As many of you learned last year, I like to have a holiday gift wrap theme each year. Born out of necessity, I am extra excited to share this year’s look.

With a new baby in the house, gift wrap was not at the top of my list. One day, she was napping especially well and I found myself with some free time to get some wrapping done. One problem – I hadn’t planned anything or purchased any paper. Creative inspiration struck! I love the look of our Paper Bag wrapping paper, and decided to use the months of my Great Big Calendar as the base for this year’s gift wrap. Once I started, the ideas kept coming.

One month is the perfect size for a standard shirt box. For larger packages, I banded with a strip of calendar or used our Holiday Typography Paper, which matches perfectly (though this required my husband to make a quick run to our Evanston Store). So far, my favorite idea is this bow made out of the days of the week.

I hope this idea inspires you. For more inspiration, check out these wrapping tips for the season.

From our new family to yours – happy holidays!

–Ann
PS colors: pool, peacock & chocolate
Latest fave: 2012 Great Big Wall Calendar

Last year, Ann brought us together when she gleefully confessed that she is a Wrapaholic. Slowly, confessions trickled in from others who admitted their obsession with color, coordinated style and perfect corners. Her post was like a safe place for fellow Wrappers to disclose the amount of time spent preparing packages or share in the joy of present perfection.

This year, Ann revealed her secrets to perfect packages in our latest gift wrapping video. In it, Ann talks about five main components she credits for helping her stay cool, calm and coordinated.

Scissors
Ann recommends having two pair of scissors — one for paper and one for ribbon — but make sure you have at least one pair solely dedicated to gift wrapping, so they stay nice and sharp.

Tape
Always have a full roll of tape on your spool. If you’re a fellow Wrapper, we suggest using double-stick tape — it keeps your adhesive hidden and works really well with ribbon application.

Solid Gift Wrap
Select a few rolls of solid wrapping paper to have on hand. Mix up the colors, so you have a base for any occasion that might come up.

Ribbon
Store a few spools of ribbon, in various colors and sizes, so you can accent boxed packages and gift bags.

Patterned Gift Wrap
It is hard to choose just one, so Ann recommends having a wedding print, a gift wrap for kids, and a colorful polka dot gift wrap to cover events throughout the year.

Given the time of year, our fellow Wrappers are probably concepting holiday gift wrap themes, so patterns like Gingerbread Men Wrapping Paper and Candy Canes Wrapping Paper are great accents for the Polk Dot and Solid Gift Wrap styles recommended by Ann.

Ann also showed us how solid glitter wrapping paper can be paired with a festive pattern to create a magical Hanukkah presentation. This execution also introduced us to a new Wrapper staple: Super Tacky Tape!

These tips are just the beginning. There is so much to learn from Wrappers, like Ann, and what better time than the gift giving season?! So we challenge our fellow Wrappers to share your greatest tip or trick – comment to the post and help others wrap perfect packages this holiday season.

I love using craft boxes as gift boxes…even plain, they are really interesting. For the banner, I cut lots of triangles and adhered two back to back with a small piece of tape with the string in between. What is great about this banner is that wrapping it haphazardly only enhances the look, so there is no need to be perfect. I think I’ll be using this technique again and again!

–Kristen
PS colors: peacock & chocolate
Latest fave: Craft Boxes

I love how this turned out. It is simple, clean packaging that is truly custom (I chose each word featured in the design), and it’s something I can do for another occasion.

P.S. Don’t think that you need any fancy design programs to do this – I created this in good old Microsoft Word with a series of text boxes.

–Kristen
PS colors: peacock & chocolate
Latest fave: Satin Ribbon

Wedding Invitations
Wouldn’t you love to receive a perfect little box addressed to you with a wedding invitation inside? Simply stunning. It’s true, you can mail them! Our A7 box mailers are sized to fit our A7 envelopes and anything else you can fit inside. Check out these amazing Las Vegas wedding invitations and these classic wedding invitations, all mailed in our box mailers.

Gift Boxes
Box mailers are like greeting cards – I keep a bunch on hand because I never know when I’ll need one (in the perfect color). I used them this past Christmas to package our letterpress calendar (everyone on my list got one). The boxes are so lovely they don’t even need wrapping paper – just tie with ribbon. They’re also great for packaging gift cards (just add some festive filler), which can be otherwise unimpressive to present.

Special Deliveries
Whether it’s an invitation, letter, or tiny treasure, packaging it in a box mailer makes it extra special. To mail it, seal the box closed with stickers and address and stamp right on the box, or wrap the box mailer in kraft paper or cellophane then address and stamp (this way the recipient can reuse the box). Snail mail never looked so good.

Handy Dandy Storage
Take a look in your desk drawer – aren’t you just dying to organize those paper clips, loose change, rubber bands, etc? Use one half of the box mailer as a catch-all inside drawers and on desk tops. And choose your favorite box mailer color, because even though no one will see it, it still makes you happy (like your favorite underwear).

Arts & Crafts
Claudia posted a while back on how she used a box mailer to create a lovely wall art piece – the box mailer becomes the back drop and frame. You can take this idea in a million directions…frame photographs, letters for a child’s room, or charming silhouettes as Claudia shows.

So, the next time you want to think outside the box, think inside a box mailer! And please, tell me how you’ve used box mailers in creative ways.

–Kristen
PS colors: peacock & chocolate
Latest fave: Satin Ribbon

Each holiday season, I prepare two lists – one filled with gifts for my family and friends and one outlining my wrapping plans. I am a planner and perfectionist at heart, and I anxiously await the thrill I get from filling the tree skirt with perfectly-wrapped packages. Don’t think of the following list as a list of unrealistic expectations, but rather a look into the crazy confessions of this wrapper.

1. Start with a color story. Each year, I pick a theme. I carry it through from my holiday cards, to my tree (yes, I redo my tree annually) to my wrapping. I always incorporate at least one or two solid wraps and one or two prints. I love the look of banding a printed wrap or fine paper around solids. This year – my color story is pool, peacock, chocolate and touches of silver.

2. Go double-stick or go home. Ask my husband and he will grudgingly admit that in our house you cannot find a single roll of regular tape. My edges are crisp and my tape is hidden.

3. No pre-made bows allowed. I love our double-faced satin ribbon. I always pick up matching colors in multiple widths. There’s so much you can do from weaving to bands to bows. Top off with a little ornament for a special touch.

4. Say yes to printed gift tags! I have two favorite styles of printed gift tags that I use every year. For the first, I print on a sheet of 8.5” x 11” cardstock, cut it into small shapes and then use a decorate hole punch, like a snowflake. This year, I decided to use our fabulous sheeted stickers for a sophisticated look.

5. Build a collection. For instance, if I’m giving my father-in-law three gifts. I would make sure one was wrapped in pool, one in chocolate and one in the print. This way, when they are stacked in front of him before he opens, they still look fabulous.

While admittedly extreme, I never lose sight of the beauty of the season and the joy of giving. So if you find yourself at my house over Christmas… go ahead, rip into that package and enjoy!

Happy Holidays to you and yours.

–Ann
PS colors: pool, peacock & chocolate
Latest fave: PS Booklet Calendar

The nice thing about 12×12 is that most of the sheets are double-sided (they are also very inexpensive), and this bow takes advantage of both sides.

To start, cut the 12×12 into six even strips. Next, use a 1/8″ hole punch to put a small hole in one end of each strip. Then use a bone folder and curl the strips in different directions. The final step is to put all of the strips on a brad and fan them haphazardly in various directions. What’s great is that once the paper is attached with the brad, it is really easy to adjust the bow.

(For other bow ideas, check out our How to Tie the Perfect Bow and How to Tie a Square Knot tutorials.)

–Ryan, Paper Source Bethesda Store
PS colors: paper bag & night
Latest fave: Gingerbread Shape Cards

Don’t forget to leave time between brunch and errands to visit your local Paper Source store tomorrow. Our stores will be hosting our annual holiday demos, which are certain to inspire the season and, perhaps, ignite your holiday shopping spirit.

Featured in the day’s events are some of our new Holiday Kits (both for kids and adults), along with loads of card making ideas, favor containers for festive gifting, and plenty of rubber stamping playtime towards the end of the day. For those organized souls, who have completed gift shopping and card making before Thanksgiving (We’re so jealous!), you will especially love our gift wrapping demos. See how small finishing touches will make your gifts extra special!

Stop by your local Paper Source from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. (local time) to see what our experts are doing or visit our In-Store Demo Page to see what we have planned for our guests.

Happy Holidays from Paper Source!

I enjoy the challenge of finding something that fits the recipient’s interests, something they would not expect you to know.

I revel in the surprise of giving something so perfectly them.

With this also comes an aversion to gift cards. But two of the most creative people I know are tying the knot [today] and The Mister and I wanted to give gifts they could personalize, forcing me to compromise on my stringent gifting rule.

With a little help from my stockpile of Paper Source goods (yes, I had all of this), I infused our usual thoughtful nature into the presentation, whipping up a gift which celebrates the couple’s worldly interests. If you’re going to give a gift card, at least consider some creative packaging!

– Liz
PS colors: night & curry
Latest fave: Cavallini Wrapping Paper

Materials used:
Pool Presentation Envelope
Paris Map Cavallini Wrapping Paper
Khaki A2 Note Cards
Bracket Placecard Border Rubber Stamp
Robins Egg & Frost White Color Box Inkpad
Embossing Heat Tool
Embossing Powder
Black Elegant Writer Calligraphy Pen
Memory Tape Runner
Foam Squares
And a little parchment resume paper (non-Paper Source)

These ribbons are made in Milwaukee in a small facility with limited workers who set up the machines and manually roll the ribbon onto spools once it comes off the line. The owner of the company bought the equipment at an auction back in the late eighties and revived a century old way of making the ribbon. Spools of thread (about 50 of them) are brought together from large machines, glued together and made into various widths of ribbon. The original company went out of business back in the fifties when ribbon started being made out of synthetic materials.

Paper Source carries 10 yard spools in 1/2″ width in solid color ribbons (including our three new PS colors peacock, persimmon and sunshine) and polka dot ribbons. Also arriving later this summer are 2 different colored bows made of paper ribbon.

–Reena
PS colors: fuchsia & red
Latest fave: Faux Bois 1.25″ Circle Stickers