Wrapped, stacked and strapped. Great Gift Wrapping ideas and Inspiration

As we approach certain times of year when multiple presents mean many hours of wrapping and there is creative desire to find a personal theme for the season. One possible solution may be a little quirky paper designing and some ‘wrapping, stacking and strapping’, such a  great gift wrapping idea

It is always good to get the children involved with present preparations and potato printed, hand drawn, polka dot and stripe painted, family photo montaged, collage glued, home-made wrapping paper is great fun to make.

When it comes to stacking presents, creating a mix and match range of paper designs really pulls your presents together and this can be achieved in perfectly when you are in charge of the designs.

Using inexpensive, brown parcel paper as a base, you can have fun adding red and green spots and stripes and strapping a pile of wrapped and stacked gifts together with red or green ribbon.

Ribbons by Jane Means

Colourful, seasonal stickers, paper-cut, stuck on snowflakes or Christmas tree and snowman shapes are some of many other options.  Select a combination of theme and colour and then design, print, pritt stick and paint until you have enough personally produced paper.

Construct your neatly stacked ‘tiered layer cake’ of carefully wrapped gifts and finish by strapping together with an appropriate and impressively seasonal ribbon.  Wide, wired ribbon is perhaps a wise choice for larger boxes, as it offers greater stability to your ‘stack’ but wide ribbon and big bows on small boxes look equally as appealing.  Whatever you choose to do, execute it precisely and aim to give ‘gift bundles’ that stand out and impress at first glimpse.

If you have four or more gift boxes of stacked, decreasing size, using tissue paper, wrap the bottom one in red, the next in dark green, then light green and top with gold.  Strap together with a golden ribbon and add a generous golden bow to the top.  Adding a few Christmas baubles to embellish your bow will add to the Christmas tree styled appeal of this pile. This was one creation that I did for a recent Scotchtape commercial

 

Image courtesy of 3M Scotchtape

Tips.  When using tissue paper, always use several sheets together to strengthen the stability of the wrapping.  A little double-sided tape between each precisely placed parcel is the secret to sustained stacking positioning and selecting gift boxes of steadily descending size will create a perfect pile of presents.

Whether you are giving multiple gifts or creating mini wrapped, stacked and strapped, table centre pieces, this is a highly enjoyable project and can be themed for any occasion or time of year.

If you are in the habit of giving table gifts, then a perfectly colour coordinated, central stack of wrapped goodies, with name tags could be a lovely starter to sit down to before dinner… As long as people understand that the biggest gift box at the bottom does not conceal a superior gift to that hiding in the tiny box at the very top!

It is possible to find inexpensive sets of cardboard stacking boxes in stationers, gift shops and toyshops.  Used for storage and playing, as well as for gift giving, these boxes can be brightly coloured and require no further wrapping or they may be constructed of buff coloured cardboard and be perfect to directly print or paint onto, if you are brave enough.

 

Image courtesy of Camille Styles

This is a great way to recycle outgrown, early learning cardboard stacking boxes, which can be over-painted or carefully wrapped with paper.  Now you have a beautiful set of size ranging  gift boxes.

Stacked, cubed boxes in plain colours can be easily painted to look like dice or you can use appropriately scaled round, white stickers.  This is a perfect theme for a board gamer or any person who enjoys games to play for money of any age.

 

Giving a stack of books this way is particularly lovely at any time of year.  Ibooks may be very popular these days but charity shops are a gold mine of inexpensive literary possibilities and wrapped, stacked and strapped, they make the perfect gift for any studious type.

Whether you are stacking two boxes or seven boxes, the idea of receiving, not one gift, but one presentation of multiple gifts, all combined and coordinated and tied together as one, makes quite a dramatic impression.

 

Happy Wrapping Folks!