TBL: The Bits List

Step away from the Santa-print wrapping paper and throw out that old bag of stick-on rosettes. 

This drew a chuckle from me when I read it on Daily News today.  I still have a roll of Santa-themed wrapping paper and a bag of stick-on rosettes bought a few years ago after Christmas when they went on sale at a local pharmacy.  50% off and I couldn’t resist.  I used the wrapping paper and rosettes the following year and I was done.  I was over the sticky bows & the jolly Santa wrapping paper and they have been sitting in my closet ever since. Presentation is everything and personalization adds so much to a gift.  How a gift is wrapped is the first thing the receipient notices and his/her level of anticipation is elevated.  Presentation is just as important, if not more important, than the gift itself. No need to blow your budget on expensive fancy papers or ribbons.  As this article suggests, all you need is a little ingenuity.    

Wrap party: tips to personalize your gifts  BY ELOISE PARKER

Sunday, December 16th 2007, 4:00 AM

Boxes, $1-$3, containerstore.com; metallic film tape, $10, art-alternatives.com for stores; Dremel 275-02 multiPro rotary tool (to make holes for tassels), $44, amazon.com; tassels, $1, mjtrim.com

Use wallpaper and jute twine for a pretty presentation (instructions below).

An off-the-wall presentation  Wallpaper (with biodegradable jute twine, boxwood clippings, 1-1/4-inch silver Christmas balls, tape)1. Wallpaper is quite stiff, which allows it to hold a crease better than most ordinary gift wrap. Use minimal tape and hide the tape whenever possible for a clean, professional look.2. Before cutting the twine, wrap it around the box to determine how much you will need. Then double the length. “I like to double the twine because it looks more substantial,” says Jennings. Start at the top of the box with both strands and wrap them under the box, twist, and bring the ends up and around to the top. Knot.

3. Slide small boxwood clippings under the twine, with ends pointing toward the four corners of your package.

4. Slide the wires of the silver Christmas balls under the twine but on top of the boxwood clippings and twist, pulling them tightly together.

5. Tie a loose twine bow in the center. 

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Filed under: Holidays, Gift, Patricia, Tidbits on December 17th, 2007