miskabelle vintage: DIY: 6 Uses for Brown Craft Paper

I first started buying rolls of brown craft (kraft?) paper when we were using it to wrap our packages for Miskabelle. As a little tip: the brown paper rolls (used for drop cloth) in the painting section of a hardware store/area are WAY cheaper than the ones sold in the mail packaging area! It has become something I like to keep on hand for random projects. Or if you're even more resourceful, you could use paper grocery bags for some of these projects, rather than buying a roll of paper! Here are a few fun uses for this recycled paper...

1. GIFT WRAP
...tie it up with burlap string and write a message on the outside. Simple and chic.

2. GIFT TAGS
...cut a square, fold in half and punch a hole at the corner. Use any string or yarn you have laying around to tie it to the gift.

3. ART TABLE
...now that it's cold, our messy projects have to take place indoors. No big deal-- I just use masking tape to wrap our dining room table. Keeps it safe from messy little artists. This also works as a coloring mat--just let the kiddos go crazy!

4. BIRTHDAY SIGN
...I have always made signs to celebrate family members' birthdays. I like unrolling a pretty big section of paper so the sign makes a big impact! Paint on your message, using whatever paint you have on hand. (the one below was from our mom's 50th party, which took place at a sportsman club...please excuse the antlers!)

5. TABLE RUNNER
...another easy project with big impact--perfect for a party! I just used oil pastels to draw some stripes down the paper--sort of gives it a faux-textile look. I like the idea of clear glass vases for a centerpiece so the runner shows through.

6. PLACE MATS
...or you could make place mats in lieu of a table runner. I used an existing placemat to measure out the proper size. Same stripes technique but I boxed in the edges. Again, clear glass place settings, so your placemat can shine through!

I'm sure we could think of a million other ways to utilize this paper...these are just a few we've tried so far. It is definitely a great staple to keep around for last minute projects!

xo
Jayme