Life

THAT’S A WRAP

You’ve made your list and checked it twice.

Now it’s time to wrap everyone’s gift up beautifully to go under the tree. Gift wrapping while I have a great holiday music playlist going or my favorite holiday movie on in the background is one of my favorite parts of this magical season, so I wanted to share five tips with you to take your gift wrapping to the next level. 

First step is to gather my gift wrapping supplies—essentially creating a “mise en place” like you would in the kitchen, but for Santa’s workshop instead. I ensure I have wrapping paper, gift boxes, bows, ribbons, the ELF gift wrap paper cutter—it’s a game-changer if you haven’t tried it!— and lots of scotch tape on hand. Now with your supplies ready, let’s begin!

Tip #1

An easy—and cost effective—way that I love to wrap gifts for the holidays is to layer wrapping paper. I started with a base of white wrapping paper and then layered a strip of beautiful green & gold paper on top. You could use the same wrapping paper across all presents for a uniform look or keep the white wrapping paper base but change out what wrapping paper you layer on top.

Tip 2

You can never go wrong with a classic red bow. To make it the focal point, I like to use a simple, solid color wrapping paper— like the white paper you see here — and pair it with a printed, festive gift tag.

Tip 3

Instead of using traditional bows and ribbons, I also like to use sprigs of faux holly or winter berries. You can find these at any craft store and cut them into the right size. I use a little bit of hot glue to affix them, and I’ve found they pair really well with kraft wrapping paper.

Tip 4

Another way to step up your holiday gift wrapping is some pattern play. I love keeping my eye out for unique ribbons, such as the gold leaf I found at Paper Source like ones seen here. Pair with wrapping paper that features a similar pattern and the result is an elegant, yet festive look.

Tip 5

While it seems like red and green are everywhere throughout the holiday season, another holiday gift wrapping tip is to not be afraid to use non-traditional holiday colors. I have found that metallics — especially gold and rose gold — still give a festive look without being so on-the-nose.


Katie Urban is a lifestyle blogger and hosts A Touch of Teal. Read her blog to find the perfect desk-to-drink or weekend outfits, travel guide for your next adventure, home decor ideas—and cocktail recipes for when you have people over, a new book to read, or just reflections on life as a millennial living in DC.