That’s a Wrap!
That’s a Wrap!
While most are finished shopping for Christmas, many haven’t wrapped the fruits of their shopping labor just yet. As a self-professed paper snob, wrapping gifts (albeit last minute) is one of the joys I have during the Christmas season. It is a time for me to unwind and reflect on each recipient of the carefully selected or hand-made gift I have chosen for them. With the fast-pace holiday shopping, rampant commercialization, gift card craze and on-line shopping, Christmas for some has lost a bit of the nostalgic delight in gift-giving.
A few years ago, I was asked to wrap a few empty boxes for a Christmas photo shoot for a local magazine. Reading the published article made me realize how special it truly is to receive not only a well-thought out gift, but to have it beautifully presented as well. Perhaps, taking the time to painstakingly wrap each gift will reward you with a bit of that lost gratification.
A few years ago, I was asked to wrap a few empty boxes for a Christmas photo shoot for a local magazine. Reading the published article made me realize how special it truly is to receive not only a well-thought out gift, but to have it beautifully presented as well. Perhaps, taking the time to painstakingly wrap each gift will reward you with a bit of that lost gratification.
This blog post is to show how easy it is to make packages beautiful by using a variety of papers (some hand-made and some store purchased), ribbons and accessories found around the home. I love using a variety of papers and making each package different.
My most ornate gift wrap was done with hand-marbled paper, wired silk ribbon, silk poinsettia and hydrangea, metallic gold sprigs and a glittery snowflake and a calligraphed, letterpressed gift tag on Cut Card Stock Crane 100% cotton paper in Pearl White.
This gift was also wrapped with hand-marbled paper. It was adorned with paper roses I created from Cut Card Stock Stardream Metallic paper in Antique Gold (which is on sale btw!) I used a gold lacy ribbon and some metallic and berry sprigs to tie in all the colors within the paper.
One of my favorite packages features a lovely sheet of Italian paper gift wrap with tiny red fleur-de-lis. (I use this paper for envelope linings as well). I used some inexpensive twine instead of ribbon, wrote my daughter’s name on a plastic ornament and embellished with a sprig of green dogwood & pinecones.
I love this hand-marbled paper because it looks like it snowed on it!!! Living in south Louisiana, it almost never snows, so I try to bring it into my holiday decorating wherever I can!
For this gift, I used bakers twine, a sprig of leaves & berries that I circled into a wreath, and a few pheasant plumes. The tag is made from Cut Card Stock Classic Crest Natural White.
This package was wrapped with a store-bought paper and tied with a 4″ burlap ribbon. I added a twig with shimmer red flowers and a pheasant plume. The tag is made from Cut Card Stock Classic Crest Natural White. and tied on with bakers twine.
This paper was another store-bought paper. I used the same burlap ribbon, but added some glitter branches in a circular pattern to look like a snowflake. I added a few gold-embellished leaves and tied on a gift tag using bakers twine.
For someone sweet, I used a hand-marbled paper that reminded me of candy and used a simple green rik-rak ribbon and tied in some rock candy and white ting-ting. The gift tag was letterpressed using Cut Card Stock Crane 100% cotton paper in Pearl White.
I’m obsessed with this hand-marbled paper! I’m sorry I don’t have a ream of it, but am happy to be using it for wrapping a special present for a special person. To adorn it, I used some jingle-bell garland instead of ribbon and tied on a french horn ornament I had for years in my ornament box. I added a small sprig of metallic red flowers and of course a gift tag made from Cut Card Stock Classic Crest Natural White.
Here are a few tips of how to create your own lovely packages:
Don’t be in a rush. Plan to spend several hours gift wrapping. If you don’t have time, use pretty gift bags instead! You can still tie on some ornaments, garland or candy-canes to give it that little extra something!
Christmas gift wrap doesn’t have to be themed or traditional Christmas colors. I use papers I collect all year around and add festive embellishments.
Christmas gift wrap doesn’t have to be themed or traditional Christmas colors. I use papers I collect all year around and add festive embellishments.
Gather the necessary tools in advance – boxes, scissors (two or more pairs as they always seem to disappear when you need them), invisible tape as opposed to transparent tape, glue-gun, double sided tape, glue dots or score tape from Cut Card Stock, ribbons, twine, string, papers, gift tags, tissue and lots of accessories to embellish the packages!
Some accessory ideas are pinecones, twigs, feathers, flowers, shells, small ornaments, garland, candy, bells, small toys……you get the picture!!!!
Work on a large table, not on the floor! Your back with thank you, and your finished packages will be neater.
Play some holiday music to keep you in the Christmas mood (iheartradio has a station called North Pole Radio — it offers a great variety of old and new songs that will definitely have you singing along)! This is especially helpful for when you lose your tape or wrap a present and forget who it is for, and have to unwrap and re-wrap!
Play some holiday music to keep you in the Christmas mood (iheartradio has a station called North Pole Radio — it offers a great variety of old and new songs that will definitely have you singing along)! This is especially helpful for when you lose your tape or wrap a present and forget who it is for, and have to unwrap and re-wrap!
Take your time and cut the paper to the proper size while flat, crease all edges and corners well and tape all gaping edges. Don’t skimp on ribbon if you want to make large, lovely bows on your packages. Wire ribbon keeps its shape nicely while softer, non-wired ribbon tend to be more flowy.
Be creative and have fun!!!!
Be creative and have fun!!!!
String wrapped around and around and around and around and around and around.
then a sprig of juniper & letterpress gift tag on Cut Card Stock Crane 100% Cotton Pearl White paper.
A hand-made egg-nog flavored candy cane on top!!! That’s all I have to say about this yummy gift!
Simple Kraft Paper and some printed burlap ribbon with metallic branches. Simple and pretty!
Gold woven ribbon w/ mercury glass ornament and juniper sprig on hand-marbled paper.
To wrap it up, even if your gifts are a flop, your recipients will appreciate the effort and beauty you put into making the present presentable!
Remember, the gift is in the giving!
Cheers!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to each and every one of you!
May the joy and light of the Christmas spirit be with you and your loved ones.
Blessings,
Kathryn
If you’d like to see more of my work, please visit my website at www.dellacarta.com.
P.s. thank you Audrey Dugas for helping me photography my gifts!!! I have one in the pile just for you! <3
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