OT - Gift wrapping - YouLookFab Forum

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OT - Gift wrapping

Mac

Veteran

I know that a few of us here have mentioned that - along with interior design and fashion - we really love gift wrapping. I think that this art employs many of the same skills and gives many of the same creative joys as dressing with style.

I, for one, have many issues with clothes. I feel that at my current weight, I won't look really excellent even if I had great style; I'd still just be "that fat lady trying to look cool." I'm a bit of a spaz, so even nice clothes tend to get rumpled, frayed and stained quite quickly. And for some reason, it feels silly buying more shoes when I already have so many.

HOWEVER, when it comes to interior design, I have no such qualms. And present wrapping? I have 3 HUGE BOXES in my basement filled with ribbon of all lengths, widths and makeup (velvet, wired edges, polkadotted, grosgrain, silk, japanese string ribbon, hand-dyed, etc). And I have wrapping paper collected from around the world - tokyo to New York to Rome to Paris to Sydney. When you guys gush about gorgeous handbag collections, I think of my ribbon and paper collection and how much joy that brings me.

So, for any of the rest of you who share my obsession, feel free to post photos and links and thoughts and obsessions in this thread. : )

I'll start. This is a pretty blog - a Canadian woman who used to work in interior design but is now a professional gift-giver-and-wrapper:

http://agiftwrappedlife.blogspot.com/

And here's a book that has luscious photos of delicious packages:
http://www.amazon.com/Presenta.....0767921127

And here's a US website which has simply gorgeous papers:
http://www.paper-source.com/cg.....index.html

Off Topic

20 replies

Latest reply was from The Cat

Mac

Veteran

Okay - my good friend is expecting a baby boy next week. Here's the baby present, wrapped and ready to go (of course my cat had to come and inspect!)

Wired blue and gold ribbon, paper flowers, hand-made Indian gold and blue paper.

My password: YLF2010

http://s1007.photobucket.com/a.....G_0047.jpg

Christie

Oh, I love wrapping gifts. I haven't looked at the other links, but your wrapped gift is gorgeous! As one expecting my third boy, I would be honored to receive such a beautiful gift!

Louise

Veteran

Oh Mac what a beautifully wrapped gift and a pleasure to recieve I'm sure. I love recieving gifts which are nicely wrapped and I would love to send them out looking like that, sadly I often leave it till the last minute and then have to scrabble around looking for paper

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

That's a beautiful package, Mac. You are very creative. The gift is in the wrapping!

I love wrapping gifts and recycling ribbon and paper. I actually think about the style preferences of the person who the gift is for and try to wrap the gift in a way that is in tune with their style. For example, it's a friend's birthday tomorrow and I've just got the wrapping together. She likes red, purple and orange. So I'm wrapping the gift in red paper with a purple polka dot ribbon and attaching a few fresh orange roses instead of a bow.

I also have a thing about how flowers are wrapped. My Mum was all about flowers and competed internationally so I guess I grew up with it. Flowers have to be wrapped in brown paper with organic ribbon. Mixed floral bunches have also got to be in one of two categories: same flower different colours, or, different flower but the same colour. My favourite mix is still a bunch with one flower type and colour. I don't prefer mixtures of everthing.

Okay. Too much info. Sorry :0(

Mac

Veteran

Thanks for the sweet comments, ladies.

Not too much info, Angie! I LOVE reading about anything Gift-Wrapping-Related, including flowers and how you wrap them. I didn't know that your lovely mama was such a Flower Lady - what a wonderful legacy!

I'd be very touched if you'd consider posting a photo of your red, purple and orange roses present here; I adore seeing others' wrapping and get inspired by their ideas and skills.

It's sweet and typically thoughtful of you, Angie, that you think about your friends' individual preferences when wrapping. With this particular gift, I tried to do that a bit. I know that light blue is traditional for baby boys, but I also know that it's the new mama - still reeling after labour - who sees and appreciates the gift wrapping the most so I tried to make this gift have a few touches that would appeal to her girly side (the flowers, the gold pattern, etc)

I, too, try to reuse every ribbon and piece of gift wrap or gift bag that I receive. When I was growing up, after Christmas or any birthday, my parents would have us children collect all the ribbons and paper at the end of the day, remove any tape or stickers, smooth out the paper and roll up the ribbons, for re-use. They didn't call it recycling or "being green;" they just believed in being frugal and not wasting.

Maya

Veteran

i can't wrap a gift to save my soul. I soullessly let someone else to do the work, or just use a gift bag and some tissue paper. But I do appreciate being at the receiving end of a beautiful and lovingly wrapped gift (such as yours, Mac)!

taylor

Veteran

I am in awe of people who can wrap gifts beautifully. I am grateful for gift bags!!!

londonkiwi (now back in NZ)

Veteran

I love finding that perfect present for someone - as well as the perfect card and the wrapping is the cherry on the top.

I had never considered that there might actually be blogs on the subject!

Angie - I am with you on the flowers - I am currently in posession of a beautiful bunch of white peony roses...

Mac

Veteran

Gift wrapping is an interesting subject... to me, at least.

The Japanese are masters and equate wrapping a present to the "wrapping of the heart." In Japan, there's even a Design Institute that's dedicated entirely to Origata (the art of gift wrapping). The Japanese Government's Ministry of the Environment has a guide to using reusable cloth Furoshiki as opposed to paper for wrapping gifts to cut down on the wasted paper usually used in gift wrap. Can you imagine the Ministry of the Environment in YOUR country concerning itself with gift-wrapping? : )

http://www.env.go.jp/en/focus/attach/060403-5.html

For your viewing pleasure - because what weekend isn't improved by the sight of some gorgeous paper?) some Japanese Yuzen wrapping paper (Ele - these colours made me think of you!):
http://www.paper-source.com/cg.....07950.html

And some Katazome paper:
http://www.paper-source.com/cg.....35950.html

YUM!

Mac

Veteran

Here's another gift-wrapping blog I recently discovered... and love! The blogger focuses on reusing and recycling materials and I find the obvious love and care she puts into her projects to be very touching.

http://www.thegiftedblog.com/

Inge

(website)

Oh thank you for sharing these blogs and links with us Mac! I really, really, really wish I had some talent for artfully and beautifully wrapping presents, and am a little envious of your talent!
A wonderfully wrapped gift is two gifts in one, in my book, and I always enjoy receiving them. (I also love reading about it, and looking at all the gorgeous paperwares available online, oh yes I'm an old skool paper fan;-)

Angie: no!! Your Mama was an extremely talented lady!!

P.S. I recently came across this Finnish shop:
http://www.papershop.fi/index.php?cPath=14

ladyjane

I'm not very gifted with gift wrapping and usually resort to gift bags and tissue paper. Thanks all for sharing the gift wrapping blogs, they have motivated me to try a little harder.

Speaking of flower(what a delightful hobby your mom had Angie) I spent about an hour on the internet yesterday trying to decide what flowers to buy my daughter for her graduation. I have fallen in love with peonies, .....pink I think.

Mac

Veteran

I LOVE pink peonies and they're quite trendy these days, so I think your daughter will love them. Alternately, if your daughter has a favourite colour or favourite flower, you could always use that as an inspiration. She's very lucky to have such a thoughtful and proud mother.

Mac

Veteran

Fashion and gift-wrapping combined (or, how to use a brooch or a badge pin as part of wrapping your present):

http://bugsandfishes.blogspot......adges.html

Lynne

Veteran

Thanks for the lovely links, Mac. I love gift wrapping and am getting better at it with practise. My lovely neighbour smiled at one of my first attempts (her sons birthday gift) and asked if my 9yo had wrapped it...I didn't own up!

Mac

Veteran

Hahaha, Lynne. Very sweet!

Maya

Veteran

I still have to wrap my dad's father's day day gift and I am all stressed out about it! Isn't that silly? It's too big to fit in any of the gift bags I have! What to do...

I guess I'll have to bug my mom for it. The last time my brother and I took a stab at wrapping our parents' gifts, it ended in disaster...

Mac

Veteran

I don't buy a lot of "fair trade" items, but for those of you who are interested, I found some gorgeous "fair trade" wrapping paper:

http://www.soolip.com/Pumpkin_.....ID182.aspx
http://www.soolip.com/Green_pa.....ID176.aspx

Snigdha

Member

I didn't have wrapping paper or even proper tape. I reversed the box i received the gift in from the e-retailer. Used medical tape and adhesive glue to hold the box together and a black permanent marker to decorate the box.
https://goo.gl/photos/VaCLAAffrYTtAEAF9

The Cat

Veteran

I look forward to study this forum post (including links and comments) in detail when I have more time. I would like to improve my gift wrapping skills. So, thank you very much, Mac, for starting this thread! (By the way, perhaps it should have been categorized as "Off topic" instead of "General"?)