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Wrapping

Stagiaire Fash

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This post by Emily Henderson hit me head on, because I am one of the people she mentions who absolutely loves wrapping presents and making a presentation of the gift-giving (hence the train I put together for a delayed holiday delivery earlier this year). At one point, I had a collection of unique papers from which I carefully selected for each gift, including some single sheets bought in Europe, some of those books of wrapping paper from art museums, and others. But I’m also one of those people who can’t stand disposable, one-use anything. I grew up saving and reusing wrapping paper. These days my family of origin tend to use gift bags. I can sorta make one look alight with extra tissue paper, but it’s not very satisfying. Henderson has some suggestions about diy wrapping decoration on plain craft paper or newsprint that got me thinking https://stylebyemilyhenderson......ll-stylish

I haven’t wrapped presents yet; we fly tomorrow, and I’ve had presents opened at security before, so I’m just taking supplies with us. When we get food to go, it often comes in plain brown bags like the ones we brought groceries home in when I was growing up, except these are smaller and often have handles. I can’t bring myself to throw them out either; we have quite a little stash of them. That’s what I’m schlepping along, with a “garnish” for each gift to make them unique. I got ornaments at Christmas markets that I might use on some. Otherwise, I’m using tiny star-shaped beeswax candles, mistletoe, tree garland of silver stars, little packets of loose tea, tiny jigsaw puzzles, and a heart made of red berries. There is also one tiny present that might get a box or other paper craft thing from this insta channel or others like it https://www.instagram.com/etki.....=copy_link

How about you? Do you enjoy wrapping presents, or is it on the list of drudgery necessary to prepare for a holiday? How are you wrapping them this year? Do you have any tips or favorite sources for ideas? If you’re already finished & don’t mind showing off a little, please post photos!

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19 replies

Latest reply was from Stagiaire Fash

rachylou

Veteran

I do enjoy wrapping presents, although in recent years I haven’t had a lot of time because of the bakery and the holidays being so so busy. But for once no all nighters for me!

In any case, my family hasn’t bought wrapping paper in years. My brother is a storyboard illustrator. He usually does some interesting lettering with the names designating gifts.

In the past I’ve stamped my own (recycled) papers, including cutting my own stamps from old erasers, origami-like folds instead of bows… I get into it.

My mother likes to recycle catalogs as wrapping paper. Saves choice pages from newspapers, etc. She also reuses all my cloth ribbons from years past. Lol, I admit I’m tired of seeing that same ribbon from the 80s

Kate

Veteran

No drudgery at all.

I'm with you, SF. I love wrapping presents, and have wrapping paper from all over. Over the years, I've bought it in many different countries and in art museums. I'm also a paper recycler, because that's what my family did growing up, and because the papers are too beautiful to simply toss after a single use. I always keep a couple of my DH's efforts too, because his wrapping is really creative. He is less about the paper and more about the artistry, especially with cards and ribbons. He got into it because I was always so delighted by wrapping and I really loved what he did.

I try to reuse things in different ways, though I'm not terribly creative with my own wrapping. However, I am known for having tight corners on all my presents. There is no sloppiness in my wrapping!

While I'm not a fan of gift bags, I do understand the utility of them, especially for people with have lost a lot of fine motor skills in their hands like my mother in her later years, but who still want to dress up their packages.

I love your garnishes, SF—you're an artistic wrapper like my DH—and love the idea of using recycled bags. I am intrigued by using stamps to garnish plain kraft paper and bags and will consider doing that for next year. My DH has long used newsprint in various ways for wrapping, and it's meaningful for us as journalists.

Safe travels, and have a wonderful Christmas holiday with your family!

lozz_oz

Veteran

I enjoy wrapping presents too. I like to select ribbon and gift tags that coordinate with the paper.
I’m hopeful that soon all the florists ribbon (environmentally dodgy i suspect) will be used up and I can move towards using my stash of fabric ribbon or string.
Gift tags are old cards cut up and repurposed
I remember using my children’s art work to wrap gifts and many many moons ago doing potato printing to create wrapping paper.
Enjoy your present wrapping on arrival (wise of you to avoid security undoing your hard work) and hope your holiday goes well.

MsMary

Veteran

This is where I stand.

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rachylou

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Lol Ms Mary!

Jenn

(website)

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I LOVE wrapping. (Ms. Mary, FWIW, I hate baking holiday cookies, so we all have our nemeses!)

I’ve been slowly creating a collection of furoshiki cloths for our family gifts. The fabric wraps are beautiful and easy to use and I intend to wrap with them again and again.

Kevin found some paper he loved from an artist he likes this year, so our gifts this year will be a combination of that, the furoshiki, and the plain kraft paper I used for shipping before closing down my business. I like to add things like ribbons, string, greenery, and dried citrus. We reuse tags year after year.

Oh, and we have a tradition that Santa is not a classy wrapper, so a few presents always show up Christmas morning in the most garish paper possible. When my son was little, it would usually be cartoon characters and a paper we kept carefully hidden so it didn’t appear to come from our house. These days, it’s whatever I find in the stash that clashes with all my other wrapping.

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rachylou

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IDK Jenn - that looks extremely classy to me

Jenn

(website)

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Oh, those aren’t the Santa presents! His are still hidden away…this year they’re in a shiny, silver tiger print paper.

cat2

Veteran

I buy good quality recyclable paper, and raffia and fabric ribbon, and go to town, knowing that everything can be tossed in the recycling bins when we are done.

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

Wrapping is a little triggering for me, because I never got wrapped presents growing up, but I had to painstakingly do it for other people (birthdays etc) - to add insult to the injury, all the giftwrapping supplies & regifted gifts were kept in my closet, where I couldn't keep my clothes

Long story short, I used to keep pretty giftwrapping paper back home when I had the space but now I just put things in bags with maybe some tissue paper & a cute ribbon. I have to be realistic about my storage space & lifestyle after marriage (my husband doesn't celebrate Christmas either, & Chinese New Year only requires red envelopes (which MIL hoards anyway, lol)

PS - @Sal I still have your pretty butterfly wrapping paper & twine from the gift you posted me earlier this year though - so pretty! Will keep treasuring that one

rachylou

Veteran

That’s terrible Zaeobi. That’s like wrapping paper Cinderella. I just had to cook dinner and do dishes while my brother simply ate - but I got my closet. A girl needs her closet! (But on that note, I love to cook but despise cooking for other people… )

Sloper

Veteran

I think I like shopping for paper and trims more than the actual wrapping. Though over the past few years we've been reusing some Amazon fabric gift bags - they are actually quite sturdy. And our gifting circle had gotten much smaller.

Pre-Covid, I had amassed a huge bin of wraps and trims. I gave most of to DH - his workplace had an ongoing employee "exchange" table. He said everything was gone by the end of the day.

But I'm always ready to snap up nice Hanukkah paper - it's an elusive creature.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Thanks for the good wishes! I hope you have all had good holidays as well.

I got to do some neat corners afterall—so satisfying! The suitcase with the bags (and half of two gifts, plus my son’s clothes) way overshot my parents’ home in flyover country, but I had the presents, accessories, and my mom’s wrapping supplies. Ohio Santa Claus seems to have been talking to Cali/Colorado Santas (see pic 4). Even though it’s not my collection, there was plenty for me to smile at—the red & white ribbon, for example, is one I bought. A few years back, my mom came across a box of ribbons from the 50s. They were lovely, but have vanished. Mistletoe turned out not to be the ideal topper, at least not when it’s crammed into a carryon and schlepped a quarter of the way around the world. Besides looking bedraggled, the plant lost berries., and they are very sticky, like little glove of rubber cement. They got on all my clothes and were ridiculously hard to get out.

Ms Mary, funny—I hang all my clothes to dry, pluck off a couple things at a time, and don’t mind folding them at all. But I like frosting cookies too.

Rachylou, those creative wrapping jobs sound wonderful. The only stamping I did this year was at Muji’s gift wrap table. Made me feel like a kindergartner again!

Kate, I have a new criteria to look for in a man—wrapping skills and the care to execute them well.

Jenn, such carefully considered wrapping supplies—very nice!

Cat2, sounds like a plan.

Zaeobi, saving that butterfly paper could be the first step to filling your whole cupboard!

Sloper—8 whole days of presents to wrap! I’d go with themes for each day, and be in 7th heaven.

Happy holidays everyone!

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Anonymous

*wipes coffee off phone- re: cousin*
It's gift bags for me, though I like the idea of using fabric instead. The only gift we gave this year was to FIL. DH and I don't buy each other gifts, we just choose things together. I got a new drill Mom's gift, a toaster, is in the garage waiting on her new apartment.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Suntiger, I know you can’t wait to give that gift! By “cousin” you mean the mistletoe recipient? He grabbed it up and pretended he was going to smack his wife. Plenty of laughs all around, and probably the best use for it in that condition.

rachylou

Veteran

This is my wrapping job this year. Once again a bit of a rush/hack job. I miss when I had more time. I went into the basement and found this paper, then hacked some paper pop-up cards from cardstock that’s probably 20 years old. I had the idea of doing a little house, but after one, a broken Xacto knife, and my cutting mat being under the xmas tree… I went to stars, trees and two-snowball snowmen because waayy faster. We won’t talk about three-snowball snowmen

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Zaeobi

(website)

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@SF Aww, sorry about the mistletoe but am glad you got to have your corners after all! The coordinating bags are pretty too - & the hanging angel! You're probably right about Sal's wrapping paper, lol - should get rid of it before I cause a craft shop avalanche...

@rachylou Haha my brother also did the same thing - I only cook now if I can make extra for myself for later! I like the contrast of the green presents & pink tree My respects to our fallen 3-snowball comrades - melted before their time, but never forgotten

Barbara Diane

Veteran

Fun post-I especially enjoyed the photos. So much creativity.
I grew up reusing paper and stick on ribbons year after year. Curling ribbon was also used.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

BD, are you my sister? That’s exactly how we grew up. His first Christmas with our family, my BiL was amazed at the cries of “save the paper” as he tore into gifts.