How To Elevate Your Gift Giving This Christmas

Each year I take time planning out my gift wrap by collecting different papers that trike me along with ribbon in varying colors & textures. I love the ritual of taking time to wrap gifts because a beautifully wrapped gift adds so much to the experience of gifting — both for the giver and receiver. After spending time searching for the perfect gift for a loved one the way it’s packaged should not be an afterthought! Thoughtful gift wrap elevates the gifting experience and communicates to the receiver that you’ve put time and thought into their gift. I truly love wrapping my gifts with care, so I’m sharing a few basic rules I follow when curating my gift wrap each year.

start collecting early in the season

I like to slowly collect gift wrap and ribbon starting in November. I pickup a roll of paper here and there while searching for great ribbon to pair with it. I usually search HomeGoods & TJ Maxx whenever I pop in along with perusing through the options my favorite online retailers have for the season. You can find great papers from just about anywhere – and paired with the right ribbon, they can make a really beautiful statement under your tree.

choose 3-4 base colors

As you’re looking at papers, what colors are you most drawn to? Stick to 3-4 main colors and search for paper and ribbon within that color palette. Don’t count gold and silver toward your color palette; freely add those in for an extra sparkle to your gifts.

mix it up

I never buy two rolls of the same wrapping paper or ribbon. A mis-matched pile of gifts in coordinating colors creates a thoughtful, less staged look to your tree – and falls right in line with this years’ trend of more tradition and nostalgia. This year my gift wrap is a collection of papers from McGee & Co., Target and a few rolls I found at TJ Maxx recently. Most of my ribbon is from Amazon, but I did find a few at a local craft store I really loved this year. I usually search for a large, inexpensive roll of paper for larger gifts and save my more expensive papers for smaller gifts (and for the people who I know will really appreciate them!).

Also, mix up your ribbon material. Use velvet, cotton, satin, and chiffon in varying widths and colors. Even if you would use basic wrapping paper, ribbon always takes gift wrapping to another level.

make it a tradition

I really love wrapping gifts with a Christmas movie on in the background, sipping a glass of wine. It’s something Ty and I do together each year that I really love. It’s the opportunity for a slower paced evening, taking the time to wrap each gift you’ve bought with anticipation of Christmas Day when you get the watch your loved ones open them. Think less of it as something to mark off of your to-do list and more of a ritual you get to do this season.