I got an awesome little gift a few days ago, unexpected and very much related to trash society. The gift? An origami box with a photo album inside, all made with junk mail and paper stuff from the recycling bin. Check it out…
Notice the thought behind this, not only of the gift itself, but the details in the design. First, I love anything repurposed and artistically saved from a landfill. Second, the incredible craftsmanship. I only wish I could do something like this. I did help my son make a mini shirt out of a dollar bill once, and after that, I have a much greater appreciation for the origami skills. Third, the music sheets were chosen because they wouldn’t compete with the photos and because it’s songs we did at church.
Robert, who is extremely musically and “origamically” skilled, made this. His wife, Maria, is and incredible writer and you may have read some of her articles in Frisco Style Magazine. Thank you SO much you guys! Not only for the gift, but for the examples you’re setting with it.
It’s the thought that counts.
There are many ways to keep stuff out of landfills.
Use your creative brain.
Handmade gifts are meaningful and thoughtful.
Junk is free art supplies.
I also received 2 Christmas gifts this week. First one, a keychain made from all recycled and repurposed things. I love it and I’ve added it to my backpack. The other is a super-soft knit scarf, and it’s not new. That makes it also super-special, because my friend knows me well enough to know I prefer used or repurposed things. Anyone can go to a retail store and buy mass produced gifts. And that’s not a bad thing, sometimes really great when you know to buy something the receiver will love. One of my friends bought her friend a Sixteen Candles Jake Ryan t-shirt and she loves it! That scream you heard last Wednesday? Yes, that was Caron getting her t-shirt.
Whether you’re making a gift or buying a gift, just keep in mind who it’s for. Will they like it? Will it mean something to them? Don’t just buy a gift because you feel obligated. If we all stand up for this concept, buying a gift only when it comes from the heart, has a purpose for it and a meaning behind it, we can make a small meaningful change in our materialistic world. Less in landfills, more in meaningful relationships. :)