New Again Gift Wrap (#1)

Unwrapping a gift is half the fun of getting one, so I'm always looking for cool ways to package presents without generating new garbage. For this swap, you'll send your partner attractive and easy-to-use wrapping made primarily from materials that have already served their first purpose. It should be big enough to hold a gift roughly three inches on a side (the size of a Rubik's Cube). If you're making single-use wrapping, send enough for three separate gifts that size. If what you've made can be used over and over again, you only need to send one.

For example, in the swap picture, you see:

• a dishwashing powder canister decorated with leftover electrical tape (reusable; I'd send one),

• a string-drawn bag made of fabric salvaged from the sleeves of two worn-out shirts (reusable; I'd send one), and

• a sheet of wrapping paper woven from pieces of unsolicited sales circulars the post office won't stop bringing me (single-use, so I'd send three of these).

Include a little note explaining what you rescued from Trash Mountain to make the wrapping. It can be as simple as what I wrote above, or you can give more details; even instructions for the project. Whatever floats your boat.

The swap is sender's choice, but don't send wrapping themed around a particular celebration or event unless you've cleared it with the recipient beforehand. Make sure the wrapping is opaque, so whatever's later given in it will remain a surprise until it's opened. And don't send anything dirty or shabby. (It's supposed to be made from something that might have become trash if you hadn't found such a clever way to reuse it, not something that looks like it already is.)

I will angel if I must, but it would be a bummer if anybody flaked. That shouldn't be a problem, since it's a group swap, but to reduce the likelihood further I won't allow you to sign up for this swap if you have a "1" rating unless you can give me a very good reason it's not at least a "3". And if you have any recent "3" ratings, I'll want to know what you're doing to repair those.