Finding
yourself stuck for ideas on stocking fillers for friends and family that don't break the
bank? Using organza to make a pretty ‘wrap’ for any small gift in a colour that
is appropriate to the season or one that is a favourite with the person receiving the
gift, can help to turn an inexpensive present into something very special. A scented
candle, a small piece of jewellery in a box, or some bath essence is an ideal gift for
this special type of personalised gift-wrapping.
Here a stylish white scented
candle, decorated with fine silver mesh, is covered in a silver organza wrap. It is
secured with a narrow silver ribbon and finished off with a tassel made of metallic silver
thread.
Nothing could be simpler to make. In this
case, we have sewn a square of organza with ‘double’ hemmed edges and used this
to encase the gift. It is tied at the top with some sparkly twine or narrow ribbon,
forming a decorative bow. To add the finishing touch, make a small tassel in the same
colour and attach it to the front of the bow.
How
to make the organza wrap
Simply follow our easy steps as outlined below:
Measure your chosen article carefully and
decide on the required size of the finished square that is needed to completely cover the
gift.
I would suggest you allow a further 10 cms
or 4 inches allowance all around to make an attractive fan shape at the top once the tie
has been secured. Add to this a further 10 cms or 4 inches for a double hem that will
eventually be 2.5 cms or 1 inch wide on all four sides.
Cut out the organza square to the required
size and machine stitch in the double hem. Do not be tempted to mitre the corners as
organza is a little difficult to work with and you will find it virtually impossible to
achieve a good result. Simply hem two of the parallel sides and then turn in the two
remaining sides. Oversew the edges on the corners that are still open. Darn in any loose
ends of thread.
Place the present carefully in the centre of
the wrap and draw up the edges. Secure the top with a strip of narrow ribbon or twine and
tie securely into a bow.
Make a small tassel using a
metallic thread in the same colour as the organza, by following our easy step by step
instructions:
Cut two pieces of stiff card the
length of the tassel you want to make, and about 10 cms or 4 ins. wide.
Place the pieces of card together and wind
the thread around them lengthways at least 16 times. The number of times you wind will
depend on the thickness of the threads you choose and how fat you want the finished tassel
to be.
Thread a length of twine through a large
eyed needle. Push it through the top of the wound threads and tie the two ends together
securely.
Slide your scissors through the two pieces
of card at the bottom of the wound thread and cut through all the threads.
To form the head, bind the tassel a short
distance from the top passing the needle through the binding to finish.
Using the twine, fasten the tassel to
the front of the bow securing the organza wrap.
Finally, adjust the gathers at the
top so that the points fan out evenly.
The same organza wrap can be
used very effectively to cover a Christmas bauble.
Make a number in the same colour and string them up at different heights from the same
point of suspension. They will look really stunning if the baubles are quite large and are
of the same colour as the organza.
Any
decoration on the bauble will ‘ghost through’ the shiny organza fabric creating
a most unusual effect.
If you're
looking for gift ideas for friends or relatives who enjoy making their own soft
furnishings or who are complete beginners and are in need of some inspiration to get
started, then our Teach Yourself Guides are just the answer. Find out more about our
guides >>
