Not long ago I took home a pamphlet after browsing in a L’occitane shop for gift ideas. After reading through I felt it was too pretty not to reuse in some way. I decided to make a small gift bag, and wrap some Christmas gifts with it.

Lest it appears I’m slacking by simply recycling ads, I added mum-like pom poms using papers from my brother’s wedding. They were made this way:

1. Fold a paper strip in half. The one shown measured about 21cm x 6.2cm.
2. Make slits along the fold but leave a small distance away from the opposite edge. To quicken this step, fold the paper strip further in half/quarter lengthwise before snipping. Make slim cuts for a denser bloom.
3. Open up the strip and turn over.
4. Fold it back in half (this will “wake up” the loops made in step 2) and roll it up freehand, or with a pen.
5. & 6. Shape and tame. Use double-sided tape to hold down the end of the rolled “stem”.

The circular stem does make it tricky to attach. I tried squashing it to make it easier but that affected the overall shape. In the end I resigned myself to its inherent nature and let mounting tape take over in adhering it as a topper, or sideways (think boutonniere or corsage) and in this aspect, a ribbon strip can be added to conceal the base and serve as a gift tag.