December 23, 2018
Wrapping Christmas pressies is a task a lot of us don’t enjoy. It’s fiddly and time consuming and (depending on where you get your paper from) it can also be really expensive.
Don’t worry! This year, we’ve got you covered. SO pop on your fave Christmas film, pour yourself a large glass of something mulled, and we’ll get stuck in.
I think the BEST piece of advice I can give for gift wrapping is to make time for it, so putting a film on in the background isn’t such a bad idea. If you leave the wrapping to the last minute, you haven’t got time to do it properly, everyone’s already nabbed your supplies and if the item is a difficult shape you just can’t. Be. Bothered. When it comes to gift wrap, a little bit of organization goes a long LONG way.
Get yourself properly set up. Before you start any actual wrapping make sure you’ve got everything you need within reach – paper, scissors, tape (pre-cut it so you don’t have to spend 20 minutes searching for the end of the roll) and any decorations.
My gifts this year are all getting wrapped in good old-fashioned brown parcel paper. It’s cheap, easy to decorate and completely recyclable (unlike a lot of wrapping paper) so way better for the environment!
My gifts this year are all getting wrapped in good old-fashioned brown parcel paper. It’s cheap, easy to decorate and completely recyclable (unlike a lot of wrapping paper) so way better for the environment!
I’ll keep the decorations simple (and recyclable) too, using string/twine/raffia instead of ribbon, fresh flowers/greenery alongside dried orange and pine cones and I’ll even talk to you through how to make some paper gift toppers.
BUT before any of that we need to wrap the gift. I’ve got two top tips to make this as neat as possible.
1. Make sure you don’t have excess paper. If you have enough to just cover the gift, the paper will be smooth and the corners sharp. If you’re trying to fold with lots of excess, it’ll be lumpy and messy.
2. Once you’ve cut the amount you need off the roll, placed your gift in the middle and folded over your first piece of paper, hold it in place with a small piece of Washi tape. Washi tape is a Japanese tape, it’s super durable and generally made from natural fibres like hemp or bamboo. It’s similar to masking tape in that it comes off easily and doesn’t leave a sticky residue. If you stick your first piece of paper to the actual gift using washi tape, everything will be held in place whilst you fold the second side, and you won’t need to borrow any fingers to hold down your paper.
If you’ve nearly done all your presents and it doesn't look like you have enough wrapping paper for the final few, place your gift diagonally in the middle of the paper, then pull up the sides to cover each corner of the box. This uses much less paper and is just as easy.
1. Make sure you don’t have excess paper. If you have enough to just cover the gift, the paper will be smooth and the corners sharp. If you’re trying to fold with lots of excess, it’ll be lumpy and messy.
2. Once you’ve cut the amount you need off the roll, placed your gift in the middle and folded over your first piece of paper, hold it in place with a small piece of Washi tape. Washi tape is a Japanese tape, it’s super durable and generally made from natural fibres like hemp or bamboo. It’s similar to masking tape in that it comes off easily and doesn’t leave a sticky residue. If you stick your first piece of paper to the actual gift using washi tape, everything will be held in place whilst you fold the second side, and you won’t need to borrow any fingers to hold down your paper.
If you’ve nearly done all your presents and it doesn't look like you have enough wrapping paper for the final few, place your gift diagonally in the middle of the paper, then pull up the sides to cover each corner of the box. This uses much less paper and is just as easy.
Then comes the best bit DECORATION TIME! There are a hundred and one ways to decorate a gift, but below are just a few super easy suggestions;
Take some raffia or twine and wind it 4/5 times around the gift (roughly 1/3 from the left hand edge.)
Tie the two loose ends together and slide some greenery between the pieces of twine / raffia. We’ve used eucalyptus but you can use anything you can get your hands on!
Tie the two loose ends together and slide some greenery between the pieces of twine / raffia. We’ve used eucalyptus but you can use anything you can get your hands on!
Dried orange slices are a very festive way to top your present. Not to mention they’re so easy to make and they smell incredible.
You want to slice your oranges and press on them gently with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Place them in a low oven (about 120) for 2-3 hours, checking on them and turning them occasionally. Your house will smell DELISH!
Attatch it to the present with some string or twine – and maybe partner it up with pinecones, fresh herbs or a cinnamon stick or two!
You want to slice your oranges and press on them gently with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Place them in a low oven (about 120) for 2-3 hours, checking on them and turning them occasionally. Your house will smell DELISH!
Attatch it to the present with some string or twine – and maybe partner it up with pinecones, fresh herbs or a cinnamon stick or two!
Speaking of herbs, another really cute idea is to get a sprig of rosemary and bend it into a circle, attaching the two ends, and BOOM you have a little mini wreath!
If you don’t fancy the natural look, there are a million ways to use paper to decorate your pressies.
My absolute FAVORITE is to make 3D paper baubles.
To do this you need 3 circles of paper (I use the middle of a Sellotape as a template and cut them out)
Fold each circle in half and cover the back of one in glue, this will be the centre piece. Then, stick one on the left hand side and one on the right and there you have your bauble.
Stick it on to your present and draw a little ribbon with a pen, you can add loops or bows or even a little name tag.
My absolute FAVORITE is to make 3D paper baubles.
To do this you need 3 circles of paper (I use the middle of a Sellotape as a template and cut them out)
Fold each circle in half and cover the back of one in glue, this will be the centre piece. Then, stick one on the left hand side and one on the right and there you have your bauble.
Stick it on to your present and draw a little ribbon with a pen, you can add loops or bows or even a little name tag.
You could also splatter your paper with white or gold paint, write names or make patterns with stamps and you can use photos instead of gift tags.
The options are honestly endless, so here’s to your wrapping looking just as glorious as the gift it’s covering up!
The options are honestly endless, so here’s to your wrapping looking just as glorious as the gift it’s covering up!
Merry Christmas!