"How To Wrap Beautiful Presents"

Wrapping a fancy present is really pretty easy to do. I think the thing that most people need help with is a list of supplies and a little nudge. Once they have that I think their imaginations will go wild. I'm here to give you the nudge!

I learned to wrap packages during the holiday season in a luggage & gift shop with a not so patient boss. Being a very busy time of year was against me, wrapping huge suitcases not easy to learn on, and the cranky boss made me very nervous. So I figure if I could learn under those circumstances anyone can.

SUPPLIES

Supplies can be found at any craft store or the craft section of most department stores. If you can't find the items I've shown look in the wedding section.

Hot Glue Gun: I use hot glue because you don't have to wait for it to dry and you have some things like wired beads and fans that are standing up and need to dry immediately.
Curling Ribbon: Wide or thin to accent with a bow.
Wrapping Paper Ribbons: Cut strips of wrapping paper to use as you would curling ribbon. These curl very well but you must curl them gently because they also tear very easy. You can use the paper as your decorative ribbon or you can use both mixed together.
Lace 3" or 4" wide: I use strips of lace to make fans with. It can be found with fabric ribbon.
4" Strips of Wrapping Paper For Fans: You can also cut strips of the left over wrapping paper to make a fan to accent with. Spread the fan out and use a dot of glue on each side to keep it spread. I either put it behind the bow and slant it back (so you don't see the other side of the wrapping paper) and then curl some ribbon and set behind it. Or if it's a smaller fan I stick it right in the bow.
Beads - wired or on string: I use beads in many different ways. The ones with string I weave in and out of the bow, glue down the creases of the fans or glue on the ribbon coming out from the bow. Or you can even take 2 rows of beads and have them hang from the bow in place of ribbon.
Artificial Flowers: Put a dot of glue on flowers and place them anywhere down the ribbon or beads.
Artificial Leaves: As a rule I take 2 leaves and have them coming out of a bow.
Toothpicks: Used for adding a dot of glue to tiny items like beads, flowers, leaves or most everything you use in decorating a package.

Here's some pictures of the fan I make and of how you can curl wrapping paper.

Here are pictures of some of the items I always have on hand.

Strings of beads either with or without wire. I use beads without the wire to weave in and out of the pre-made bow for a nice effect. The ones with wire can also be woven into the bow and have loops stand up out of the bow here and there. I also take 6 or so about 4" tall and fan them out & glue them sticking up anywhere in the bow.

Beads that are already fanning out.

Leaves that have wires behind them. That way you can bend them for a nice effect - hopefully you can see the ones on the bottom that I bent.

Small flowers you can find in different kinds and sizes.

More flowers.

And more flowers.

I found these little gold metal things with wires on them last time I went shopping. You can use just about anything you see and think it might look good - like on the package above for a wedding shower I put in the wooden spoons. Same with baby gifts, rattles, little soft toys - again use your imagination.

WRAPPING YOUR PACKAGE

First, set your package on your wrapping paper, bring it up, all the way around and down to the edge where you started. If you fold it over that edge and crease it you will know where to fold it under so it won't show. Tape it. Now you can't see where your paper ends. Also, if it is something you want sitting upright you always know that edge folded under is the bottom.
You can add most anything you see and like to your package. This page is just meant to get you going. As you can see I added wooden spoons to a wedding shower gift. You could add a rattle or toy to a baby gift. Just whatever you think of and like.

I just did this package for my Grandsons birthday. It's not real fancy because my plan fell through. I took some of the wrapping paper and made a fan and then put curled ribbon around it. I had planned on putting 10 candles fanned out in front of it but I found that you cannot hot glue wax. I tried wiring them and that didn't work either.

On this one I draped the ribbon down the package lifting it up here and there with a dot of glue for a raised effect then I lined it with beads.

In this picture I wove beads in and out of the bow, accented each crease of the fan with beads and used 2 rows of beads and draped them down the package using them as ribbon. Just put a dot of glue here and there to hold them secure. Then you can add little flowers if you like. Looks like I also curled a dark wine ribbon that matched the flowers and put on each side of the bow.

Looks like this one I just curled lots and lots of ribbon and stuck the spoons through with ribbon all around them. It's easier than trying to get the spoons to look nice with a bow in the way.

A fan and more ribbon weaving in and out and up and down with beads glued to it.

If you have any questions just email me and I will try to help.

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Page Updated February 2009

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