Winning at gift wrap
The first W2 job I ever had was also the best job I ever had—a holiday gift wrapper at a bookstore. The service was free to customers for anything purchased at the store and customers gushed with appreciation. After one hour of training I was officially a “professional gift wrapper”—something my family was abnormally proud of since my dad is a bit of a perfectionist and taught my sister and I how to achieve crisp corners on a wrapped gift at an early age.
To this day, I love to geek out on all things gift wrap: paper, bags, tags, tissue, ribbon, tape, and all the clever ways you can put it together. It sets the tone for what’s inside and creates a spark of excitement even before the recipient opens the gift. But you don’t need to be a “professional” to create a beautifully wrapped gift. Try these simple tips to make a big first impression.
Ribbon
This won’t be the last time you hear me say that ribbon rules. It carries the team when it comes to gift presentation. You could have nothing-special wrap (or no wrap at all) paired with a high-quality ribbon and your recipient can’t help but have a tiny internal moment of “Ooo!” as if they just found a dollar in the dryer.
I believe there’s enough ribbon in the world already if only we all reused what we were gifted. If you hold onto the ribbon you receive on gifts, you’ll have a nice collection on hand when it’s time to give a gift. But if you’re in the market, linen, cotton, silk, and velvet are worth splurging on because, in my opinion, they elevate the perceived value of the gift way more than the cost of the ribbon itself. And your recipient is more likely to save it to put on their next gift. Think of it like an investment in the ribbon karma pool. Of course, synthetic ribbon can look fabulous too; natural materials are just my preference.
Wrap
There’s a whale of a lot of lovely wrap patterns out there and it can be hard to choose. Some things to consider…
The tone you set with ribbon should jibe with the tone of the wrap. I wouldn’t use an elegant silk ribbon on a playful kids birthday wrap, or a burlap ribbon on a delicate white wedding wrap. A few no-fail wrap/ribbon combos:
Minimalist: solid color, uniform pattern, thin ribbon or string
Natural: earth tones, textured paper and ribbon
Elegant: muted colors, soft patterns, delicate ribbon
Playful: bright colors, bold patterns, contrasting ribbon
When choosing a wrap pattern, think about the personality of the recipient. If it’s not a pattern you might see in their own living space then it might be a mismatch, and give the impression “they don’t get me” before the recipient even knows what’s inside.
Lastly, look for heavyweight paper. Thin wraps like those I’ve bought at drugstores can crinkle and tear easily, or are so transparent that you can see what’s inside before it’s opened! If you don’t want to splurge on a whole roll of heavy weight paper, many stationary and craft stores sell paper by the sheet for $5 or less.
Bag & tissue
Bags and tissue are the way to go for parties where gifts are opened in front of everyone else (kids birthdays, wedding showers, baby showers, etc.). It’s faster to open so guests don’t need to sit through the awkward gift-opening segment of the event longer than necessary. Bags can be more readily available than a box and wrap, you can buy only the amount you need, and bags can be reused more easily than wrap. Mind you, these are all reasons why a wrapped box with a ribbon stands out more—it’s harder to get and takes more time to wrap. If you want your bagged gift to stand out, try using unique tissue. Or opt for a bag with upright handles so you can add a bow on one side.
If you’re like me, the annoying part about bags is where to put the card. It starts out nestled neatly among the tissue at the top, but by the time you hand the bag over, the card is floating around somewhere at the bottom and you have to say, “There’s a card in there somewhere.” Next time, try taping the card to the inside of the top of the bag so it’s peeking out over the top.