MacGyver Gift Wrapping aka Resourceful Crafting

While I got the Father's Day present done with plenty of time to spare, I dropped the ball a bit on cards and bringing wrapping paper with me, since we are away today. We ended up grabbing some really lovely cards but then I forgot to buy wrapping paper again.

So pressed for time & without much to work with I started looking around the room for what we did have. We had a newspaper and at first I thought I'd use it for wrapping. Then I remembered that I had brought the Father's Day gift in a brown grocery bag. So I tore it apart, ironed it as flat as it would go and had The Bug decorate the inside. It was a pretty big space for her to handle on her own, so she recruited me to give her some help.

I had some first aid tape, but then decided to go without tape. We needed some ribbon. As I scanned through my toiletries bag, computer bag and suitcase, I found an old friend -- dental floss. I once used dental floss to sew backpack straps back together on a camping trip once. It is amazingly strong and the bag held together for as many years as I kept it.

So I decided to use dental floss for our ribbon. I used several strands wrapped around to hold the entire package together without tape. I was pretty pleased with our efforts and when we pulled together all our Father's Day celebration it was a very pretty centerpiece along with our cards and a very small but pretty pineapple cheesecake. Plus it gave The Man something more to enjoy and look at.

It's easy to get caught up in making everything so fancy and perfect, but sometimes simple, sweet and makeshift are just perfect and all you need. Have you ever MacGyver DIYed? What makeshift projects have saved the day for you?

all images by kalanicut (apologies for the dark room lighting.)