One of my very favorite parts about Christmas is the wrapping.
The first step is paper selection. Two specific recommendations: Paper Source which I tend to visit in person for very fine single sheets, and Society6 which has infinite variety but ships a little slow. I tend to keep brown paper on hand, especially for bulky items, and I also buy metalic/reflective paper from Walmart etc whenever is convenient.
I try to put ribbon on every gift if I can. It adds class and color, and can help keep tape from failing too.
I enjoy adding extra trinkets to the wrapping. My favorite ones are small gifts of their own:
- bracelet around the neck of an anniversary champagne bottle
- enamel pin depicting a character in a game I’ve wrapped
- cocktail skewers that go with the glasses I’m giving
- action figures or other toys for kids
Occasionally, the gift wrap itself can be part of a gift. My grandmother appreciated a gift wrapped in Mexican oilcloth and held together with a colorful duct tape. (Wish I had a picture of this.)
Sometimes I’ll add translucent cellophane, Washi tape, or patches of fabric or other wrapping paper after finishing a gift, especially if the paper is relatively plain. One member of my extended family has a signature style of brown paper decorated with ink stamps and tied with twine, which always looks so nice.
“Red envelopes” (found in other colors too, I have some yellow ones in these photos), those colorful packets that sometimes wrap cash gifts in some Asian countries, are perfect for gift certificates, event tickets, digital goods, and so forth.
Finally, on tape: The advice about only ever needing three pieces of tape per gift is fine if the recipient is a toddler that you don’t like very much. If you want it to look good, though, use plenty of tape wherever you need to keep paper taut or a fold crisp. Keep copious amounts of both single- and double- sided tape on hand at all times.
You don’t need to buy invisible tape; clear tape should never be placed on the outside of a gift. If hidden tape isn’t sufficient, augment with ribbon, decorative tape (washi tape, patterned duct tape, etc), or an intentional wrapping paper patch.
