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Year-round we have many opportunities to give gifts to others. If we plan ahead gift giving can be a fun and enjoyable way to show our love to those around us without being a burden on our time or finances. Often our gifts are pain stakingly picked out with genuine love but then we get in a rush and present our gift in a hastily thrown together packaging that does not accurately express the time we put into our gift.
With a little effort and a lot of creativity you can wrap presents that are to pretty to open! Here are some ideas you can try at home.
SAVING ODDS AND ENDS
Start by saving all of the bows you receive on gifts, they can be used in other creative ways or combined with other ribbons and lace to create a whole new look. Keep all scraps of ribbon, lace, tulle, nylon tricot, silk or dried flowers, gold and silver cording, wedding and jingle bells or confetti. Watch for small plastic toys or shapes like stars, plastic cake toppers, halloween spider rings and toys you often find on top of bakery cupcakes. Keep unsharpened pencils on hand that are unusual shapes, unique straws or miniature individual wrapped candy. There are many everyday items you may come across that you would not normally think of using for present toppers. If you start collecting these things and keeping them in a special wrapping box, then when it comes time to wrap, your creativity has more options to work with.
BABY SHOWER GIFT
Paint your box with 1-2 coats of a glossy spray paint. Using a coordinating color randomly sponge small duck shapes onto your box. Use glitter paint and an old toothbrush to carefully splatter paint onto the box for added interest.
Fun tassels can be made from recycled colored plastic wrap, dry cleaning garment bags or netting by braiding long strips and cutting them 2-4 inches wide. Twist the plastic until it rolls into a rope. Make a knot in the end and fan out the plastic to make a tassel.
Create your bow out of flat lace reminates by stiffing it with nice scented hairspray, heavy starch or diluted glue. Depending on the size of your box you will need 3-4 yards to of lace to create a full and fancy bow. Imaging how cute several pastel tassels would be with a baby rattle or booties tied into the gift topper!
WINTER HOLIDAY TOPPERS
For an elegant package start with gold foil wrapping paper. Set off the gold with a fabulous topper made of small evergreen twigs and holly berries. You may even want to embellish a 2" grapevine wreath or tie in miniature pinecones. Place your arrangement in a large box and lightly spray with artificial snow or glitter. Next tie your topper onto your package with elegant burgundy ribbon.
For a Thanksgiving gift topper, make a big bow with orange crepe paper and tie a gold leafed wishbone into the package. Another fun embellishment would be to dangle pumpkins made out of orange spray painted walnuts. Hot glue a green leaf on top of the nut and wrap a thin craft wire around a pensil to make the pumpkin tendrils.
MOTHERS DAY PACKAGES
Make gift wrap that will really remind you of home by wrapping this gift with a square of patchwork fabric. You can purchase fabric panels that already look like pieced fabric or piece your own with odds and ends of coordinating calicos. Top this gift with a corsage made of real or silk flowers. Use sheer ribbon that will not take the focus away from your flowers and tie this package together with love!
BIRTHDAY GIFTS
For a package perfect for girls or boys stick to themes that are universal. Animal themes can be fun to follow by wrapping gifts in faux fur and tieing zebra or lion stripped pencils, or animal masks into the topper with curling ribbon.
Little girls would love a package topper that is really a useful balloon hairbow. Make the barette bow by using 8-12 8" or 9" balloons and
a metal hairbow clip (Any size will work). Temporarily remove the metal clasp on the hairbow clip and turn the top of the clip curved side down. Using 2-3 colors of balloons is best and alternating colors in order. Making sure you put the same color on both ends. Flip-flop the balloons so that they are laying in a row with one upside down, one faced up, and tie the balloons in a knot one by one on the metal clip. (Balloons might slightly inflate while tieing, this makes for a full-cute bow) Push the balloons close together on the clasp. Put the metal clasp back together after all the balloons are tied on.
Further embellish with shoelaces or beads. Theme your barrettes with plastic accessories tied to the middle of the bow like black plastic spiders for Halloween or hearts for Valentines day!
Think creatively and enjoy wrapping your gifts this year.
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