Last year, around this time, I reported that I have in my possession this stash of vintage wrapping paper that I bought at a yard sale many years ago and have been hauling from house to house ever since. I never wanted to use it just for wrapping presents, so I decided to use it for….keeping in a box in my basement. I’m very practical that way.
But then I finally broke it out last year and put a few pieces of it in frames and hung them up in my foyer for Christmas.
And then this year I got really wild and made some Christmas trees out of it. At this rate, I’m going to be all out of vintage wrapping paper by 2030!
This is a super easy craft, but I had a little trouble figuring out exactly how to do it, so I’ll spell it all out for those of you who are 1. as spatially challenged as I am and 2. unlike me, not married to a math teacher with mad geometry skillz:
1. Select the prettiest and/or most dinosaur compatible wrapping paper from your vintage wrapping paper stash:
note: if you do not have a stash of vintage wrapping paper, you can use ANY paper you want.
2. Assemble the following materials/tools: paper, scotch tape, scissors
3. Use a compass to draw either half or full circles on the back of your paper. If you don’t have a compass or your children have lost yours, you can use string and two pencils for a makeshift compass:
The circles can be any size you want. The radius of the circle equals the height of your finished tree.
4. Cut your circle into 4 equal parts or cut your semi-circle in half. Does that make sense? You can get 4 trees from each full circle, in other words. I kept looking online for fancy templates to use, but Dave explained that really we just needed to cut up circles. No template required!
And then you just roll your quarter circle up into a cone and tape it. The curvy part becomes the flat bottom of the tree! That part blew my mind. Geometry, you are so tricky. (Seriously: NO SPATIAL REASONING ABILITIES! You should see me try to park a car).
Making it into a nice cone is sometimes trickier than it looks. Don’t get frustrated! Take a deep breath and start over if you run into trouble. It is helpful to have one cone roller and one taper.
Done! So simple even a monkey who’s better than I am at geometry could do it!
I picked up this table runner at Target to go under all the dinosaurs:
I almost got a red one, but this one was more neutral, so not just for Christmas, and also, I thought it looked kind of like dinosaur skin.
So now the dinosaur Advent calendar is surrounded by a forest of vintage Christmas trees.
Linking with:
These are super cute. I saw some fabric that looks just like the snowmen. I wanted to buy it but had no use for it. I’ll drool over your trees instead!
Umm. I’m jealous!
Of your awesome vintage paper!!
I’m a little paper-freak (Ask the people in the printing company where I made an internship, they will tell stories…) and also love vintage illustrations. And I would also keep this paper in a box. Ahemm 😉
Oh, and yes, I also love your decoration you created – nearly forgot to say that… 😀
Wish you a great start in the week!
Love, Midsommarflicka
Thank you! yes, I definitely have a special love of old paper, too 🙂
EEEK! these are SO freakin fun, gretchen! LOVE!
Thanks, Cassie!
I’m jealous of your paper too. Such a fun, simple and awesome project
Thanks, Julia!
Fancy dinos and vintage wrapping paper…who would have thought they’d be a match made in heaven?
That wrapping paper is incredible. I’m so jealous. I don’t blame you for hoarding it. It will be a sad day when it’s all gone.
I’ll have to hold on to the last piece and order my family to bury me with it 😉
I totally don’t have dinos, or cool vintage wrapping paper, but I love this idea!!! So cute!!!
Thanks, Tania!
That paper is to die for! The trees turned out so great. I would hoard the paper too. Ration a little out per year 🙂 I like it.
Right?! I haven’t come across any more in the decade or so since I bought that pack, so it might need to last me a lifetime 😉
Oh friend!!!! This just rocks!!!! I am over the moon for that wrapping paper!! How stunning it looks in that vignette!!!
Thanks, Nicole!
I just saw some vintage christmas wrapping paper recently and was trying to figure out what to do with it because it was just so cute. Love this idea!!
– Lora
Thanks! Probably more practical to wait until you know what to do with it than to buy it ten years in advance like I did 😉
What an amazing paper stash you have! I love that you used it for decor that can be brought out year after year instead of tossed in the trash after tearing it off a gift. Cute dinosaur advent calendar, by the way 🙂
Thanks, Caitlin! I think it would break my heart to watch someone unwrap a present with that paper and toss it in the trash 🙂
Wow that vintage paper is terrific and it looks so great with your advent calendar. I love your Christmas decor!!
Thanks, Katja!
THAT is such a fun kid-friendly scene you have going on there. I have to admit that my mind is also blown by the cone/geometry business.
This is so cute! Love the patterns on the paper, too!
Okay, I’m obsessed with cone trees this year – and I just adore the vintage paper look of yours!
Thanks so much for the amazing inspiration!
🙂 Linda
Love this, what a great idea! Stopping by from Thrifty Decor Chic.
Anna
http://askannamoseley.com
Thanks, Anna!
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