It can feel like Christmas all year round when you design gifts for a living, but it’s in December when us creative types really come into our own. So without further ado here are our top tips for Christmas wrapping – turn up the Christmas hits, crack open the mulled wine, and get ready to wow your friends and family with some super stylishly wrapped gifts…
1. Get organised
If you’re balancing gifts on your lap or cutting paper with the kitchen scissors your gifts are never going to look professional. Work on a large flat surface such as a kitchen table or even the floor. The right equipment is important too – in our studio we keep separate scissors for paper, fabric, and ribbon so that they stay really sharp, and a selection of tapes – basic Sellotape (in a dispenser), magic tape for a virtually invisible finish, and double-sided for the neatest edges.
Choose gift wrap with a grid pattern on the back as this helps when cutting paper to size, and don’t use too much – wrap a spare piece of ribbon around your gift to estimate how much is needed and trim off any excess at either end, saving offcuts for smaller parcels.
2. Pick a theme
Tying your gifts together visually ensures they look great under the Christmas tree and you can also use different themes or colours to code presents by recipient.
For the most pleasing effect, aim for a mix and match look linked by colour or style, e.g. retro, Scandi, glitzy, traditional, etc. Choose a selection of designs and complement these with tags, ribbon, and tape. Some of our favourite combinations include:
Traditional red and white for a stylish Scandi feel – add striped baker’s twine and classic brown luggage tags
Millennial pink with copper or rose gold for a look that’s right on trend
Opulent jewel colours such as teal, purple and emerald green – use wired metallic ribbon to create a really luxurious feel
Always-cool kraft paper with neon
3. Think inside the box
One of the trickiest problems when wrapping presents is trying to make awkward shapes look neat. The simplest way around this is to use gift bags or boxes. These are available in all shapes and sizes and needn’t be expensive – fill them with shredded tissue to keep the contents secure and looking good.
4. Get creative with accessories
Tags, tissue and tape can really finish off your gifts and give them a personal touch. There are lots of great accessories available including cute wooden tags, confetti, mini jingle bells, cut-out initials, and more. Trendy hand lettering is a lovely way to finish off gift tags, or why not go retro with an old school Dymo tape machine? Washi tape is an easy way to make a difference with a vast range of designs available, and glitter or metallic tape adds a luxury feel. For a really creative finish why not add a sprig of festive foliage such as eucalyptus or a mini candy cane?
5. Shop till you drop
Choosing your gift wrapping can be as much fun as buying the gifts themselves, and is potentially much easier! Here are a few of our favourite places to find everything you need:
Gorgeous range featuring retro ephemera
The Cornish clothing company has a selection of beautiful linocut prints
Stylishly simple Scandinavian designs
A surprisingly cool and affordable range from the high street store
Everything from essentials like tape and string to pretty and fun accessories
