Are you a packages wrapped in brightly colored paper girl, a gift bag queen, or do you fall somewhere in between the two? I'm a nice blend of both, I think.
I love the look of beautifully coordinated, gift wrapped boxes under the tree, but I'm also realistic enough to know that sometimes placing a present in a bag with some tissue paper is the way to get everything done. I've always tried to coordinate our wrapping paper and gift bags in the past, but never really found "the look" I was searching for.
I scored in the gift wrap department this year!
Michaela Byrd and I happened upon the gift wrap aisle in Hobby Lobby when all of their wrapping stuff, tags, bows, you name it were 50% off. I picked up some super cute things and came home to play.
Houndstooth Pattern? I die!
The best thing about the two reddish papers is that they came with grids printed on the inside. This is heaven for people who are arithmetically challenged and just not good at measuring and/or cutting straight lines.
Not that there's anything wrong with that. Because I'm totally talking about myself.
I love the way everything came together!
I didn't go crazy, because I'd rather watch a Christmas movie with my girls than hole up in the dining room wrapping all day. I just used some packaging ribbon on a few of the gifts, and the rest got the pretty red, silver, or white bows from HL. I went for sticker gift tags that I stuck on the underside of each gift...no time for crafting any this year, and this keeps certain 5 year olds from messing with the boxes.
I like how everything looks under the tree so far!
I have to say, I am loving the "wrap it early" strategy. I've had some gifts up in the closet for months, and those got wrapped a week or so ago. Others I've been packing up soon after we come in from shopping. So much less stressful, and it makes the tree even prettier to gaze at when T doesn't have the History Channel blazing on the television. {wink}
Besides their stockings in the other room, Santa will leave the girls' big gifts under the tree, but those don't get wrapped. Isn't Santa nice like that?!
How far along are you with your wrapping?
They look great! I loooove that houndstooth! I do have to say - you realize that whole "50% off" thing at Hobby Lobby is a scam, right? I mean, I think you do but you just love it so much you don't care...I'm not sure.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! I LOVE the houndstooth wrapping! I scored more wrapping paper from Target dollar spot this year & I love it. Your tree looks so pretty lit up with the gifts under it :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely presents! I'm a paper girl. I love all things pretty paper, from stationary to wrapping paper. I love making cards and tags too. I've come to like to pick papers out that reflect/coordinate with my Christmas decorating style, a little traditional, a little modren and a touch of whimsy. Right now I'm all about the reds, greens, whites and silver too. We wrapped early this year too! Woo, Hoo I'm looking forward to a fun and relaxing Christmas Eve with the kids instead of rusing them off to bed so I can wrap.
ReplyDeleteThat is some great wrapping paper! And the nice thing about the houndstooth and polka dot paper is that since it's not blatantly Christmasy, you can use it year-round! I love finding paper like that.
ReplyDeleteHannah
I LOVE that houndstooth!
ReplyDeleteI love the colors and patterns of the papers that you chose. I like the look of wrapped packages much better than bags and tissue but some things just plain old work better in bags. I have most everything wrapped and either hidden or under the tree. The paper that I used this year was found last year after Christmas on sale. It had the grids like yours and I loved having that guide for cutting. I hope you have lots of time to sit in front of the tree to admire your pretty packages.
ReplyDeleteI hit up the same sale. All is wrapped, just need bows and name tags on. This is our first year to navigate the Santa thing so I wasnt sure if I should put presents out now or wait for Christmas Eve
ReplyDeleteAmanda, those presents look beautiful. I'm so envious of people who have a Hobby Lobby. My town needs to open their eyes and realize that there same savings going on! LOL. My gifts are being wrapped in a roll from the $Tree. I LOVE it. It's a red and brown paper check. The back of it is plain brown paper. It adds to my simply decorating. Hope you and yours have a WONDERFUL holiday : )
ReplyDeleteThey look great Amanda!! I went with green this year (clearance find from last year). And yes some bags mixed in. I mean a father that wants rubber boot for Christmas....how do you wrap those???? They don't even come in a box! LOL!
ReplyDeletei bought my paper at hobby lobby too... that houndtooth was a favorite of mine and will be great all year long for other celebrations
ReplyDeleteI haven't started yet, but I'm not going to leave it all for Christmas Eve this year!
ReplyDeleteLove the houndstooth and polka dots! On my post Monday, I mentioned the gift bags made out of cereal boxes (Family Fun)...my first thought with those was that since you wrap the boxes, you could coordinate it with your other packages.
All your gifts look so pretty! I am a huge wrapping procrastinator! We usually end up wrapping everything on Christmas Eve. I have gotten really wrapping lazy too, so usually all they get are some wrapping paper and a name tag. I do have some red tulle that I am going to make bows with this year...if I have time:) Merry Christmas Amanda!
ReplyDeleteI love gift wrapping and see all che cute presents under the tree, to bad this year I still haven't put them under because my two yrs old boy will open them all in 60 seconds!! I love the houndtooth one and I think gift wrapping paper at Hobby Lobby is the best, great quality.
ReplyDeleteyour packages look great-love the red and blue together. time to get wrapping here-i'm going to be sorry on Christmas Eve!
ReplyDeleteYour presents are so pretty! I love all those big bows. I bought some wrapping paper on sale from Hobby Lobby last year and that grid pattern on the backside is the best thing EVER! Genius.
ReplyDeleteWe don't typically have a lot of presents under our tree, so last year I just wrapped a couple of empty boxes for fun and use them to fill up the space... lol. I love wrapping presents!
Your presents look SO much nicer than what I always end up with. We're always wrapping at the last minute. Great job and thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteHi Amanda!
ReplyDeleteOur gifts have arrived via FedEx this year, and immediately put to use.
Mark got a Samsung Blue Ray Theatre System thingy. I got a Keurig coffee maker, my girls ordered clothing and makeup online.
Easy peasy.
The only things under our poor tree are gifts from other people.
We give to another family that needs things more than we do, so the presents end up at their home via the FedEx man :)
Did you see the paper I framed in my living room?
I wanted the houndstooth from HL, but a lady grabbed the last roll (right in front of me)as I stood there in dismay ;)
http://goodbyehousehellohome.blogspot.com/2010/12/operation-simple-christmas-decorating_20.html
Hugs and don't mind the messes!
~me
I am SO far behind in my wrapping. Like you I usally wrap thing as I get them, but this year my two year old kept unwrapping all the gifts so we decided not to put any gifts out till christmas eve. This means I have hardly wrapped a thing. Ahhhh!
ReplyDeletePS Thanks for your kind comment.
Great color scheme!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE LOVE LOVE Hobby Lobby's wrap. I get it every year and don't ever bother with wrap from the other stores. The paper is superb quality and gotta love those gridlines!
This year I got the same snowflake paper you did, but mine's navy blue to match my tree.
Ah, yes. I bought that houndstooth paper last year at HL, and I was so excited when I brought my stash of paper down from the attic--I still had half a roll!! Honestly, I think HL's paper is just the best. Those grid lines are so very, very helpful. And this year I found paper with crosses on it! I was one happy girl.
ReplyDeleteI used to use a lot of gift bags, but I've decided that no one really enjoys opening a present that's in a gift bag--people like to tear into packages! So this year I'm wrapping things the old-fashioned way. I know there will be some last-minute stashing-in-bags work, but right now I'm having fun wrapping boxes of all sizes.
By the way, I totally agree with you--Santa is so nice to leave things unwrapped under the tree. He's a good guy!
OMG. I love your mix of classic prints in all red/white/silver. Very chic and elegant together. (I agree: the paper with grid lines on the back are the best!)
ReplyDeletestopping by to say 'hi' from http://typeadecorating.blogspot.com
ReplyDeletethanks for visiting, i'm your newest follower now. merry christmas.
I am done!! And I totally used colorful gift bags and tissue paper. TaDa!!! Everything looks so nice!
ReplyDeleteYour tree is lovely and all your wrapped pressies are beautiful. Love the red and white!!
Merry Christmas
Hugs
SueAnn
Your presents look so nice! I scored at Hob Lob on paper too this year. They had a really good selection! Hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas Amanda:)
ReplyDelete