I originally posted this as a Valentine’s Day gift wrap idea, but it also works for a beautiful holiday gift wrapping design. Enjoy this repost!
Category Archives: BOWhemian WRAPsody
ALL THINGS CHRISTMAS #3!
REPOST: TOP 10 HOLIDAY WRAPPING HACKS & TIPS (Originally posted December 2019)
Invest in a few more expensive gift embellishments.
1. Designate one paper design to each member of your family! I sometimes do this and completely omit the tags. I purchase a roll of a paper for each member of my immediate family. This saves the hassle of tagging and prevents them from peeking, as there are no names on the gifts! I use other random papers for gifts that will be leaving our house…extended family, friends and co-workers.
2. Budget hack: Invest in a few more expensive gift embellishments, but reserve them for immediately family. This allows you to re-use them year after year.
3. Gift Boxes: I have a large tub of gift boxes that I use over and over again. Not only does this mean I always have a stash of boxes, but also that the sizes of boxes I use are pretty standard. I have a variety of styles, so that once under the tree, they are not all typical shirt boxes. I also wrap with varied focal points, so some are off centre or even positioned vertically to add interest.
4. Good quality ribbon can get very pricey. By using the same boxes from year to year, I can actually re-use my ribbon/embellishments as well. In fact, sometimes I just slide on a previously tied ribbon with decorative elements still tied on from the year before. (PS When you do buy new ribbon…wait for the 70% sale!)
5. The paper gets recycled once gifts are opened, but everything reusable is kept. (Ribbon, gift decorations and even the tags!) My paper changes. but I am often able to incorporate my gift decor complete with attached tags, from Christmas to Christmas. For example, my daughter might receive a gift in the exact same box with same ribbon, embellishments and tags every year. She doesn’t even realize it because the paper and gift are new! (You know what they say KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid)
6. Everyone loves a TAB TOP surprise! Save your tab top cans (Eagle Brand milk) and create a fun opening experience! Follow the link to check out my video to see how it’s done!
7. Now that I’m wrapping for tutorials, I obviously don’t do this, but for years, my strategy was always the same. I would spend hours wrapping every last gift. NO TAGS. NO RIBBON. NO EMBELLISHMENTS. I would simply print the name on the underside of the gift (tiny so it really wasn’t noticeable). I would “decorate” the gifts on a totally separate day. I would take out my stash of previously used ribbon and embellishments and re-use as much as possible. This would often just entail a few minor adjustments and perhaps (but not necessarily) a new tag. I would then create new looks for gifts that could not work with items from my previous creations due to size or colour. This method saves lots of time and money.
8. STOCKING STUFFERS: (This isn’t necessarily a wrapping tip, but I always wrap every gift in the stocking!) I always try to include a variety of items in the stockings. I try to get at least one item per category: Something to WEAR, EAT, READ, USE, and DO. I will often use the dollar store metallic paper and/or decorative tissue to wrap stocking items. I find these papers to be super pliable and easy to work with. For example, you can easily wrap a pair of socks without a box because the paper is flexible and simple to work with. I will be posting some tutorials of how I wrap stocking stuffers using this dollar store paper over the next few days, so stay tuned.
9. Wrapping Paper Cutter – I just got two of these to help with my wrapping. They work great, but don’t fit around larger paper rolls. Most of my rolls are standard size, so it’s fine, but something to be aware of if you consider purchasing one. The paper cutters make a nice straight cut and are easy to use….love them! They work well for storing paper as well, but then you’d need one for every roll. I use my DIY toilet paper roll storage system and just reserve the blades for cutting.
10. Upcycle and Repurpose anything and everything! Some of my favourites gift wrapping upcycles are jewellery, Christmas Cracker Wired Embellishments and cellophane which I love to use to make paper flower style bows.
Hopefully you’ll find some of these tips helpful….Happy wrapping!
ALL THINGS CHRISTMAS #2!
REPOST: Gift Wrapping Tips: Post 1 (Original post December 5, 2013)
I love to decorate gifts. Back in the “olden days” when I didn’t have so much on my plate, I would be done my Christmas shopping by the end of October and be completely wrapped and ready to go by the end of November. I’ve come to accept that my years of getting all my shopping done early are over. I now to do most of my shopping online and tend to leave the bulk of it until Black Friday and Cyber Monday. I still try to support local when possible, but have definitely been sucked in by the convenience of shopping from home. I’ve never been much of a shopper (other than thrift stores of course). I’m not a browser and wouldn’t think of going to the mall just “for something to do”. When I go shopping I’m generally on a mission, with a list in hand. It just does nothing for me.
Regardless of how early I complete my shopping, I always use the same system for wrapping.
- Basically, I wrapped all the gifts in one sitting (or at least most of them). This might take me several hours, but I find it works best for me. Binge wrap!
- I do not add any ribbons, bows, tags or embellishments at this time. I simply choose paper, wrap and then write the person’s name (very small) on the bottom of the gift.
- This allows me to stack and store oodles of gifts without having to compensate for the bows.
- I then set aside another block of time (several hours) and set to work decorating each gift. I love to do this and I thought I’d share a few of my favourite tricks!
Wrapping on a Budget
First of all, I spend very little on wrapping paper and embellishments. I always purchase materials when Christmas stuff is on clearance. I often pick up beautiful wire rimmed ribbon at Michael’s for up to 90% off. I also purchase many of the items I use from the dollar store. It’s all about how the items are used and combined with other elements. The example I am sharing today includes mostly dollar store items.
For this particular project, I used dollar store wrapping paper and dollar store wire rimmed ribbon. I can’t remember if I bought the wire holly garland and metallic shreds at the dollar store or not, but probably. I had both on hand from last year.
I tend to use primarily wire rimmed ribbon. I will occasionally use the curly ribbon, but most often to dress-up the embellishment a bit. I wrapped the gift with one band of ribbon and tied a nice big bow. (Did you know a BOW on a gift represents family ties and the fact that we should be tied together in bonds of goodwill?) I then slipped a bit of metallic shreds beneath the bow. The shreds are not silver or gold, but rather that clear “opalescent” look. (Don’t you love that word?) I love how it just punches up the bow and seems to fill the dead space a bit. I then like to take a 6 to 8 inch piece of wire garland and slide it under the shreds and then twist it on top of the bow to hold everything in place. I like to leave the ends of the wire garland sticking out. This look is really easy to achieve and yet takes a simple ribbon and bow and kicks it up a notch. I often choose gift tags with a string. I just prefer the “hanging” look over stickers. Such is the case with this tag. I just looped it over the wire garland.
You already know how obsessed I am with re-using and re-purposing items, so I am sure you won’t be all that surprised to know that I collect the ribbons and bows on Christmas morning and re-use many of them the following year. I have even been known to leave the tags attached and use it for the same person. Thus, my stash of beautiful ribbons and bows does not need to be replenished that often.
ALL THINGS CHRISTMAS #1! Cellophane Bows
I decided to dive into the archives throughout December and do some re-posting! I certainly hope to including some new posts as well, but watch for my daily posts about ALL THINGS CHRISTMAS…mostly a trip down memory lane re-visiting posts from Decembers past!
Gift Wrapping Tips: Post 2 (original post December 8, 2013)
I love all things pretty, but am also very frugal. Cellophane is one of my secret weapons when it comes to making gifts look great on a budget. Of course, you can pick-up a roll for a buck and get numerous bows out of one roll.
I purchase printed cellophane, solid colours and also love the look of the clear.
Cellophane Bows:
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- Purchase dollar store cellophane and cut off 2 to 3 strips. I generally make my strips the about 4 inches wide and the length is equal to that of the width of the roll. The size can be altered to fit the size of the gift you are decorating.
This bow was made with only two strips of cellophane.
- Stack the strips.
- Scrunch up the strips in the center so that the entire strip is gathered together in the center. (You know, similar to the tissue flowers we made back in the 70’s!) The YouTube video gives a great tutorial for making the tissue flowers, but these are much easier. Less layers, no folding (just scrunch), no trimming the ends to form a petal shape and less to pull apart after.
Scrunch up the cellophane in the center of the strip, until the entire length of the strip has been gathered up.
- With the center pinched tightly, tie a string or ribbon around the cellophane to secure it in the middle . You can tie it onto the gift at this stage or after the flower has been pulled apart. Regardless, the final step is to pull the layers of cellophane apart to create a very full looking cellophane flower.
- Purchase dollar store cellophane and cut off 2 to 3 strips. I generally make my strips the about 4 inches wide and the length is equal to that of the width of the roll. The size can be altered to fit the size of the gift you are decorating.
I always incorporate a few other things to finish off the gift. In this case, the final look was made with these three items:
Green Raffia, Polka Dot Cellophane and White Star Wire Garland
Cellophane Bow
Cellophane Bow
The thing I like best about cellophane is that you can create any kind of look you want depending on the colours and patterns you use. The ribbon and other embellishments can make you gift look fun or elegant, depending on what kind of look you are going for. Get creative and see what you can add to your gifts to dress-up a simple cellophane bow!
Mystery Box Riddle #159
Mystery Box Riddles
I’ve been struggling to pump out gift wrapping videos lately in lieu of what is happening in the world. I just feel like it might be in poor taste with everything that is going on.
However, I came up with an idea to help out teacher’s looking to facilitate a home school program and parents that are going crazy trying to implement it! I used to love riddles and word problems when I was a kid. I was thinking back to when I taught grade two and this fun activity that we used to do with paper bags. We called them “Mystery Bags” and the kids loved to write and solve each others riddles by trying to guess what was in their friend’s bag. I decided that I could use the same concept but develop a “Mystery Box” that I could share on my YouTube channel. I will use clues/riddles to describe something that is hidden in my “Mystery Box”. Students (probably 5 to 8 years old I’m guessing) can use the clues to try and solve the riddle. I will only give a few moments to solve on the video, but participants are encouraged to pause the video and take all the time they need to solve it. They can work on their own or with a parent or older sibling to help them.
I will then reveal what is hidden in the box. My hope is that the kids will be engaged and find it fun to solve the riddles. The idea is to promote critical thinking, problem solving, listening skills and some vocabulary development. The videos are short and I hope to release one a day during the school closure. Please feel free to SHARE the videos.
Below is Mystery Box Riddle #1.
I will be back with more great gift wrapping tutorials when things have settled down and there is at least some state of normalacy.
Stay home and stay safe!
Spring is in the Air….or is it?
I must admit, I’m not a lover of winter.
I endure it.
The moment March 1st comes, I feel a spark of enthusiasm knowing that spring is around the corner. Although March in Manitoba can be anything from minus 30 to very mild sweater weather, the calendar confirms the end is coming. Although summer is my favourite season, spring is a close second. It’s a time of new beginnings and the fresh air is truly exhilarating after hibernating inside all winter.
With Christmas and Valentine’s Day behind us, I’m excited to explore some more open-ended gift wrapping designs that aren’t connected with a specific theme. In today’s gift wrapping tutorial, I demonstrate how to create 3 different looks with the same wrapping paper. I found this beautiful floral print at the dollar store and just had to pick it up. It’s a Hallmark roll, so better quality than some of the other dollar store wrapping paper. I love the grid pattern on the reverse side, as it makes for easy cutting. This paper got me so excited for spring. Can’t wait to see the first tulips pop up!
I often choose papers that are either solid colours or have very simple patterns, but I just couldn’t resist this gorgeous wrap. With so many colours in the design, the options for embellishments are many, but you want to keep it simple to avoid drawing too much attention away from the paper itself. I chose three easy designs to demonstrate how one might balance a busier design with less complex decorative elements.
Simple, but Interesting ~ For the first project, I found a beautiful wool type string/ribbon that is made with a variety of fibres and colours. The texture is both interesting and beautiful. It’s quite bulky, so a simple knot is all that is needed to finish off this gift. This is my favourite design. It is such a modest look, but I love how it compliments the colours in the paper.
Sparkle and Berries ~ This white iridescent netting is the perfect ribbon for this gift. The netting doesn’t fully conceal the beautiful pattern of the paper beneath. The hint of sparkle contrasts the flat pink colour of the berry sprig. The floral sprig is tied on with a short piece of white ribbon. I like using white on white to avoid drawing attention to it.
Staggered Ribbon with Thrifted Broach ~ I opted for a deep pink ribbon to anchor the final design. The staggered pink ribbons intersect at a point that is purposely off-centre. I added a white ribbon across the intersection and finished off the look with a thrifted broach. Watch for thrift store sales…you can often pick them up for a dollar or two. Broaches can really make a statement when used as the focal point on a gift.
Check out this one minute video tutorial to see how easy it is to change up a look using the same paper. Don’t forget to LIKE, SHARE and SUBSCRIBE to both my Youtube channel (BOWhemian WRAPsody) and my blog to follow my latest posts.
Love is in the Air ~ “Little Arrows” Valentine’s Gift Wrap
In this Valentine’s Day gift wrapping video, I use this awesome “little arrow” scrapbooking paper. You can’t help but think of Cupid when you see this paper! The eye is drawn to the centre of the gift with the layers of torn paper used in lieu or ribbon. Alphabet beads create the XOXOXOX Valentine’s sentiment. The look is completed with a simple heart tag that came in a dollar store Valentine’s gift wrap set. The design isn’t complex, but it really is the adorable paper that makes it work! Check it out!
Don’t forget to LIKE, SHARE and SUBSCRIBE….thanks for your support! Happy wrapping!
Love is in the Air: Hugs & Kisses Gift Wrap
Black and white polka dot gift wrap is the perfect backdrop for this cute little XOXO tag. This tag was purchased in a dollar store cupcake decorating kit. The card came with slits to slide a straw in, but worked perfectly for threading the red ribbon instead. The XOXO tag is anchored with a plain white scalloped edge circle. So simple!
Check out this quick tutorial to see how it’s done.
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Don’t forget to LIKE, SHARE and SUBSCRIBE. Happy wrapping!
LOVE IS IN THE AIR! Rustic Love Valentine’s Gift Wrap
This is by far my favourite Valentine’s gift wrapping design. I used a simple brown packaging paper with a white dry brushed finish as the basis for this design. The ribbon is a neutral colour, but a touch of elevation is added with DIY white paper ribbon, made from adding machine tape. Two different looks are created in this video, but both are created with wooden heart embellishments. I picked up the white antiqued heart ornament (along with some stars, angels and Christmas trees) on a post Christmas clearance at Hallmark…I think they were a dollar each..score! The second, more intricate heart was bought at the dollar store. I absolutely love how the wooden hearts give this whole design an elegant, yet rustic feel.
Check out the quick tutorial.
Remember to LIKE, SHARE and SUBSCRIBE for more great gift wrapping ideas. Happy wrapping!