Picture-Perfect Presents!

With Christmas right around the corner, the anxiety of getting Christmas presents is at its all-time high. If getting the perfect gift for every friend and family member (and let’s be honest, pretty much anyone you talk to on a regular basis) wasn’t already stressful enough, now you have to wrap your gifts too. And of course, these presents need to be wrapped well enough, so your Christmas-obsessed mother-in-law doesn’t make fun of them once placed next to her pristine gifts under her even more incredible Christmas tree. No need to stress! Here’s a simple guide to awing everyone on your list…

1. Pick a theme

The easiest way to pick out your present trimmings is to first pick a theme. A clear theme helps make your presents look like they belong together and makes them stand out from the crowd. With everybody else’s presents floating around on Christmas Day, no one will question that these gifts are from YOU.

My choice: This year I decided to go with a rustic, old-fashioned look. This includes more natural and organic elements with pops of color and tactile textures.

2. Pick your wrapping paper

I always suggest picking three different kinds of wrapping paper: one that is monotone, one that is incredibly simple (2-3 colors maximum or a simple texture), and one more intricate paper that features colors from the first two. Unless you’re a Kardashian, you probably aren’t giving enough gifts to warrant four or more wrapping paper styles, and it can begin to look like a lot under the tree. Keep it simple (and more cost effective) by using only three.

My choice: To go along with my rustic theme, I chose a simple, brown parchment paper, parchment paper with small black Christmas trees, and an elaborate yet sophisticated plaid paper with pops of red and hints of black.

3. Pick your ribbon

Picking the ribbon is where you can be more playful, and I suggest using 5-10 different styles and colors. Picking out ribbon that highlights the colors in your most intricate wrapping paper ensures that color palette will stay uniform throughout. You can also choose multiple different styles of ribbon with the same color (different thicknesses, materiality, textures, etc.). My favorite ribbon is the kind with metal wire along the edges which allows you to shape a perfect bow that will hold its form.

My choice: To emphasize the colors in my wrapping paper, I chose red, green, white, and black ribbon of different thicknesses and textures. I also used a variety of more natural-looking ribbon including twine, burlap, and brown lace.

4. Pick your tags

This is where it can all fall apart! I know so many people that find the perfect wrapping paper and perfect ribbon and then decide to slap some off-theme sticker tag onto the box. Please, no! Always pick simple tags that don’t take away from your theme (white is always a good option) and add to the beauty of your present. I’m partial to tags that can be tied or pinned to the ribbon over sticker tags which can come off as tacky. These tags look great tied to gift bag handles as well.

My choice: This year, I went with simple white tags with gold detailing. The tags were small enough that even my smallest presents didn’t look overwhelmed by them.

5. Pick your toppers (optional)

If you really want to go the extra mile, choose present toppers that you can slip underneath the ribbon. This could include anything from tiny tree branches or poinsettia flowers to stems of dried lavender or dried orange slices for a more bohemian vibe. Of course, these toppers would all have to be dried or fake in order to make it to Christmas without spoiling. Another great option is tying a small ornament to the ribbon which adds both beauty and another little usable gift to the present.

My choice: I chose to use fake tree branches to underscore the organic and natural elements of my presents. I only used these on about half the presents and varied the size of the branches to add some diversity.

6. Let’s wrap!

I suggest trying to wrap as many presents as possible. This means putting irregularly shaped items like clothing (and pretty much everything that isn’t perfectly rectangular) in a box to wrap. I think unwrapping presents is far more fun than pulling something out of a bag, and these presents always look better under the tree anyway. If you think some presents need to go in bags, choose bags that match your theme, and always use the same tags you did on your wrapped items in order to pull them all together.

When wrapping Christmas presents, I try to use the three different papers on different sized and shaped boxes. I suggest not using the most intricate wrapping paper on the biggest boxes because it can get a little overwhelming.

7. Tying ribbon

This is my favorite part of the whole process because the presents really come to life! I like to vary the location and way I tie each ribbon; sometimes the bow lands directly in the center, sometimes it’s off to one corner, and other times I just wrap the ribbon around two opposite sides multiple times (this works best for skinny boxes!).

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/5b2081_6010dfab3c2d4059a102c71e0b0337ef/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

How to tie the perfect bow (for a bow that lands in the center of the box):

Step 1: Lay your ribbon flat on the top of the box, stretching it from one edge to the other. Ensure that the center of the ribbon is aligned with the center of the box.

Step 2: Wrap the ribbon around both sides of the box (keeping the ribbon taut) until it meets itself in the center of the bottom of the box. Hook the ribbons around each other so both ends rotate either 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise.

Step 3: After rotating, each end should be pointing toward the other two edges. Wrap the ribbon back around both sides of the box until it meets itself in the center of the top of the box.

Step 4: Instead of tying a regular knot, tie the first cross underneath the ribbon and the second cross above the ribbon. By tying the know this way, you will not have to use tape to keep the bow in place.

Step 5: Take whichever end naturally points downward and create a loop that points upward and across the knot.

Step 6: Take the other end and wrap it above the original loop and through the opening made.

Step 7: Tighten and adjust the bow as needed to create the perfect shape.

Step 8: Cut the ends flawlessly by folding the ribbon in half and cutting at a diagonal.

I also like to leave about half of my ribbons as just knots. I think this adds some variety among the presents and stops the smallest presents from being overwhelmed by a big bow.

8. Finishing touches

Finish up your presents by adding tags and toppers. Make sure to write who the present is to and from on the tag before attaching it to the present.

I hope this gave you inspiration to go out and create beautiful Christmas presents of your own. Tag @aloehouseco when posting, I’d love to see what you’ve created. Happy holidays!

-A