You’ve made the list. Checked it twice (let’s be honest, a few more times than that). And placed your orders while sneaking in a few store visits in-between the deliveries. Now, it’s time to place the gifts under the tree – but not without a few finishing touches.
That’s where our own in-house elf, Kristi, comes into the picture – sharing a few tips and tricks for making that gift picture perfect.
Her number one tip? Get a little creative, and don’t be afraid to play. That might just mean rolling up your sleeves, finding some paint, and maybe taking a new spin on those traditional folds – and yes, she did all of the above.
But before we get into the details, let’s start with a supply list of sorts. You’re going to need wrapping paper (we went with a traditional craft paper), some paint, a sponge, tape, scissors, some ribbon, a few sprigs, white gift tags and some colorful pens or markers.
Step One: Wrap the Gift
Now, for the good part. We’re breaking this down into two sets of instructions since for some (this writer, included) this is just enough of a deviation from the way I grew up wrapping gifts that I needed to see it in action a few times.
You’ll stat the same as always, with you gift in the middle of the wrapping paper – but closer to one end of the paper, leaving most of the excess along the top of the box. Take that top section of paper and folder it over the gift, then folding the sides inward and press tightly against the length of the box.
From here, you’ll fold across the box and follow the same steps creating almost a ‘pocket’ when both sides are folded across the front.
You’ll finish the wrapping itself by folding the the remaining paper inward and over – fully covering the box.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel mind blown by this wrapping technique. Does that probably say more about me as a person then it really does about wrapping gifts as a whole? Probably. But I felt like making Santa’s workshop proud has never been so within reach.
Speaking of which – now comes the sparkle, which hear from some reliable sources is the specialty of that workshop we mentioned.
Step Two: Sparkle & Splendor
For that sparkle factor, Kristi opted for a metallic gold paint and a round sponge for her applicator.
Once wrapped, she added a polka dot pattern across the front and back of the gift. Save some time by taking this approach, versus adding the dots before the gift is wrapped and risk wasting any time of the design that won’t actually be visible once wrapped over the gift.
Kristi’s tip: the same sponge can be used in multiple ways! One example is that you can use it like Kristi did here to make traditional spots, or you could simply pull across to make stripes.
Step Three: The Wow Factor
When Kristi starting talking to me about the options for those finishing touches that are sure to wow – I was just that, wowed.
Ultimately, we decided our rustic Christmas wrapping called for a classic touch. Remember when I mentioned that front fold resembles a bit of a ‘pocket’ on the gift? Well, Kristi used it as just that taking faux sprigs and adding just a bit of traditional green.
step Four: Gift Tags
And of course, it wouldn’t be a gift if you didn’t have someone to deliver that gift to. Which is where our final step comes in – adding that personalized gift tag.
I could be the only one, but this is where I tend to get overwhelmed when buying supplies. You could go stickers or actual tags, a combination of both – and in every color imaginable. The tip here? Keep it simple. Break out a few colored pens or markers, and warm up those doodling skills of years past to mix up playful fonts and techniques that result in a tag all of its own.
And there you are – a picture-perfect holiday gift wrapped with love. Kristi even went ahead and made a few variations to give a couple of ideas for a few extras you can add for a complete holly, jolly gift haul.
From our elves, to yours – happy holidays.
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