Make your wrapped holiday gifts magazine-cover worthy this year. As part of our Countdown to Christmas! series, we’re here to help you wrap each and every present with so much pizzazz that even Martha Stewart would approve! Whether you’re gifting simple-to-wrap boxes or awkward-shaped items, we’ve got you covered — in gorgeous wrapping ideas that is!
Wrapping Foods
From a bottle of wine for a holiday party hostess, to a dozen handmade macaroons for your sweetheart, wrapping fragile food items can be a challenge. So, think beyond traditional gift wrap and holiday gift bags.
Decorative Metal Tins:
Baked goods, hand-dipped candies, and any delicate treat can easily tuck inside a metal tin. Choose a container printed with a festive pattern. Then layer tissue paper or shredded paper crinkles inside to keep the sweets from crumbling. Finish the package with a hand-made bow in a color complimenting the tin.
Chinese Take-out Boxes:
Tuck your edible gift deep inside an Asian-inspired food delivery box. From traditional white paper boxes to more elegant colored varieties from the craft store, you have options. Use this type of wrapping to secure a jar of homemade jam, a miniature loaf of sweet bread, or even a stack of homemade cookies. Tie a gift tag to the metal handle and you’re set.
Fabric Sleeves:
For bottles of bubbly, use insulated, padded sleeves. These protect wine and liquor from breaking during transport while hiding the label on the bottle, keeping the gift a partial mystery until opened. Use a square of felt embellished with buttons or upcycle a sweater sleeve to make a bottle koozie.
Wrapping Boxes
Although square and rectangle packages may be easy to wrap, they’re often overlooked when it comes to getting extra creative with presentation. After all, boxes practically wrap themselves. This Christmas, try one of these ideas to add style to a standard package.
Fabric:
Do you have a tiny, special gift to wrap? Use a swatch of ornate fabric to conceal the present. Choose from delicately embroidered cloth to elegant sheer silk. With a few touches of fabric glue at the corners, wrapping with fabric is a snap. Then embellish the package with a curly cloth ribbon.
Newsprint:
Go simple and modern by recycling the pages of yesterday’s newspaper. The colorful comics or lines of printed gray text both look fabulous, depending on the gift recipient’s taste. Keep the package whimsical by using another bit of newsprint to craft a paper bow and gift tag to complete the package.
Tissue Paper:
If you love the look of a solid-colored package, but don’t have any gift wrap that fits the bill, turn to tissue paper. For a simple, holiday-style, use bright red tissue paper wrapped with a silky ivory-colored ribbon. Or, get crafty and use a stamp and ink pad to create your own custom patterned gift wrap. You can easily jazz up white tissue paper by adding tiny evergreen tree stamps. Finish with red ribbon for an extra pop of seasonal color.
Paper Bag:
Love a rustic look? Dig out that stack of old paper grocery bags and use the unprinted parts of the sacks to wrap gifts. Then embellish the boxes with an imperfect raffia ribbon bow or a strap of dyed burlap topped with a vintage broach. Beautiful!
Wrapping Weird Shapes
Sometimes the perfect gift simply doesn’t come in a box or fit into a bag. When you have an oversize, awkward-shaped present to give, think about presenting it in a unique way since you can’t wrap it.
The Embellishments:
First decorate the gift as much as possible. We all know a new bicycle for your son is impossible to wrap. Instead, cover it with cascading bunches of curly ribbon and a huge hand-printed gift tag. He’ll know it’s a holiday present the minute he sees it! You can also use balloons, garland, holiday lights, and oversize bows to embellish uncommon gifts.
The Reveal:
Once the gift is decorated, don’t simply hand it over. Make the recipient work for it! Try using treasure hunt clues, or guide the gift recipient to the garage or porch while they wear a blind fold. This builds up the suspense so much they won’t even notice they don’t have to tear through wrapping paper to get to the surprise.
Accessorizing Like a Pro
To give your holiday gifts a true makeover, skip the bows. Although they are the most common gift-topper, think of new decorative elements to make each gift pop. Here’s a few of our favorites.
- Tiny Jingle Bells: If you’re using narrow ribbon as an accent, thread a tiny bell or two on to finish the wrapping.
- Pinecones: When you’re going for a natural, recycled theme, a pinecone works well in lieu of a fluffy bow.
- Cinnamon Sticks: Add a pleasant fragrance and style by tying a small bundle of cinnamon sticks atop a colorful package.
- Holly or Evergreen: Get Earthy and use clippings from an evergreen tree or holly bush to spruce up a gift.
- Flower Bloom: Whether you use a faux silk bloom or a fresh clipping from an indoor plant, a flower bloom adds color and elegance to any gift.
- Decorative Buttons: Go whimsical and thread chunky buttons through ribbon to finish the wrapping.
- Small Ornament: When using solid-colored wrapping paper, add sparkle by securing a tiny Christmas tree ornament to the package.
- Cookie Cutter: Does the gift-receiver love to bake? Add a seasonal cookie cutter to the top of the present.
- Paper Snowflake: Let the kids get crafty with paper and a scissors, or use paper doilies from the craft store, to cover the top of a gift.
- Candy Cane: This classic holiday candy atop a child’s present is like receiving two gifts in one!
- Photo: This year, print out tiny photos and adhere them to the top of each gift to take a trip down memory lane with the gift recipients.
- Tiny Tin: From miniature tubs of lip gloss to flavored mints, use two-way stick tape to secure a tiny tin to the top of a holiday present.
- Candy Bar: Many candy manufacturers make special holiday treats. Add a few of these to your gift wrapping pile.
Wrapping Tips and Tricks
Now that your head is swirling like a snowglobe with multiple gift wrapping ideas to try and embellishments to shop for, take a step back. The best holiday gifts don’t simply fall together. They’re planned in advance. Keep these tips in mind as you shop for supplies.
Choose a color palette.
To make the pile of gifts under the tree truly photogenic, pick two or three colors and stick with those when buying gift wrap, bags, ribbon, gift tags, and embellishments. For example try red, silver, and white. Or, experiment with green and gold.
Mix and match textures.
Don’t be afraid to veer away from traditional smooth papers and ribbons. Three-dimensional ribbon with tiny charms, thick burlap ribbon, fluffy yarn, velvet fabric, and stiff craft paper can add variety to a wrapped gift.
Venture beyond red and green.
Just because it’s the holiday doesn’t mean Santa Claus or red and green patterns must dominate every package. This year try using more shades of blue, gold, silver, and white. Experiment with stars, snowflakes, and evergreen trees as decorative elements.
Start stocking up on gift wrapping supplies now. As you find special gifts, take the time to lovingly wrap the presents with the gift-recipients in mind. Current Catalog has wrapping paper, bows, bags, note cards, and treat holders on sale to help you turn your gift wrapping space into Santa’s workshop this season!
