Make a Southwestern Paper Pot with Gift Wrap

Don't throw away your gift wrap when you can turn it into this cool looking paper pot instead! I have seen many bowls made of magazines on the internet, in craft stores, and in craft books, so this project is not an original idea. But I thought I would give it a try using my gift wrap, and see what happens. I used Earth Love'n Paper's Rhombus Retro design to give the pot a woven, southwestern look.


Materials

Rhombus Retro Gift Wrap - roll or flat pack

Mod Podge (craft glue)

Foam Brush or Paint Brush

Glue Gun

Glue Sticks

Instructions

1. Cut long strips of gift wrap using the dotted lines on the back of the gift wrap as a guide (cut along very other dotted line). The width of the strips should be 2 inches.

2. Fold each strip in half, lengthwise along the dotted line so that the colored paper is on the outside. Fold the strip again lengthwise so that each strip is 1/2 inch wide.

3. After you have folded about 10 to 15 strips, begin coiling one strip tightly around. This will become the bottom of the pot. Use the glue gun to put glue along the center of the coil. Add a second strip where the first strip ends. Insert the second strip into the end of the first strip and glue it down.

After I got the hang of gluing and coiling, my younger daughter squeezed the glue and I rolled the coil. She loved helping out, and is very pleased with the final result. Make sure you face each strip in the same direction so that the folded edge is always the same direction. The bottom of the pot takes awhile...so don't get discouraged.

4. Once the bottom of the pot reaches the desired size, it's time to work on the sides. If you are going to use the pot for a specific plant, you may want to measure the plant prior to moving on. My base is about 4" in diameter. The folded side of the paper is on the bottom of the pot. Begin making more strips (steps 1 & 2) and wrapping them (with the folded side down) around the pot about 1/8" up from the strip below it. Put glue along the top half of the strip below the one you are placing on the pot.

5. Continue adding strips until the desired height is reached. My pot is approximately 5.5" high. To finish off the top, I placed one strip along the top of the pot so that the fold sits along the rim. I glued one half of the strip on the outside of the pot and the other half on the inside.

6. Cover the outside and inside of the pot with Mod Podge. Don't forget to Mod Podge the bottom too. This will give it some more strength and a little shine.

FYI...this is probably obvious, but the pot is not water proof, so don't water your plant in it. Have fun!