GIFT WRAPPING

Materials

• Tissue paper • Scissors • Cotton parcel string • Small block of wood • Emulsion paint

For the paper

To give a subtle aged effect, a piece of tissue paper is scrunched into a ball, then smoothed out again onto a flat surface. This also disguises any folds caused during storage. To print on the paper, a length of cotton parcel string is wound around a small block of wood and tied tightly. The block is dabbed into a saucer of emulsion paint and used as a printing block to create a pattern on the paper. Alternating the angle of the block on each row creates a basket weave effect. The paper is set aside to dry before using to wrap a gift.

For the tassel

To create a decorative tassel, string is wound around the hand approximately 10 times. More or fewer wraps may be needed, depending on the thickness of the string. The hoop of bound string is then carefully removed from the hand and placed on a flat surface. A single 20in (51cm) length of string is cut and used to tie the strands of the hoop together at the top with a double knot. The long ends are left on, as these will be used to tie the tassel to the parcel once finished. A second 20in (51cm) length of string is used to bind the strands together, ½in (1.3cm) below the point where they are knotted together. Care is taken to achieve a neat finish, tying the two ends tightly and trimming them. The bottom loops of the tassel are cut and the ends trimmed to make the strands level.