Gift Wrapping

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Photo by: Joanna Kosinska @joannakosinska

For this year’s gift wrapping, consider using alternative materials, especially for those oddly shaped items. Gifts wrapped with fabrics create visual interest and tons of texture that will make the recipient feel extra special. Wrapping with fabrics takes a little practice to fit them just right and see where the fabric needs to be secured by fabric or ribbon strips in lieu of tape. To avoid hemming frayed fabric edges, use Stitch Witchery, an adhesive strip that gets ironed between the folded fabric creating a hemmed edge. This is probably a presentation for an adult or an earth-loving teenager as kids just wanna rip through paper. For oddly shaped items, fabric and serve as a sac with a cord threaded through a few holes at the top and tied into a bow or knot.

If you decided to adorn your gifts with classic wrapping paper, try adding something unexpected like fresh greenery or mini pine cones as a present garnish. Have fun with gift tags too, I recently created tags for those in between gifts that will bring joy to those around the recipient. My gift tags say, “For You, For Them,” “For You, For Us” and “For You, You Me.” These gifts are items that can be shared such as a board game, a bottle of wine, a gift card to a restaurant…

Weekend Design & Wellness Project

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Holiday Planning & Preparation

Photo by: Denise Johnson @auntneecey

The weekends of other months are for sleeping in, running errands or completing projects around the house. Weekends in December are for all of those things in addition to decorating, holiday grocery shopping, playing refrigerator tetras, mailing, shipping, meltdowns and purchasing or making gifts. All of that while trying to fit in some seasonal outdoor fun like going to Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania.

Here are some questions to help choose the best gifts for everyone on your list:

  1. What do they talk about frequently? Racing cars, golf, books, cooking, pottery…there are online classes, adventure experiences and online magazine subscriptions for almost anything.

  2. What is their favorite snack? Gift basket with a mixture of their favorite items

  3. Where are they from? Hometown or nostalgic memorabilia or specialty items for the transplants in your life. They will definitely appreciate receiving a piece of home as a gift.

    This is a good start to get the gift ideas flowing. Before you know it, the list will be completed and you will be anxious to see your loved ones reactions upon opening such uniquely personal gifts. We shall call this, confident gift giving.

    Remember, making gifts personal will mean much more to someone over being expensive and temporary.