I think there's something magical about taking the time to make the presents feel unique and intentional and just as thoughtful on the outside as what they are unwrapping. There were many many years where I didn't put as much thought into wrapping gifts. I'd grab whatever paper we had and scribble a name with sharpie on the outside. It got the job done, but to be honest, I put SO much thought into selecting the perfect gift, and then the delivery always felt like a let down. As I started collecting pretty rolls of wrapping paper and ribbon throughout the year, I started really appreciating how wrapping a gift in beautiful paper with a pretty ribbon added so much to the experience of giving! And receiving, honestly!
This year, I'm prepared! I'm wrapping as gifts arrive (and taking notes, because I always forget what's in the box) so I can take my time making each gift as pretty as can be. Ribbons and all. Above is a tiny sneak peek of my pile so far.
This year I'm going for a variety of papers that aren't match-y but feel collected. Using a mix of papers and ribbons is going to keep things looking really fresh. Another great tip is to go out to your own yard and clip some greenery to tuck into those sweet bows!
I rounded up some of my favorites to get you started.
Wrapping Paper
1. Brown Kraft $13
2. Black Kraft $10
3. Golden Stars & Moon $22
4. Candy Cane Stripe $6
5. Ice Skating $10
6. Tonal Plaid & Tick Stripe $10
7. Plaid Tiding $5
8. Mistletoe Gold $10
9. Champagne Glitter $10
10. Gingerbread Houses $3
11. Nutcracker $10
12. White Holly Berries $5
13. Vintage Watercolor $12
14. North Star $10
15. Gold Scattered Star $6
16. Fraser Red Tartan $8
17. Deck The Halls $10
18. Ticking Stripe $5
19. Evergreen Mistletoe $10
20. Holiday Plaid $10
Shop Holiday Gift Wrap
Ribbon
1. Frayed Velvet $16
2. Suzanne Plaid $39
3. Moss Velvet $22
4. Rust Velvet $22
5. Antiqued Frayed Velvet $32
6. Terracotta Chiffon Fringe $14
7. Metallic Braided $12
8. Navy Velvet $6
9. Slate Blue Velvet $8
10. Cotton Stitched $9
11. Black Grosgrain Stripe $28
12. Red Check $24
13. Khaki Velvet $14
14. Tartan Plaid $17
15. Natural Tartan Plaid Twill $4
16. Hand Dyed Evergreen $3
17. Swiss Velvet $5
18. Red Cotton Stripe $12
19. Black Cotton Stripe $14
Shop Holiday Ribbon
Other Holiday Round-ups We've Shared
Christmas Trees
Christmas Tree Skirts & Collars
Holiday Wreaths
Holiday Stockings
Complete 2021 Holiday Gift Guide
...and that's a wrap. ;)
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That top photo is the prettiest one I've seen all day! All those gorgeous colors, textures and patterns together...I'm swooning. Thanks for this round up!
I love making pretty presents too, and recently we switched to putting things under the tree a week or two before Christmas and we get to admire them much longer. I used to be horrified that some families' presents would show up before midnight on Christmas Eve, but I'm mellowing lol. I love Home Goods wrapping papers as they are all $3-4 and nicely thick. Ribbon from thrifting, dollar store, and clearance bins has worked great for me. I enjoy grabbing some when I see a good material for cheap so I always have a decent stash - we save most of our ribbon from family celebrations anyway so I don't need to buy much from year to year.
These are all absolutely beautiful. I just wanted to throw out another idea for the holidays/gifts. When my kids were little, about 15 years ago, I told them that Santa picked us for a new sustainability initiative he was trying out. If we made fabric bags and left them under the tree that Christmas eve, he would reuse those bags for our gifts every year. We went to the quilting fabric store and they each picked 4 holiday patterns that they liked and I did too. I tried to steer them toward 3 classic timeless patterns and 1 fun kid pick. We bought pretty ribbon and I made about 30 drawstring bags of every shape and size, including 2 that were huge, maybe 40 x 30, since kids toys can be pretty big. I also bought a few multi packs of cute holiday socks that we use to put stocking stuffers in. My xmas eve wrapping has been a cinch (drawstring bag pun) ever since, and, especially now that they are older we have almost no waste to clean up/throw away/recycle after gift giving. I also bought a bulk pack of thick cardboard gift tags and labeled them TO: Kiddos Name & FROM: Santa or Mommy and Daddy that we use over and over. We now use reusable bags for all gifts, and so do other members of our extended family and since each family has their own patterns we know who to give the bags back to at the end of each gifting event. One more idea, for large gifts a beautiful scarf or even table cloth with a lovely ribbon works great!
I love this idea and will probably steal it for next year. I always hate to see the big garage bag of wrapping paper and bows. I really don’t like speaking hours wrapping gifts either. Thank you.
What a wonderfully creative idea!
I love this idea. Thank you for sharing. Feels like a great compromise between beauty and reducing waste.