Christmas - Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String {Or ribbon in this case}

December 05, 2014


Wrapping. Do you love or hate it? I love it until I'm about half way through with an achey back from sitting on the floor for hours and there's chaos surrounding me. You end up losing your pen or your tape, or your scissors or you cut a bit of ribbon just ever so slightly too short. Or you can't find the end of the sellotape for the fiftieth time. Every year I vow to buy those wrist tape dispensers but every year forget. BUT it's a good job done when you've finished it all and have a pile of pretty looking gifts all ready to go. Everyone thinks I'm mad wrapping in the first week of December but I just can't stand the shops near Christmas so try and get everything done early. I do get a few funny looks from Ben when I start discussing Christmas presents at the end of October but it's worth it in the end. So this is a post all about wrapping and a few gift ideas for those hard to buy for people...

For the past few years I've been a bit brown kraft paper obsessed, you may have guessed if you've seen any of my wedding stationery posts. It looks pretty when paired with ribbon and it's hard to find tasteful conventional Christmas wrapping paper. If you buy a huge roll of it, I get mine from Costco, it works out at better value than patterned stuff and is good quality, I hate that stuff that tears at the slightest pull when you're wrapping or cutting. All of my ribbon is from Costco too, for around £5 you get 46 metres of wire-edged ribbon on a roll! Amazing value. The two left rolls in the photo are this year's buys and the other two are from last year. I did buy a roll of stripy paper too this year that I spotted in TK Maxx but there's not much on the roll for £3 compared to a huge roll of brown paper for the same price. 


Gift tag wise I like luggage labels and bought a couple of festive hole punches to cut out a Christmas tree shape and a snowflake shape to make my own labels. I buy luggage tags in bulk from eBay. Check the size before you order, they vary from tiny to pretty big. This year I've also got some cute Martha Stewart red and white Stockings and Mittens from Staples to contrast the brown.


I love this sparkly chevron pattern ribbon.



I've somehow landed myself the role of chief wrapper for all the boy's in my life. My brother gets me to wrap my Mum's presents, as does my Dad and I sort all of Ben's family out. What is it about boys and wrapping? I don't mind really once I get in the swing of it and put some trashy TV on or Christmas tunes and sit by the fire. 


Candy Canes are cute to slip under ribbon as an extra little decorative touch.



I find it best to tackle it in one go, just get everything out and keep wrapping and tying bows until I'm done. 


Do you have any fail proof present ideas for hard to buy for people? I always find that for girls you can never go wrong with a nice scented candle, The White Company or Jo Malone are safe bets. Likewise for bubble bath, Neal's Yard or Molton Brown will go down well. But also consider vouchers, for the past couple of Christmases we've got our parents special restaurant vouchers so that they can have something to look forward to in the New Year and can be booked at leisure. Similarly, we've bought Live Strictly tour tickets before, concert tickets and Chelsea Flower Show tickets. Magazine subscriptions are a nice gift that keep on giving throughout the year. Buy somebody a spa or beauty salon voucher so that they can enjoy being pampered once the madness of Christmas is over. I take it that you've scoured Not on the High Street's gift ideas? Afternoon tea vouchers are always nice too, non-material presents can be the best kind. You could make up a mini hamper with some yummy foodie bits. We've framed a wedding photo for our Grandparents this year. Perfume, aftershave? The list goes on. Ben and I always end up buying each other a trip away for Christmas or Birthday presents, we love travel and unless there's something we really want or need, I think it's the best kind of gift to receive.






All done for another year, phew! Some photos of the past couple of years wrapping, similar style just different ribbon. 



Maybe next year I'l do something different but for now I'm still well and truly brown paper obsessed.

Do you have any wrapping ideas or tips to share?? 

R <3 xx 

{19 days to go! I like this video today} Sorry just realised I forgot to put this at the end of yesterday's post, oops. Wrapping messed with my brain.

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