Tips For Wrapping Christmas Gifts

Giving is definitely better than receiving. Happening upon the perfect gift, the anticipation of the loved one opening and relishing it, and the knowledge the gift is used and loved is worth the hunt for the perfect gift. Old World Christmas encourages gift-planning all year round. You might be in an airport gift shop and happen upon the perfect gift for your sister, but if you’re not thinking “gift giving” in June you might miss out. 

We can’t make the perfect list for your family and friends, but we can give you great ideas and advice on wrapping those perfect gifts. 

1. Pick a theme. There are millions of ideas and options when it comes to wrapping. If you care about making your gifts look great then pick a theme or motif for every gift you wrap. It will keep things simple (you only have to pick out multiple rolls of one wrapping paper!) and your final product will look harmonious under the tree. You can also pick a theme with multiple color-ways, for instance a white paper with red polka dots, a solid red paper and a paper with red and white plaid. All three of these papers would look wonderful together and still create a harmonious look. 
2. Think outside the box. Literally. There are other fun ways to wrap gifts that don’t fit in a traditional square box. You can make a gift bag out of wrapping paper. You can also wrap smaller items to look like a piece of candy, like this. Think outside the box when it comes to color. Obviously, red and green are the go-to Christmas colors, but what about pink and lime green? They are close cousins to the traditional colors and add an unexpected look to the same old. Brown craft paper with bright festive ribbon wrapped in creative ways is another great way to think outside the box. 
3. Get the kids involved. Your finished product might not look like it should be on the cover of a magazine, but the energy, excitement and effort kids put into projects will produce a memory, a great story, and most likely a mess. Stamps made from potatoes and a long roll of white or brown Kraft paper and craft paint is very cute and little hands love to help. Kids can catch the excitement of gift giving when they’re involved in the wrapping process. 
4. Buy enough ribbon. Ribbon adds a lot to your theme and motif, so make sure you buy enough. Don’t skimp. The common curly ribbon gets the job done, but why have curly ribbon when there are thick satin or grosgrain ribbons to choose from? You won’t get sick of people saying “oh wow! Look at this ribbon! I’m saving it!”. Sometimes you can find a good deal on ribbon at a local craft store. Many sell extra large spools, so buy two and you won’t run out. Whatever you do, don’t leave your gift looking naked. If you need to keep it simple, even a big bag of shiny bows to peel and stick on a gift is better than a gift looking unfinished. 
5. Take it over the top. To make your gift sparkle, stand apart from the rest, and to give it a personal touch we recommend adding an Old World Christmas ornament as a gift topper. There are so many to choose from, each one with it’s own story and meaning, and each as the perfect exclamation point for all your gifts. Just be sure not to stack all your gifts on top of each other. Our Christmas ornaments are stunning, but they are blown-glass so they will break. 

With a little creativity and a whole lot of fun, gift wrapping can be a highlight of your holiday season. We recommend wrapping as you go. If you have to wrap 100 gifts in one evening it can feel like an insurmountable task that might leave you discouraged and out of creative juices. We also really like this video with some creative ideas when wrapping odd-shaped items and how to wrap with a piece of paper that’s just a teeny bit too small.