Gift Wrap

A few years ago I decided that I wanted my Christmas gifts to be unique by their wrappings. As everyone knows the paper, bows and gift cards associated with wrapping a gift can result in a major dent in your holiday budget.

Over thirty years ago when I married, I got a Mother-In-Law who worked for one of the biggest makers of gift wrap around and from that day on me, my own family and so many friends never had to worry about the purchase of all the necessities in wrapping a gift. She has been gone for over two years now and it still rolls in. Can't begin to calculate all the money saved by this.

Of course there were the years when there wasn't an extra minute to meticulously wrap a gift. Santa was visiting our home, full speed ahead, there were Teacher's gifts and in those simpler economic days your extended family were showered as well as every close friend or co-worker. Miraclously for me, this is the time inexpensive gift bags began to show up. You bought the gift, put it in a pretty bag with some tissue and you were done. And, unlike wrap, they were so easy to recycle. No tape involved, no scissors and the to/from card was attached. The wrapping paper sat idle through this time.

Flash forward twenty years.........Santa doesn't come here anymore. Everyone is more cautious about the money they spend, and I have more time to wrap a gift. Plus, I actually enjoy doing it. However, the festive papers began to bore me, I realized that I hated the curly ribbon, could not create a bow even with the simplest instructions and what is with those To/From cards that are too small to write anything on?

I have taken matters into my own hands and think that my ideas will help save money for those who don't get their wrap for free.

1. Turn your paper inside out, this allows you to use the paper you bought for a wedding, baby or birthday gift.

2. You now have a blank slate to create. My Christmas colors are ivory/white and gold so after Christmas each year I snatch up all the discounted gold ribbon which is so easy to tie around a package. I buy a gold "Sharpie" pen and write the person's name right on the finished product. No need to say who it is from because the wrap is so distinctive that they will know.

3. Remember that the "Dollar Tree" is your friend. There are a host of options to help you create a most beautiful and unique gift.

4. On a blank slate you can draw or download a picture to give it a most special touch.

5. You can use all the things in your ribbon drawer to create something so special that what's inside doesn't matter.

Looking forward to seeing your creations.