Few things are more thrilling than ripping open a Christmas present, but the shiny wrapping paper that gets thrown away afterward usually goes straight to the landfill. North Carolinian costume designer Olivia Mears, known on social media as avantgeek, has come up with a brilliant way to reuse those picked-over packages - by turning them into majestic dresses.
The ingenious idea came to Mears back in late December of 2013, and after going viral with her first design, it became clear that the eco-conscious dresses would have to become a yearly tradition. "I'm continuously inspired to find unconventional or recyclable things to make dresses/art out of," she wrote about the concept. Each dress is composed of recycled wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, and plenty of glitter. If you've ever imagined what a Disney princess might wear to a Christmas party, this is undeniably it.
Scroll down to see what the same woman who made an incredible pizza dress earlier this year gets up to around the holidays, and let us know if you'd dare to try putting one of these together with your leftover Christmas chaos.
"I've been making dresses from wrapping paper after the holidays for a few years," says designer Olivia Mears
"This is the first wrapping paper dress I made back in 2013 from paper and decorations leftover from the Christmas mayhem"
"There are few things I enjoy more than giant bows on butts"
"The most recent one from this year. I used the paper that was left after wrapping gifts for this dress"
"[2014's] dress made from paper, decorations, tape & glue, also with a petticoat for support"
"I've reconstructed this one a few times, once after getting caught in the rain..."
"I'm continuously inspired to find unconventional or recyclable things to make dresses/art out of"
"Bonus photo of my Christmas sweater. I'm a fire hazard"
