Christmas Gift Wrapping - General tips

I have been meaning to mention the C-word for the past couple of weeks.  Christmas.  Is coming.  Soon.  Fruit mince pies and panettone, Christmas decorations and cards have started to appear in the shops.  Fortunately, Christmas carols haven't so it is still possible to shop in peace and quiet until the madness starts for another year.  Don't get me wrong, I like Christmas carols.  In fact, on Christmas Day, I like to add a bit of festive atmosphere by playing the Frank Sinatra Christmas album, much to the horror of my family.  Frank does a good carol, but I'm not ready for them just yet. 

I do love Christmas as, if you are a crafty/baking person, it is your time to shine.  People love homemade gifts, beautifully wrapped presents and the once a year baked goodies, like shortbread and fruit cake.   Over the next few weeks, I will be posting some ideas on Christmas gift wrapping, card making and baking.  This is very organised for me as I don't start thinking about Christmas until a couple of weeks beforehand, and usually in a panic-stricken state.  I know I am not alone as each year I see people like me walking around shopping centres at an unnaturally fast pace with fierce looks of determination.  I like to add to this stress by baking until all hours of the night.  The nights in Australia are pretty warm by this time, which adds to the pressure cooker atmosphere.  Whether you're a last minute person or an organised months in advance person, I'm hoping these posts will give you some tips and ideas for making your handmade Christmases a bit easier. 

I thought I would start with some general tips on Christmas gift wrapping:

1.  Choose a theme - A theme establishes the framework from which everything else, including cards and decorations, will flow.  A theme makes shopping so much easier as it allows you to remain focussed and not be distracted by shiny non-theme related objects.  Presents wrapped in a coordinated theme also look good under the Christmas tree. Some themes to think about include red and white, contemporary, minimalist, Scandinavian, and Arctic winter.  Here is an example of a minimalist theme I used a few years ago.  Its a simple sprig of decoration on a white, glossy background.

2.  Use Christmas decorations to accessorise your gifts - I like to use Christmas decorations to add colour, contrast and texture.  The post-Christmas sales are good for picking up decorations at half-price which can be re-purposed the following year.  I used reindeer decorations from Ikea last year for a contemporary Scandinavian look.

3.  Use plastic wrap to glam up plain paper - If you like to wrap your presents in plain paper, one way to add a touch of elegance is to wrap the present again in thick plastic wrap, and finish it with a fabric ribbon.

4.  Use fabric ribbons to add interest - Whether you prefer plain or patterned gift wrap, an interesting ribbon can really take your gift wrapping to the next level.  Here I've used ric-rac which, together with a wooden decoration, adds contrast and texture.

5.  Use paper bags, boxes and fabric to wrap odd shaped presents- Gift wrapping should not have to involve the laws of physics.  If you need to wrap an odd shaped present, put it in a gift bag.  You can spruce up plain paper bags by using decorations, quirky ribbons, and stamps.  Fabric is also very forgiving and is particularly good for wrapping round and oval shaped presents.  Boxes, especially noodle boxes, are good for wrapping baked treats.

6.  Iron your wrapping paper - If you're using folded paper rather than paper from a roll, iron it first to remove the crease marks.  Use a low setting and a light touch.  It is worth the effort.

7.  Keep craft glue handy - Sticky tape does not stick to all paper and sometimes glue is required.  I use an all purpose craft glue.

8.  Under no circumstances use Christmas themed sticky tape - Enough said.

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