Christmas Wrappings
So one thing that really bugs me is wrapping paper. It is seriously the thing I only thing I don’t like about getting a present. It costs like £3 a roll and goes straight into someone’s bin the next day! It’s a complete waste of money and the environment!!
So here are some ways to cut down on your gift wrap bills.
1) Newspaper
Either use the paper that you currently buy, pick up the Metro from your local station or the Evening Standard if you live in London.
Source: Pinterest
Also please note, this guide to making these beautiful newspaper bags – you might need to translate the page unless you’re using Google Chrome.
Source: Pinterest
2) Maps
An interesting thing to do is to wrap your presents in maps. It’s unique, pretty and free!!! You can use any type; particularly old, outdated road maps (doesn’t everyone use sat-nav’s now?). This site tells you where you can get US maps and guides for free in the post. Not all of them will post to the UK but still, it’s pretty cool that some do.
UPDATE: I ordered maps from about 40 states. As you can imagine, my parents find the sheer amount of post I got this week hilarious.
Source: Pinterest
3) Free Giftwrapping
Some stores (Accessorize) very nicely offer you free gift wrapping depending on the type of things you buy. Whenever I have bought jewelry from there, they have wrapped it in tissue paper and put it in one of their nice boxes.
Unfortunately, I have no photo of this because I have not been there this year.
4) Plastic Bags
We’re not talking about presenting the gift in the store bag complete with receipt That’s a little too much like ‘ I forgot about you, so I picked the first thing I saw on the way here’. Instead, with a little creativity, you can re-purpose them like below.
Source: Pinterest
5) Brown Paper
It’s a lot cheaper that wrapping paper and it looks really classy as well, especially if you top it off with a nice bow.
Source: Pinterest
6) Make your own cards
It’s a lot cheaper than buying from a chain store and a lot more personal. There’s a chance to really show off you creative side and look how easy these are.
Source: Pinterest
7) eCards
These are free on most sites and come in a variety of styles (religious, comedy, traditional). The best part is that the last day for posting is Christmas Eve, a lot better than Royal Mail.
My favourite is www.123greetings.com
8) Gift Tags
I cut up old Christmas cards to make tags for this year’s presents. You can either punch a hole through it or tape it on.
Source: Emma Murphy (me)
9) Bows and Ribbons
I love these but they’re hella expensive for something that goes in the bin. So why not may your own?
I feel the fabric one could be made from scrap, such as from around treat boxes and the hanging loops inside clothes.
Source: Pinterest
The paper ones could be made from a child’s ‘artwork’ (I’ve seen my own recently and it was worse than that below) or a magazine page.
Source: Pinterest
10) Paper Bags
I’m a big supporter of re-using so I’ve wrapped my friends’ presents in old paper bags. The green striped one came from a calendar I bought last year. The zebra-striped bag came from something I bought on holiday in South Africa (it contains my dad’s present and he’s from South Africa so I thought it was appropriate). The lips bag was from The Body Shop. I think they’ll make a statement under any tree.
Source: Emma Murphy (me)
Part of Your World
This is not a long blog post, but it’s 10 years to the day that I went to work for Disney, a summer that changed me forever.
Lent- Student Edition
Lent is the forty-day period between Pancake Day and Easter Saturday when people traditionally give up bad habits to see if they can make a permanent change. Everyone reading this will have something different to give up and a different reason to do it but what will you give up?
For students, Lent is rather conveniently placed at a time of year when a lot of coursework needs to be handed in and exams need to be studied for; so why not use it to give up partying or at least cut-down? Then, you don’t just come out with more money but a better degree as well.
If you think this is a bit too hard for you, don’t worry, you do get Sundays off; which you can delegate to partying on Saturday nights and sleeping off the hangover on Sunday morning.
If you are one of the few, who have no vices (or you are one of the many who think that you don’t) why not give up something for charity? Get people to sponsor you and not only do you get to feel good, you get to do good. After all Red Nose Day is just around the corner.
Making your own Bath and Beauty Basket
So, you may be wondering why I would publish the Christmas presents that I have made for 2020 on my blog right now?
Well, I don’t think far enough ahead to have taken the photos last year and I really want to find out which of my friends actually read my blog as opposed to skipping through the titles on Facebook.
To make this, I sprayed painted an old flower basket silver and tore up some purple tissue paper to line the basket.
I bought travel-size toiletries in a couple of multi-packs and distributed the products between the baskets; one mini shower gel, one soap, one shower puff and one body lotion each. I grouped them according to scent family- this basket contains glazed apple, gingerbread, and tea.
I also added in a super secret handmade gift to personalise it (okay, it’s jewellery. you got it out of me).
Atheist Shoebox Appeal
So shoebox appeals do a lot of good throughout the world; providing a present during the holiday season to children who don’t get a lot. I’ve contributed to them in the past because it’s important to do things to help those less fortunate than yourself.
The problem with drives like Operation Christmas Child is that they’re run by organisations like the Samaritans. The Samaritans will accept donations from people and deliver them to children in need but then they slip in their leaflets about Christianity and the love of Jesus in order to convert people.
This is extremely similar to the way that religious groups have in the past- and the present- tell poor people that their suffering is justified and will be rewarded in the afterlife.
It also tries to indebt people to Christianity; we’ve given you a present, you should probably come to church on Sunday.
That’s a pretty shitty message to give a kid at Christmas.
Now, just to clarify, I (and I assume most atheists) have no problem with religious charities proving help or comfort to people in need. I have a problem with people or corporations masking as charities offering help for their own means.
So, what should you do instead?
You could take part in a secular appeal like Rotary Club, which gives presents all year round (and for other religious holidays), provide for teens, babies, and families as well.
You could choose a religious organisation that distributes to people regardless of religious affiliation, like Link to Hope. They are a Christian charity but do not put any kind of literature in the boxes.
Further impact can be made via donations of money (and here) rather than items as it allows charities to prioritise donations and also prevents there being too many items for one subset and not enough for another.
Making: Inspirational Art Mirror
Take a plain mirror and some alphabet stickers.
Sorted by Letter
Choose a phrase to incorporate into your art.
Yeah!
Test out the phrase on the mirror before sticking it down: you don’t want to get halfway through and mess up the design.
Yeah, that’s my finger!
Stick the letters down: you may have to buff down the mirror afterwards because you’ve left fingerprints on the glass.
But first, let me take a selfie!
Paint it all, let it dry, and then peel the stickers off.
The Importance of Being Angry
You know what really grinds my gears?
When people say; “Getting angry never solved anything”.
Shout Out: Post It Forward Blog
As someone who has a mental health problem -and does not have fabulous experience with traditional treatments- I’m always happy to see new social attempts to tackle mental illness.
In fact, I’m massively in favour of a set-up like AA but for people who have mental heath problems because sharing is one of the best tools you have to fight depression, anxiety etc.
That’s why I’ve chosen Post It Forward as my May Shout Out. In the same vein as Whisper app and Post Secret, it encourages people not to keep their secrets bottled up; if you don’t feel confident telling someone you know IRL, it can be good to share anonymously on the internet.
Post It Foward Blog
Street Art and Artivism
A while ago, I wrote this piece on political art:
Today, I’d like to show you some political art that I saw in Brick Lane, East London in early October.
What do these mean to you? Have you seen any interesting political art in your area?
Sound off in the comments below.
For further pictures of political art, check out my Instagram.
If Donald Trump was in Mean Girls
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