Holiday Gift Wrapping: Brown Paper & Polka Dots

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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Holiday Gift Wrapping: Distressed Brown Paper

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.

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Holiday Gift Wrapping Ideas: A Festive Touch

As previously mentioned…this roll of Martha Stewart birch bark-like wrapping paper was certainly a great thrift store find! The paper is excellent quality and I love the simplicity of it. This design was inspired by a basic white on white look. Although the birch bark paper has some grey and black, I feel like the overall look speaks “white”. I love the concept of combining different shades of the same colour, as well as multiple textures. For this project, I used my DIY white paper ribbon along with a simple wired white ribbon. I recently picked up a package of wooden snowmen ornaments from the dollar store. They come in a pack of 6 for $1.25, so well worth the money. The wooden snowman really compliments the birch bark paper and helps create a very nature inspired look. The sprig of greenery not only brings a hint of colour, but also gives the gift a festive touch.

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Happy wrapping!

Holiday Gift Wrapping: Brown Paper with Layered Snowflakes

This simple tutorial combines a cream coloured felt ribbon with snowflakes. The larger snowflake is made from plain chipboard and the smaller wooden one came from a set purchased at the dollar store. I often find that the wood elements the dollar store sells are comparable in quality to the higher end craft stores. These snowflakes would probably cost close to $5 at a regular craft store. I picked them up for a $1.25 ….what a steal. I love how the smaller wooden snowflake picks up on the cream colour of the ribbon. This is a very simple design, but looks great with the brown paper base. Do you have 45 seconds? Check out my latest tutorial to see how simple it was to pull it all together.

Happy Wrapping!

Holiday Gift Wrapping: Birch Bark Paper & Snowflakes

I really scored when I picked-up this brand new roll of Martha Stewart birch bark-like wrapping paper at a thrift store for 50 cents! The paper is excellent quality and I love the simplicity of the design. What better combination than snowflakes and birch bark! Check out my latest wrapping tutorial that incorporates dollar store snowflake buttons. I bought a large bag of the snowflakes for $1.25 and they make fantastic embellishments for Christmas wrapping. Always be on the look out for great deals!

Happy wrapping!

Holiday Gift Wrapping: Simple Snowflake

This brown paper gift wrapping idea couldn’t be easier. In this video tutorial, you will see how to take a dollarstore Christmas ornament and transform it into the focal point for this gift. Snowflakes are one of my favourite Christmas gift accessories, but you want to make sure your purchases don’t look cheap (even though they are!) I often use dollar store elements in my gift wrapping, but the key is to pay special attention to the “finish” of the ornament when making purchases. I will usually opt for white or wood finishes, as I often find that the sparkly ornaments tend to look cheap and tacky. (I do purchase glittery elements as well, but I make all of my purchases with a very critical eye.) Another trick to up staging the quality of your embellishments, is to give careful consideration to the other elements you include in your design.

For this look, I combine a plain white string with a white plastic snowflake ornament. The simplicity of the string off-sets the finish of the ornament. The finishing touch in this look is a Scrabble Tile “gift tag”. I placed the name in the bottom corner, to add more interest. Even if you don’t use the Scrabble tile idea, this gift would look great with a simple brown or white coverstock tag. Don’t ruin the look by sticking on a tag that doesn’t fit the look of the gift….stick with the theme!

You can check out the full tutorial (‘Tis the Season) or opt for the quicker version (READY, SET, WRAP!}. Enjoy!

Happy wrapping!