can get a whole bunch of it ready all at once. The best way to do this is to cut off a bunch of long pieces of your solid paper before you begin painting designs all over it. The more prepared you are with cut sheets of paper, the more you can create while your hands are all covered in paint!
Next, it’s time to paint the wrapping paper.
This is where you really get to have fun. Painting DIY holiday wrapping paper with chalk paint is for everyone, of all skill levels, and can be done in a variety of different ways. You can use old wallpaper and colour in the lines. You can splatter, sponge, draw, stripe, stencil, circle or squiggle your paper into a handmade dream! Choose whatever colours of chalk paint that speak to you and remember that it does not need to be perfect to be great. The more imperfect, the better in my opinion!
After setting the paper aside to dry, you can begin wrapping the presents.
Seeing how all of your patterns fall on the boxes and how magical it looks when each custom pattern is pulled together with the right string, twine, card or holiday accent is the most exciting part. Every box will be a work of art that you can give with pride.
Finish off each gift by writing the “To” and “From” with markers or white pencil crayon right on top of the chalk paint. This saves on cards and makes it look very artistic.