Savvy Entertaining

Tis the season for gift-giving which means a flurry of wrapping presents. Whether you hate to wrap gifts, love to wrap gifts or fall somewhere in between, you can make the process simpler by following a few basic steps.

1. Have a dedicated gift-wrapping area that you can leave and not worry about cleaning up the mess every time you wrap a gift. It makes is so much simpler and you can wrap a gift here and a gift there instead of having one marathon evening of gift-wrapping. Set up a card-table in a corner of your home office or an unused bedroom.

2. Stock up on the basics before you start wrapping. Have plenty of tape, wrapping paper, tissue paper,  gift tags, ribbon, and boxes. Also make sure there is a garbage can, sharp scissors and a pen to write names on the gift tags. If you are shipping packages, make sure you also have bubble wrap or styrofoam “popcorn” to pack in the box.

3. When you are stocking up on wrapping paper – get the good stuff!  Anyone who knows me well, knows I am a complete wrapping paper snob. The reason is simple: quality paper holds up better, is easier to work with and makes wrapping so much faster. Have you ever purchased a cheap roll of gift wrap only to have the gift you are wrapping poke through the paper at the corners? Trying to pull a piece of cheap wrapping paper nice and tight before you tape it is nearly impossible without ripping the paper. Save yourself some frustration and invest in some quality paper. Two of my favorites are Hallmark (which comes with wonderful cutting lines on the backside so you know the edge is even!) and Costco’s house brand. They are both heavy, fabulous papers that are so nice to use. You don’t have to spend a fortune on wrapping paper. You can find good sales now (like Hallmark’s buy one get one for 99 cents promotion) and think about stocking up on paper after the holidays when it is really inexpensive.

4. Use good tape. My preferred tape of choice is a satin tape that you can’t see once you put it on the package. Or if you want to get really “fancy” you can use double-sided sticky tape sandwiched between your top and bottom layers of paper so there is no visible tape line at all.

5. Make sure you are stocked up on boxes. I usually save boxes for a month or two before the holidays. Then I know I have plenty of sizes and shapes to choose from. This is an important step in your gift-wrapping success! No one likes to receive an odd-shaped bundle wrapped in a garbage bag sealed with duct tape! Find a box, for goodness sake! Remember to recycle the cardboard from boxes after the holidays.

6.Ribbons can make or break the look of your package. Star bows and curling ribbon are great for the beginning wrapper to use. For the seasoned veterans, step it up a notch and find some fun ways to dress up your packages. Inexpensive rolls of ribbon are easy to find this time of year. Purchase one or two in colors that match your gift-wrap. Think outside the box for unique items you could use to tie up your gift like organza, fabric you may already have on hand, twine, raffia, bandanas, etc.

7. The finishing touches. If you really want to make your gifts look professional, think about the finishing touches. If you are planning to add these, you may want to add a hot glue gun or all-purpose glue to your basic supply list. When you anchor a cluster of mini-pinecones or a dried rosebud, or sprigs of greens to the top of you package, it really makes the present look finished. Think of fun little elements you can add like a button, a tiny glass ball, a jingle bell, a mini bird nest,  a sparkling snowflake or a silk flower. You can also tie on a tree ornament that becomes part of the gift. I watch for 50 or 60 percent off sales and stock up on generic pieces like snowflakes, shiny tear drop shapes, bells, etc.

8. Gift bags work just fine. If you don’t have time to invest in making “picture perfect” packages, pick up some gift bags, tissue and ribbon. Use plenty of tissue so the bags don’t look like you threw them together at the last second (even if you do!). First, line the bag with white tissue, wrap your item in tissue, place it in the bag then fill the top with tissue. Mix white with a sheet or two of colored tissue paper to get the most bang for your buck. When filling the top, hold out a sheet of tissue paper, pinch it in the center and then, while still holding the center, give it a gentle shake. It should be full at the top and remain pinched at the bottom. Stuff it on the bag, full side up and see how beautiful your bag looks!

9. Trade out services. If you can’t stand to wrap gifts and can’t afford to pay to have them wrapped, think about trading services with someone who loves to wrap. Maybe you could perform a holiday chore for them they dislike like hanging their lights, shoveling their sidewalks, watching their kids for one evening or afternoon, running a few errands, or some other household task. I would gladly wrap gifts for someone who was willing to trade services for … (insert any number of household chores here like ironing, cleaning, dusting, etc.!)

Happy Entertaining and Happy Holidays!