Gift Wrapping Ideas

The manner in which it is given is worth more than the gift.

---  Pierre Corneille

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I enjoy the gift wrapping process, as the effort is a way I convey my care and concern for the recipient.

To me, the way a gift is well wrapped makes it worth more than the actual cost of the item, as the recipient will feel it even before opening the presents!

Here is one wrapping idea I like to share. Those who enjoy the art of gift wrapping would find the following example not too difficult to create: 

For those who have attended my gift wrapping workshop, you would understand how easy it is to create the above gift bag, and cut out ladies' or gentlemen's collars to close the opening of the gift bag.  

Here are some enhancements and decorations you can add to the collars, simple yet pleasing to the eyes:

Just use any craft punch you can get from bookstore or craft shop and make the design on the collar, interlock it with a cut at each end.  I use the butterfly shape, as I like the "flying" idea.

With the shape cut-out, the beautiful collar is here to please you and the one who receives the gift.

Without the colourful card, it looks elegant as it is.  If you feel that it is a bit plain, you can tie a ribbon and secure the collar this way!

If you like to know the details of the courses on gift wrapping, click the labels or the tag "Gift wrapping" and read on... 

Occasionally, the card making workshop with pop-up ideas is run based on request. It is a stand alone course, like the gift wrapping workshop for organisation. 

It will be interesting to have a "2 in 1" workshop on "Card making and Gift Wrapping" and with something like the above in the workshop. If your organisation is interested, just email me and I will plan one for your group.

Gift wrapping ideas: sharing my joys in creating ...

Here are some of the photographs taken at the workshops etc ...:

The following works were created by the staff from Singapore Police Force, during the workshop at the HQ at Cantonment Road:

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This box of gift does not need a lot of wrapper to enhance the look.  The white wrapper I used is just to go over the original box cover and turns it into a lady's jacket with a outstanding paper bow in leave shape:

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You can add a red ribbon bow with a pearl to the white bow and change the look of wrapping:

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To bring out the Christmas mood, green and red bow is rather attractive too:

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For Christmas gift, ribbon rose in green looks elegant too:

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For other festive occasions, sending gifts with a flower arrangement, is a way to create double "happiness" for the recipients:

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If you use the bag ideas I shared in the workshop, and create the collar shapes with some decorations will definitely add more charm to the end results. 

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Sometimes, gift is part of the gift wrapping designs too!
 
You can show some of your gifts and use it as a decoration for your gift wrapping, like the way this butterfly brooch is being used:

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If the box in the gift is intended for a lady, just add a unique card with the profile of your recipient and use it as a gift card.

When you wrap the gift card with the gift, you may add a hand-made rose to it, it will be adorable:

Hope your like the above ideas!

Dexterine Ho Soo Miang

Odd Shape Items: How to wrap it

"How can I wrap odd shape items?"

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Friends and course participants always have the above problem to solve and find it a tough job in gift wrapping.

Sometimes, it may make them change their mind in the gift shopping process, and buy something that is easy to wrap instead of the gift that matches the choice of their heart.

The gift wrapping service provided during festive session can create a joyful gift giving experience. 

Hence, departmental store which provides gift wrapping service, especially during the Christmas season, does help to boost their business as shoppers will focus on shopping gifts and have the task of wrapping delegated to professional gift wrapping service.

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Now back to the Q and A:


"How can I wrap odd shape items?"  

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A simple solution most people used is to look for a box that can contain the item and wrap it like a box.  Departmental stores now turn it into a business, and gift boxes in various sizes are available for sale.

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I use this method too as it is the most convenient way!

I usually do not purchase gift boxes since I know how to make them myself.  It is not hard to make gift boxes if you have 100-120 g paper and some ready template to follow. Designs of boxes is available in books or Internet.  Google "gift boxes design", you will get lots of ideas for your applications.

I also recycle old boxes that serve the same purpose, or use nice shopping bags and convert them into boxes for wrapping.

To make the boxed gift more interesting,  I would suggest that you wrap the box with some add-on, and give some personal touch to the box shape. The add-on could also reflect or reveal the contents:

If your gift is for a lady or a teenage girl, you may like to make it lookfeminine. Here is an example, I use the box shape to create a lady's blouse and add a friendship knot below. 

To make it more attractive,  a handmade rose is placed on top of the collar and act like a brooch, which makes it looks interesting and appealing!

Here it is:

If the gift is for gift exchange party, gender neutral gift will be the usual choice.

Hence, wrapping the gift can be more straight forward, and here is one suggestion:

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"If I can not find a box, how can I wrap odd shape items?" 

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Sometime, t is hard to find boxes that match the shape of the gift. Problematic shape, like a soft toy, a pair of jeans or a key chain are common gifts that most people like to purchase.

I would suggest that you use gift wrapper to make a bag, which look like a shopping bag without the handle.  Leave more balance on top, so that you can create some design on top.

Here is one design for your considerations:

(Notes: The gift inside this "lady's shirt" wrapping is a scarf)

If the gift is for a gentleman, then, just make it gentleman-like for your collar design, and add a bow tie:

(Notes: the gift inside is a table tennis' bat)

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For soft items, you have to wrap them with tick wrapper, as the bag shape will then be able to stand on it own.  If you run out of wrapping paper, you can use drawing paper as an alternative.  The above gift is wrap with an A3 size white drawing paper.

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If you find it too troublesome to wrap gift with collar design, you can just fold the top of the paper bag and seal with tape, or add a ribbon bow to decorate it. The fold can be a straight fold or a V shape fold, and the seal can be colourful tape with design that you can purchase from the bookshop.

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Alternatively, if you do not like to seal with tapes, you can staple a rectangular gift tag or gift note to cover the folding too!

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There are many way to make the folding attractive:

*you can modify the rectangular gift tag add-on to Heart shape gift tag, use two-layer method and have red colour heart shape overlaying the green one... for Christmas mood!

* you can also cut-out the Christmas tree shape and make the rectangular shape a see through label add-on. Use the cut-out create a greeting card!

* you may cut-out shape of Christmas tree in different size with different colour paper and glue the center line, fold the paper to make it look 3D...

* you can use craft punch with any design you like to save time if you are in a hurry!

Alternative are endless and you will be amazed with the result.

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The above are some ideas I enjoy during Christmas and festive sessions all these year!

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With that, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!



Dexterine Ho Soo Miang

HP: 9660 4692 

view my other blogs through my profile at  

http://dexterine.blogspot.com/