New Memphis Gift Wrap

For a colorful take on holiday gift wrap, revel in New Memphis style this season! In fact, the Memphis-Milano revival is quite liberating, as it celebrates hand-drawn style, as well as shapes such as squiggles and zigzags. In other words, the pressure to be perfect is gone. The whimsical trumps the precise any day! By creating colorful inserts for basic organza gift bags, you can take gift card wrapping to the next level…

Supplies

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

organza fabric bags
tissue paper
card stock
white craft paint
a paintbrush
scissors
a ruler and/or a paper cutter
gift cards or other small items (to wrap)

While I had several spare organza bags (they once held note cards I ordered from Etsy), you can always purchase them online through retailers such as Paper Mart. Side note: you will want to make sure and use sturdy paper for this project so it doesn’t pucker when you paint it.

Steps

Step 1: Cut your card stock to fit the organza bags. Use a ruler and scissors (or a paper cutter) to get the job done!

Step 2: Using white craft paint and a paintbrush, cover the cut paper with Memphis-Milano designs. Squiggles, zigzags, curves and sprinkles are popular choices. For more New Memphis doodle possibilities, check out this pumpkin painting post.

Step 3: Allow the paint to dry. It won’t take long–an hour tops if the air isn’t too humid.

Step 4: Place the painted card stock into the organza bag so the design can be seen through the front of the bag. The colorful paper will create a bold design, punctuating your gift wrap with modern style!

Step 5: Add tissue paper and your gift to the bag and you’re set! This colorful gift wrap idea is perfect for children and design lovers, as it doesn’t take itself too seriously, yet it celebrates one of today’s top trends: New Memphis design.

While I used ultra-bright colors for the project, you can always choose a different palette to fit your style. For example, using a silver paint pen to draw the Memphis scribbles will give the gift wrap a festive holiday twist.

While this gift wrap idea is ideal for small, flat items such as gift cards, it also works well with jewelry and other small baubles. Plus, your giftee can remove the painted card and stick it to the fridge (or a bulletin board) for a colorful accent!