Happy Monday! Now that I’ve completed the ever stressful mission of shopping for Christmas gifts, the next step is to wrap up all of the goodies! I’ve had some friends tell me that wrapping presents can be even more annoying than finding the right gift, but to me, it’s actually the best part. If anything, wrapping presents has the opposite effect on me. I turn on some background noise and spend a couple of hours the befriending tape and scissors.
There’s something relaxing about it (this might be my OCD talking) that I can’t quite pinpoint and loving it has basically allowed me to perfect the art of gift wrapping – or so I think I have. So without further ado, here are my ultimate essentials for the perfectly wrapped gift for the holidays!
Things you’ll need:
- craft paper (I prefer brown, but sometimes I use white too)
- burlap ribbon (various styles – get at least 1 thick and 1 thin)
- faux (or real) fir/pine branches
- ruler
- scissors
- pen/pencil
- tape
- white ribbon
Tip #1: Be Precise
It never hurts to be extra precise when you’re wrapping gifts. It goes without saying that you should definitely measure out how much paper you need to cover the gift, but it also helps to crease the fold to get a cleaner edge as well.
Perfection is god when it comes to making your gift look picture perfect! I love running my fingers along the edges of the gift once I’ve taped the wrapping onto it to reinforce the folds.
Tip #2: Layer
Like the way that you layer your clothes in the winter, you can and also should layer your ribbon to create depth and dimension to the gift. I know, I know, the gift is going to be opened and everything gets thrown away anyways, but it’s the thought that counts right?
I like starting off with a thick ribbon as base and then layering a thinner ribbon overtop. If I’m going for a more festive and girly gift, sometimes I forgo the balloon ribbon for glitter ribbon. But the one ribbon that I always have to use is burlap. This recent find from Michaels with frayed ends is my current fave and I think that it adds a little personality to the wrapping!
Tip #3: Add a Festive Touch
Burlap and ribbon sounds all nice, but you want to differentiate a normal gift from a holiday gift. In the winter, be it a Christmas gift or a gift for anything else, I like tucking a little nub of fir or pine needles underneath the ribbon to add some extra colour. Plus real fir/pine needles smell amazing and it doesn’t hurt giving someone a gift that basically smells like winter!
I don’t always have access to a tree (like today), so I like to stock up on faux Christmas decor and snip off a little branch as a substitute!
And voila! The perfectly wrapped Christmas present (if I may say so myself)! Obviously feel free to change up whatever you want to in order to better suit your needs! Wishing everyone a safe and happy holidays!
Brown Craft Paper, Frayed Burlap Ribbon, Thin Burlap Ribbon, Beige Balloon Ribbon, Faux Fir – Michaels