Enjoying the little things : The Magic of Bubble wrap

The magic of bubble wrap

As I was tidying up my art supplies area this week, I came across a stash of bubble wrap. I've been collecting the stuff for months, yanking it out of every package that's been delivered to our house. My family has come to look at me a bit like a turkey buzzard, hovering and circling over them as they open their parcels, waiting me for me to grab the bubble wrap before it hits the recycling bin.

This stuff is great! It has an infinite number of uses and every time I see it, I roll it up and add it to the collection, knowing that some new way of using it will pop into my head.

One artist I know uses it to print patterns onto her paintings. She rolls paint over the bubbles, pressing the stuff onto the canvases and papers. The wrap leaves great textures. Plus, it can be rinsed off for reusing.

One of my favorite ways to use this stuff is to squeeze it. Grabbing a sheet of it, I work my way across the surface, bursting one bubble after another. The wrap with the larger bubbles creates a very loud and satisfying sound. It has also been fun to stomp on the stuff. The cats don't much care for the noise and scatter in all directions.

Last year, Pee Wee Herman mentioned in an article that someone had come up with an awesome stress reliever...virtual bubble wrap. A free phone app, it allows the user to touch and pop wrap while on the bus, in the cubicle or any other place where that kind of fun is needed. An excellent resource if you do not have the actual stuff in your hands.

Next time you come across a piece of bubble wrap, pop it and see what kind of enjoyment comes from it.