How should I wrap a Christmas Cache of LARP weapons?
November 30, 2010 1:45 PM Subscribe
I decided to buy my wife a small Medieval LARP weapons cache for Christmas. I know she will like it, but I want to wrap this gift so it will really wow her. I am in need of a clever or creative suggestion to put together this gift - without spending more than about 25 bucks on some sort of the thematic presentation. Help me tie up the best gift ever!
The Christmas Cache includes a LARP dagger with dagger frog, LARP throwing knife with throwing knife frog, Medieval hooded cape, and a brown leather two-bottle potion pouch.
The largest item is the LARP dagger, measuring about 16 inches long from end to end and is at most about 4 inches wide at the crossguard and hilt. The boot knife is much smaller - approximately 10 inches long and 2 inches at the widest. The frogs and potion bottle pouch are much smaller and could easily fit into the empty space around the dagger or throwing knife in some sort of box/chest with the dagger. I cannot afford to risk damaging the dagger and throwing knife by bending or flexing them to fit into something.
The bulkiest item is the hooded cape. The cape can be rolled or folded, but was delivered folded flat "tablecloth style" into a rectangle about 12 inches by 14 inches.
I would love to "wrap" the gift in something that can be used to store the weapons and accessories in the future - and maybe even allow room for the costuming collection to grow. Something with a wooden/leather or generally Medieval look and feel would be amazing. The gift recipient loves Ren Faires, Assassin's Creed, Warhammer RPG, murder mystery dinner parties, anything closed with a wax seal, Harry Potter, the History Channel, and me - especially when I am wearing my full Stormtrooper armor.
I really need to keep spending on the case/wrap to about $25 to stay within my budget. I am willing to buy something, or invest time in making something if light crafting is involved. I have decent skills with a sewing machine, dremel tool, and soldiering iron. I am a genius with duct tape and a hot glue gun.
I very much appreciate the help and ideas!
The Christmas Cache includes a LARP dagger with dagger frog, LARP throwing knife with throwing knife frog, Medieval hooded cape, and a brown leather two-bottle potion pouch.
The largest item is the LARP dagger, measuring about 16 inches long from end to end and is at most about 4 inches wide at the crossguard and hilt. The boot knife is much smaller - approximately 10 inches long and 2 inches at the widest. The frogs and potion bottle pouch are much smaller and could easily fit into the empty space around the dagger or throwing knife in some sort of box/chest with the dagger. I cannot afford to risk damaging the dagger and throwing knife by bending or flexing them to fit into something.
The bulkiest item is the hooded cape. The cape can be rolled or folded, but was delivered folded flat "tablecloth style" into a rectangle about 12 inches by 14 inches.
I would love to "wrap" the gift in something that can be used to store the weapons and accessories in the future - and maybe even allow room for the costuming collection to grow. Something with a wooden/leather or generally Medieval look and feel would be amazing. The gift recipient loves Ren Faires, Assassin's Creed, Warhammer RPG, murder mystery dinner parties, anything closed with a wax seal, Harry Potter, the History Channel, and me - especially when I am wearing my full Stormtrooper armor.
I really need to keep spending on the case/wrap to about $25 to stay within my budget. I am willing to buy something, or invest time in making something if light crafting is involved. I have decent skills with a sewing machine, dremel tool, and soldiering iron. I am a genius with duct tape and a hot glue gun.
I very much appreciate the help and ideas!
I have no concrete suggestions, but you are an awesome partner! Good luck!
posted by toodleydoodley at 1:55 PM on November 30, 2010
posted by toodleydoodley at 1:55 PM on November 30, 2010
You could buy one of these, put the cape on it, put a belt around the waist and hang the weapons and potion pouch from the belt.
As a bonus, you'll have a super creepy headless quadruple-amputee in your house forevermore.
posted by 256 at 1:56 PM on November 30, 2010
As a bonus, you'll have a super creepy headless quadruple-amputee in your house forevermore.
posted by 256 at 1:56 PM on November 30, 2010
A nice wooden box would be good - this guy on ebay has a few, and appears to offer custom quotes. You could embellish such a box nicely and it would do to store the items, particularly the small ones.
posted by Medieval Maven at 2:02 PM on November 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Medieval Maven at 2:02 PM on November 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I'd start haunting local thrift and antique stores looking for a vintage wooden chest or steamer trunk. Or perhaps an old-fashioned hat box, which has the added bonus of being portable. Great gift by the way, very sweet!
posted by platinum at 2:07 PM on November 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by platinum at 2:07 PM on November 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
A wooden treasure chest would seem the obvious option. There are some on etsy for around your price point.
posted by vorfeed at 2:07 PM on November 30, 2010
posted by vorfeed at 2:07 PM on November 30, 2010
It's out of your price range at $99, but this one would be a great LARP/RenFaire/general 'questing' rucksack and would fit her new toys and old gear too. Just cut off the leather brandname tag or have her cover it with her favorite medallion/pin/brooch/amulet.
Cosmetically it would be pretty appropriate for everything from LOTR to Steampunk, and if she games, the idea of 'items you can carry/outer pockets as available slots for magic items' would be cute.
If you've got a military surplus store handy, you might be able to find some similar basic canvas rucksack for cheaper that you could make look more 'period'?
posted by bartleby at 2:08 PM on November 30, 2010
Cosmetically it would be pretty appropriate for everything from LOTR to Steampunk, and if she games, the idea of 'items you can carry/outer pockets as available slots for magic items' would be cute.
If you've got a military surplus store handy, you might be able to find some similar basic canvas rucksack for cheaper that you could make look more 'period'?
posted by bartleby at 2:08 PM on November 30, 2010
Any chance you could have her quest to the basement and find some sort of shrine with it down there? I'm thinking resetting breakers.
posted by Nanukthedog at 2:48 PM on November 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Nanukthedog at 2:48 PM on November 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
Do you have any ferocious pets (or friends, I suppose) that could stand in as monsters that she needs to defeat before she reaches the treasure chest?
posted by contraption at 3:01 PM on November 30, 2010
posted by contraption at 3:01 PM on November 30, 2010
I don't know about a long term storage, but you could have it wrapped up in some kind of cloth, like a long-forgotten item, along with a letter quilled to tell a story of the items and the heroine it was destined for.
posted by yeloson at 3:38 PM on November 30, 2010
posted by yeloson at 3:38 PM on November 30, 2010
It probably wouldn't work as permanent weapon storage, but how about a nice wooden barrel? It'd look nice and it could be used in your LARPing I imagine.
Not sure on the price of barrels though.
posted by ian1977 at 5:41 PM on November 30, 2010
Not sure on the price of barrels though.
posted by ian1977 at 5:41 PM on November 30, 2010
I suggest turning the gifting into a treasure hunt. Place the items in different locations and have one lead to the other. Perhaps the last destination would be you dressed in your Stormtrooper regalia for an evening of adventure. ;)
posted by effluvia at 7:44 PM on November 30, 2010
posted by effluvia at 7:44 PM on November 30, 2010
Some sort of hide or skin might be appropriate and can be used as a general furnishing or for leather at a later stage. Sheepskin isn't too expensive, but you could also probably find some nice finished leather if the sheepskin is too fluffy.
posted by ninazer0 at 7:48 PM on November 30, 2010
posted by ninazer0 at 7:48 PM on November 30, 2010
Wooden chest as above, then bury it. It's just too much like buried treasure to not be buried, and the dirt and damp will make the chest more weathered and authentic-looking.
Then give her a card with a quest. The prophecy speaks of a secret map being "tattooed" on the body of the chosen one / firstborn redhead from a farway land / some other riddle that leads to you. Draw the map on yourself somewhere. let her find it :)
posted by -harlequin- at 8:07 PM on November 30, 2010
Then give her a card with a quest. The prophecy speaks of a secret map being "tattooed" on the body of the chosen one / firstborn redhead from a farway land / some other riddle that leads to you. Draw the map on yourself somewhere. let her find it :)
posted by -harlequin- at 8:07 PM on November 30, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
(Also, you could do some kind of leather drawstring pouch that could be affixed to a belt, but it seems like a basket would be less pricey and easier to find.)
P.S. Way to go for getting your lady an awesome present! Bonus points for a tag dipped in tea and written in calligraphy for an olde timey effect.
posted by chatongriffes at 1:54 PM on November 30, 2010 [1 favorite]