I’m so excited to share this gift wrapping idea! I saw this silver placemat at the dollar store several weeks back when they first put out the holiday collection. I immediately saw its value for adding interest and expanding the size of the focal point on larger presents. I often find it hard to make a large gift look great because no matter what you embellish with, it just seems too small for the large surface area of bigger gifts. Although this particular present isn’t huge (just slightly larger than the diameter of the placemat), it still created a very dramatic look. I love how the design on the placemat almost looks like tiny hearts.
I chose to use a plain white paper because the placemat itself makes quite a statement. I wanted to bring in a splash of colour with the ribbon. As I was creating this look, I kept feeling like it needed something more. I am generally a “less is more” kinda gal, but I definitely broke my rule in this design. In addition to the silver placemat and red/silver ribbon, I also used silver elastic ribbon, black ribbon, DIY white paper ribbon, a red bell with silver ribbon, white netting and wired decorative garland. It may seem a bit over the top, but I really felt like the design could handle multiple elements because of the size of the gift.
Check out my latest video to see how I pulled it all together. I have found a few other styles of placemats since picking this one up and can’t wait to use them in future designs…oh the possibilities!
Leave your email to the right and see my most current posts as they are published. Check out All Things Christmas! and BOWhemian WRAPsody in the side bar for previous Christmas ideas, recipes, tips and tutorials! Don’t forget to LIKE, SHARE and SUBSCRIBE to my youtube channel as well….BOWhemian WRAPsody. Follow the link to see all of my holiday gift wrapping videos!
In today’s gift wrapping tutorial, you will see how contemporary elements can be combined with more natural looking embellishments to create a classy Christmas gift look. I found this awesome silver/white woodgrain paper (at Superstore I think??). I feel like wood grain and silver aren’t really an expected combo, but the paper made a great starting point for this wintery design.
MATERIALS:
woodgrain gift wrap (silver/white)
green canvas-like fabric ribbon
white iridescent curly ribbon
silver wired snowflake garland
floral pick (pine sprig)
DIY white clay gift tag/ornament with DIY wood grain stamp to emboss the surface (If you wish to make your own, check out my previous post.) Otherwise, use a purchased gift tag or store bought embellishment….just be sure to stay true to the design.
Procedure:
Find the middle of your ribbon and wrap both ways across the gift (cross formation). Tie a knot with the bottom piece of ribbon in the knot. (I hate the look of the bottom piece being completely flat along the top.) Lay the cut wire across the knot followed by the white ribbon and sprig of greenery. Tie to secure. Loop the ornament and tie to secure. Use the green base ribbon to tie a traditional style bow over the embellishment to hold in place. Play with the design to create dimension and a balanced look. Have 57 seconds? Check out my latest video tutorial to see how easily this look can be created!
Leave your email to the right and see my most current posts as they are published. Check out All Things Christmas! and BOWhemian WRAPsody in the side bar for previous Christmas ideas, recipes, tips and tutorials! Don’t forget to LIKE, SHARE and SUBSCRIBE to my youtube channel as well….BOWhemian WRAPsody. Follow the link to see all of my holiday gift wrapping videos!
I love the look of salt dough ornaments and have certainly used salt dough for projects in the past, but I was intrigued when I came across this recipe from Tips From a Typical Mom. It’s unlike any recipe I’ve ever used, but I had an ample supply of both cornstarch and baking soda, so thought I’d give it a whirl. Although the ingredients are different, the procedure reminded me of my favourite cooked play dough recipe. The dough is super easy to make and very user friendly. I opted to bake my ornaments/tags, but she suggests air drying as an option, as well. I love how the colour turns out to be a very pure white and I didn’t have any issues with the dough itself.
White Clay Recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 cup baking soda
3/4 cup water
You can add food colouring if you want….but why would you? White rules!
Materials:
I used a variety of cookie cutters for the tags. I just picked up the two green ones from Michael’s and they are pretty cool because they cut the shape and emboss the surface at the same time!
rolling pin
cookie cutters
DIY homemade woodgrain stamp (see video)
Procedure:
Place the ingredients in a pot and stir over medium heat until the mixture begins to thicken. Stir constantly to avoid scorching. When it appears smooth, like mashed potatoes, remove the pot from the heat. Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover it with a damp cloth to cool. Knead it on a smooth surface (I use my silicone mat for this.) Add more cornstarch if it is too sticky to work with.
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees. Roll out the dough to approximately 1/4″ thick and use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes. Transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make a hole at the top of each tag/ornament.
This is when I added texture to some of my shapes using my DIY wood grain stamp. I love the subtle look of the wood grain on the plain white ornaments. Of course, this step is optional, but it was easy to make the stamp and could probably be used with different mediums (although I haven’t yet tried it). When using the stamp to imprint the dough, you do not need to add much pressure and don’t worry if you apply it unevenly. The imperfection is what makes it look great!
Bake for 30 minutes, turn and bake for an additional 30 minutes.
Once cooled, thread a string through the hole. If you opt to use the ornaments as a gift tag, just write your message on the bag with a Sharpie! So cute! These gift tags could easily be reused for immediate family. If you opt to “gift” them, you may want to add the date to the back, as they make a nice keepsake.
Leave your email to the right and see my most current posts as they are published. Check out All Things Christmas! and BOWhemian WRAPsody in the side bar for previous Christmas ideas, recipes, tips and tutorials! Don’t forget to LIKE, SHARE and SUBSCRIBE to my youtube channel as well….BOWhemian WRAPsody. Follow the link to see all of my holiday gift wrapping videos!
For this design, I opted to go with a plain black wrapping paper. The paper has quite a flat sheen and works nicely with the shiny black ribbon. To finish off this elegant look, I simply trimmed down a Christmas Floral Pick and secured it with wired garland.
I’m always looking for ways to create an impressive look on a limited budget. I recommend purchasing one or two Christmas Floral Picks per year. I usually buy them on sale… often at the end of the season. This makes them affordable to include on any gift, but you can also opt to reserve them for immediate family, so that you can reuse them. I have a limited number of these, but am amazed at how I can completely change the look of a gift by varying the ribbon and paper from year to year.
Finally, I used decorative wired garland to secure the floral pick to the bow. The garland not only adds interest and dimension, but the wire is very handy for securing the floral element.
Check out my latest video to see how easy it is to pull this look together!
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Invest in a few more expensive gift embellishments.
1. Designate one paper design to each member of your family! I sometimes do this and completely omit the tags. I purchase a roll of a paper for each member of my immediate family. This saves the hassle of tagging and prevents them from peeking, as there are no names on the gifts! I use other random papers for gifts that will be leaving our house…extended family, friends and co-workers.
2. Budget hack: Invest in a few more expensive gift embellishments, but reserve them for immediately family. This allows you to re-use them year after year.
3. Gift Boxes: I have a large tub of gift boxes that I use over and over again. Not only does this mean I always have a stash of boxes, but also that the sizes of boxes I use are pretty standard. I have a variety of styles, so that once under the tree, they are not all typical shirt boxes. I also wrap with varied focal points, so some are off centre or even positioned vertically to add interest.
4. Good quality ribbon can get very pricey. By using the same boxes from year to year, I can actually re-use my ribbon/embellishments as well. In fact, sometimes I just slide on a previously tied ribbon with decorative elements still tied on from the year before. (PS When you do buy new ribbon…wait for the 70% sale!)
5. The paper gets recycled once gifts are opened, but everything reusable is kept. (Ribbon, gift decorations and even the tags!) My paper changes. but I am often able to incorporate my gift decor complete with attached tags, from Christmas to Christmas. For example, my daughter might receive a gift in the exact same box with same ribbon, embellishments and tags every year. She doesn’t even realize it because the paper and gift are new! (You know what they say KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid)
6. Everyone loves a TAB TOP surprise! Save your tab top cans (Eagle Brand milk) and create a fun opening experience! Follow the link to check out my video to see how it’s done!
7. Now that I’m wrapping for tutorials, I obviously don’t do this, but for years, my strategy was always the same. I would spend hours wrapping every last gift. NO TAGS. NO RIBBON. NO EMBELLISHMENTS. I would simply print the name on the underside of the gift (tiny so it really wasn’t noticeable). I would “decorate” the gifts on a totally separate day. I would take out my stash of previously used ribbon and embellishments and re-use as much as possible. This would often just entail a few minor adjustments and perhaps (but not necessarily) a new tag. I would then create new looks for gifts that could not work with items from my previous creations due to size or colour. This method saves lots of time and money.
8. STOCKING STUFFERS: (This isn’t necessarily a wrapping tip, but I always wrap every gift in the stocking!) I always try to include a variety of items in the stockings. I try to get at least one item per category: Something to WEAR, EAT, READ, USE, and DO. I will often use the dollar store metallic paper and/or decorative tissue to wrap stocking items. I find these papers to be super pliable and easy to work with. For example, you can easily wrap a pair of socks without a box because the paper is flexible and simple to work with. I will be posting some tutorials of how I wrap stocking stuffers using this dollar store paper over the next few days, so stay tuned.
9. Wrapping Paper Cutter – I just got two of these to help with my wrapping. They work great, but don’t fit around larger paper rolls. Most of my rolls are standard size, so it’s fine, but something to be aware of if you consider purchasing one. The paper cutters make a nice straight cut and are easy to use….love them! They work well for storing paper as well, but then you’d need one for every roll. I use my DIY toilet paper roll storage system and just reserve the blades for cutting.
I was busy doing Christmas baking on Saturday and whipped up a batch of these for Christmas. I must say Nanaimo Bars have always been one of my favourites and a staple on my Christmas baking list. A few years ago, I doctored up a few recipes and came up with this modified version for a delicious gluten free version. I thought it might be worth a repost with so many busy baking for Christmas . If you love Nanaimo Bars you must try this recipe…you won’t be disappointed.
This is a super simple gift wrapping design, but the fun is in the unexpected. Such an unlikely Christmas look…plain black paper dressed up with dollar store metal ribbon (love this) and a cork snowflake. The design is anchored with a plain canvas looking fabric ribbon that draws on the cork colour. The lesson in this look is really just about thinking outside the box. Black and brown are not typical holiday colours, but I think it’s the simple colour scheme with a variety of textures that makes the design so elegant. You really have to pick up some of that metal ribbon…such a cool embellishment!
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Gift tags certainly aren’t expensive and there are many beautiful options now a days, but that wasn’t always the case. I used to find that a majority of tags were either tacky or used colour combinations that were difficult to work with. The styles and designs have really improved over the last few years with many more options that are less busy and more versatile. These “Washi Tape” Christmas trees are not so much about saving money (although they probably cost no more that a couple of cents each), but rather just a fun DIY project that takes no more than a few minutes to add a personal homemade touch to your gifts. It is also a great way to use up those rolls of Washi Tape that you’ve collected and have yet to use!
I simply mounted the Washi Tape on a chunk of leftover card stock (about 4″ X 8 1/2″). My tape was older and wasn’t sticking well, so I just reinforced it with double-sided tape. I then flipped the cardstock and measured off 2″ staggered guide marks across the top and bottom (on the back). The guide marks were made every 2″, but with one end starting 1″ in from the edge to set up the “stagger” for diagonal cuts. I then used the guide marks to cut narrow triangle Christmas trees.
Check out this short video to see how it’s done!
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Let’s face it…polka dots are fun! For this brown paper gift wrapping idea, I used a pencil eraser to add white polka dots to the surface of the gift. I love how the white polka dots give off a “Charlie Brown snowflake” kind of a vibe. I decided to stick with the snow theme and add white ribbon, a cute felt snowman garland and a splash of colour with the snowflake.
Check out my latest video to see how it all comes together!
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I have to admit….I’m addicted to brown paper wrapping! One of the reasons I love it so much is that it’s perfect for tutorials. Although many of my tips and tricks can be adapted and used with different papers and patterns, I like to demonstrate with plain paper (brown, black and white) primarily because it is so duplicatable. The whole premise for the tutorials is to make the designs achievable. Not only are the ideas simple and inexpensive, but I’ve also tried to use materials that are readily available.
In this video tutorial, I demonstrate how to use a dry brush technique to distress plain brown packaging paper. The paint in and of itself does not actually look that great, but when combined with simple rustic embellishments the final design makes quite a statement. Never underestimate the impact of dollar store items, especially when strategically combined. The burlap ribbon and wooden snowflake were purchased at the dollar store and the sprig of greenery is from my front yard cedars. I love how the embellishments stand out against the white paint.
Thanks for visiting! Check out All Things Christmas! in my blog menu for many more great Christmas ideas including DIY decor, traditions, recipes and of course, gift wrapping. Also, don’t forget to LIKE, SHARE and SUBSCRIBE!
