Bored with your standard drugstore wrapping paper with Christmas trees and snowmen on them? This year, instead of following traditional protocol, think out of the box with some arty wrapping ideas to wow those you love. Corinna van Gerwen, a stylist who offers gift wrapping tips on her blog, Corinna Wraps, told The Star that first and foremost, gift wrapping should be fun and not taken so seriously .“I think the main thing is to enjoy yourself and consider that you’re giving a gift either because you’re showing somebody appreciation . . . you’re saying thank you, you’re showing that you love them, that they’re part of your life.”
Where to begin then? Like an artist with white canvas paper, do yourself a favor and pick up a roll of kraft paper—that strong, smooth brown wrapping paper designed for packaging products—and create a look of rustic elegance with your DIY touches. For instance, after you’ve wrapped the box in kraft paper, locate some basic twine, add some twigs, fresh tree leaves, or sprigs of rosemary and pepper berry to the wrapping and pat yourself on the back for your work of art. If you don’t have twine, ribbon or string, create a, ahem, a “mixed tape design” with festive masking tape, alternating horizontal and vertical strips of different colors to mimic ribbon. With this impressing wrapping idea, you’ll have them wrapped around your finger.
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If you want to forego a box altogether and make your own type of packaging with thread and paper, start by placing two pieces of kraft paper together and drawing your chosen shape (a tree, star, stocking) on the top piece. Then, cut through both layers of the paper (beware of paper cuts), sandwich the gift between the two shapes and stitch along the edges using contrasting thread. That easy! Then add bows, flowers, ribbons, stickers or your own touch of paints and markers for color.
You can also find just about any design under the sun to use if you have a printer at home by printing out any image you want as wrapping paper. Whether it’s the sheet music for “Jingle Bells” tied with a red bow, or a printed map from Google Maps decorated with colorful chords and buttons as destination points, or some old road maps and atlases on your magazine shelf collecting dust, this type of wrapping paper will win major points.
If you don’t have a printer, tear into your magazine rack or newspaper stack for paper resource and decorate it with additions of your fancy. The holidays are about thinking out of the box for expressing your own type of love. Forego old wrapping paper formulas this year and watch their faces light up when they see your original wrapping creations.
