Gift wrapping seems to give so many people stress, and at this time of year it is like immersion therapy for the daunted. I will happily hold my hand up to being a gift wrap nerd. I love to wrap a present, to make it look pretty, or fun, or glamorous or just ‘different’. But I am not one of those who can tie an immaculate bow, and I don’t use the most expensive gift wrap, just whatever the high street stores have to offer. The gifts don’t have to be perfect, or ‘shop style’ or works of art. ‘Pretty’ will do fine! Don’t get me wrong, if I could spend bazillions on wrappy stuff it would ABSOLUTELY happen. I once heard that the Spelling family (of TV and/or movie fame) had a gift wrap room in their house. I swear I have never in the whole of my life wanted to be someone else more than I did right then. But now I have a craft room and maybe that is better!
Gift wrap is my spiritual home as a crafter. However, I have been told so often by people that they struggle with it. I can’t think how many times someone has handed me a gift and apologised about the wrapping. Well, they should NEVER feel they have to apologise. It IS the thought that counts and a person shouldn’t feel pressurised into striving for some kind of perfect presentation. Realistic and achievable will do nicely, if someone wants to give it a go. But if is just not in their skill set, who really cares?! Not me, for sure.
But, if you are despondently soaking your paper cuts in antiseptic before taking another deep breath, maybe also a fortifying swig of mulled wine before getting back in there amongst the paper rolls and curling ribbon, here is a little something that might help.
The PaperPuff Pockety Pouchy Thing. Yes indeed. So maybe the name needs a little tweaking. Bear with. Imagine you have some little presents for the girls at work. Maybe some hand cream tubes and a nail colour, or body lotion in a squeezy bottle, that kind of thing. Or male grooming products. All lovely gifts, but a struggle to wrap. Now this won’t be pristine angles and hospital corners, but it is easy, it works, and it looks fine and dandy. Plus, it takes just a few minutes.
Lock and load.
So, now there are plenty of options to close it up. You can:
Cut the edge with fancy scissors (or you could have die cut the edge at an earlier stage if you wanted), cut or punch several holes, or just two holes, and thread some ribbon through, or even a strip of paper
Use pretty pegs or clips to fasten it
Here I have just done the simplest thing. I folded the top open edge over twice to the back (neat edges = happy) and then knotted some organza ribbon around it.
This really takes just a few minutes and then you can add whatever embellishments you fancy! I like tiny baubles/ornaments, jingle bells, candy canes or chocolate coins, or sometimes a bit of real evergreen and a pine cone.
Sorry some of the pictures are a bit blurry. I think my eyes need polishing. The basic idea is just to create your U shape and don’t worry about the height of it: it can be shallow or tall, and longer on one side than the other is also fine! I only wrapped one item here, but you can wrap several things together and you can always secure them to the card with a bit of sticky tack, or tape if it makes it easier for you. This isn’t meant to win us any competitions, after all, just get us through Christmas!
Hope everyone is having fun, or at least surviving anyway!
That’s such a great, clever idea and they look fantastic too!
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Thanks Karen! Easy solutions for me
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That is one of the cleverest ideas I have seen in a long time! I may have to try this idea for the 3 foot tall Elsa (from the movie Frozen) doll that my husband could not resist at the second hand store. Our 3 year old granddaughter is an Elsa fanatic.. I have been wondering where to find a box large enough but this might just work on a larger scale :)!!
I salute your genius.
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Oh, yes it would totally work for a doll! You could secure her upright with elastic bands through the card if you needed to, and if you don’t have card long enough just cut them separately and lash the bits together with duct tape. Good luck Agent Chicken!
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LOL. When my husband goes Christmas shopping it is always a little scary to see what he decides to put in the cart…..and how creative I need to be with wrapping!
Duct tape is always a go to…or the clear strapping tape.
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When I was a teenager, I worked in an old-fashioned department store that didn’t believe in carrier bags, everything had to be properly wrapped in the store’s paper, it was a right PITA, but it’s served me in good stead when it comes to wrapping pressies!!
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I know the kind of store. I used to love watching how quickly expertly it was done!
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Veloco-wrappter. STOP! I’m gonna wet my pants laughing!
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Do you know, normally if someone asks that ‘if you were an animal/plant/flower/song what would you be’? question, I can never think of an answer. This is the only time I have come up with one. Which I think, confirms me as a dinosaur! Sorry about your pants….
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The thing is, Ms. Veloco-wrappter, I am well versed in Velociraptors (Offspring1 was a dinosaur guy). I have even made a costume (he started asking when he was 4 for me to make him the costume…I finally made it when he was 7)…and then Offspring2 wore it as well. Still here in the basement – it’s a classic.
Let me go read your entire post, not just talk about the coincidence of velociraptors in our characters. 😉
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Sadly, there is no more dinosaur content!
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I’ll work on it! I know I have several dinosaurs in my Christmas themed things this week. 😉
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Thanks so much for sharing this, PaperPuff! I had never thought of making an easier-to-wrap paper covering like this. Ingenious for the awkward objects – rest assured this tactic will be used in my holiday givings this season. I love that wrapping paper is your spiritual home! It shows!
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Aw, it is only a quick and easy thing. It just helps me out sometimes! Plus, it means you can disguise the gift from sneaky peeking and shaking!
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Yes! It’s very good camouflage. 🙂
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OK, I’m back! I love your U-shaped make anything wrap-able idea! I LOVE wrapping presents (just modest paper & ribbon…and a homemade gift tag of some sort). Sharp creases make me happy.
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I am with you on the creases. Boxes for presents make me happy, but sometimes I don’t have enough, or not the right size. Hence the U-bend solution!!
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The U-bend is genius! Thank you for the life hack!
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Great idea, I detest wrapping presents. My efforts really do look poor, there’s no hiding which secret Santa gift I wrapped! I must give this a whirl. 😊
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Actually it works for squidgy things too – like Monkey and Duck jumpers for example!! Fold or twist into a long sausage shape and you are good to go!
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I shall have to try it! 😊
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How clever is that! I will have to remember that for next year…I already have my items wrapped. For odd shaped items, I usually just wrap them like a giant tootsie roll. That has always worked, but this look even better! Thanks for the great tip! 🙂
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Yes, that used to be my default too! We call it a cracker shape over here.
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I’m always wrapping presents in simple gift wrap paper sold everywhere, but I’m struggling with such items as I can’t leave one piece unwrapped and I can’t wrap it beautifully because of the odd shape, that gives wrinkles or even tears.
Thank you for sharing this at the right time of year! This present looks so pretty! I like the idea of using ribbon at the top, as it makes it easy to unwrap a recipient won’t have to tear it apart!
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Yes. You can always fix it more securely if you want, but ribbon always does it for me!
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My son’s Christmas stocking this year is dinosaur themed…
As for wrapping, I start off by colour co-ordinating everything and adding ribbons and bows…by the week before Christmas I generally resort to gift bags…
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I am with you on the matching wrap and accessories. I can’t have them clashing with the colour scheme for the tree!
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GREAT idea! Fantastic photos! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the pictorial video instructions! (I’m SO mightly impressed with that, that I want to drive round there and get you to teach me how to do that!).
Finally ….. which one is mine? 🙂
~ Cobs. x
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Thanks Cobs! Doing the instructions is very easy (remember who you are dealing with – it has to be easy!). I use Serif CraftArtist; copy and paste the photo in, add text, export it as a picture. Once they are all done I add them in WP, and select them in the order they should be in the slideshow. Simple! There is probably an easier way to do it, but this was how I made it work for me.
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OH WOW! I didn’t know WordPress did this bit of gizmo Wizardry in posts!. I knew that I could have one of those going over in the side bar with the widgets, but I didn’t know I could make one appear in a post!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE you for helping. Thank you so much Puff.
Pucker up Petal and brace yourself . . . . . MMmmmmmmwah. [big kiss on the cheek!]
love and squidges ~ Cobs. ❤ x
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Mwah!! It is in the add media bit, where you decide how you want the pictures to look – tiled, individual images etc. The last one is Slideshow! Have fun!!
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Here to wish you a truly blessed Christmas.
May love, peace and joy fill your home and heart.
Sending special Christmas squidges ~ Cobs. x
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Am SO impressed with your slideshow, (and your post, obv.) Very neat idea. Xx
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That is lovely. I still think I will be lazy and use a gift bag. Maybe next year I can try this.
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Fair enough! Have a lovely Christmas!
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Great directions, beautiful package! I do love a nicely wrapped present; that’s a gift, too.
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Neat idea! I have trouble with the paper that is really cheap so this would definitely work. I get the same comments about my cards that you get with wrapped presents. My husband is always saying that he just can’t get me a simple card it has to have an embellishment or opening on it! Have a Merry Holiday. It’s been a pleasure “talking”with you this year!
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Oh, it has also been lovely to meet you! Have a great Christmas and see you in 2017!
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Thank you. You’ve given me a great idea on how to wrap those tricky long pressies.
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I am so sorry, I missed your comment somehow. Please forgive me!
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Forgiven and forgiven. Now you got me thinking if I’ve missed any comments. You can only try your best. Cheers Maria. xo
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That’s a pretty dinosaur!
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