A gift only really comes into its own when it is nicely packaged. The eye also wants something and the first thing you see is not the gift itself, but the packaging. Therefore, make the packaging look beautiful and festive. After all, it is the first impression when giving a gift. In short, pay attention not only to buying a gift, but certainly also to packaging it. Sometimes presents are so creatively wrapped that you can rightly speak of a true work of art.
However you wrap the gift, your own dexterity, creativity and fantasy are decisive for the end result. One thing is for sure, a gift that has been given so much attention to the packaging alone will certainly be appreciated. It is quite possible that you package the gift so special that the recipient will almost regret unwrapping it. But curiosity usually wins anyway, so the chance that your gift will not be unwrapped for that reason is virtually nil. What you will most likely receive is a mountain of compliments for all the time and effort you have taken to wrap the gift so beautifully. And that is of course a sign that it is indeed appreciated.
Various types of paper
The materials used to beautifully wrap a gift are very diverse. Besides beautiful gift paper, many other types of paper can be used for this. Just think of aluminum foil, crepe paper, glossy paper, kraft paper, fluorescent cardboard, leather paper, mulberry paper, rice paper, transparent paper, velor paper, felt paper and tissue paper. These types of paper can of course also be used to make a decoration that is attached to the wrapped gift.
Other useful packaging material
What else can you use besides the basic supplies like scissors, tape and gift wrap? Many materials can be used. Be creative, for example, use gift bags (gift bags), ribbon, glue, glue gun, raffia, corrugated cardboard, colored cardboard, transparent cellophane, tulle, voile, lace, organza, beads, pumpkins, feathers, rope, cord, dried flowers, pencils , markers, figure sponges, pinking shears, double-sided adhesive tape, etc.
Handy devices are the gift paper cutter, the snare maker and the ribbon cutter, also called ribbon splitter or ribbon splitter.
- The Gift Paper Cutter is ideal for cutting wrapping paper and a variety of other lightweight papers. It works faster than scissors when it comes to easy, clean and straight cuts. Thanks to the shielded stainless steel knife blade, the gift paper cutter is safe to use, even for children.
- The bow maker is an ingenious device with which you can make the most beautiful bows from ribbon, tulle, foil, cellophane or the like in an instant.
- The ribbon cutter is a handy device with which you can easily split ribbon as well as curl it.
It is also nice to make your own gift paper yourself. You can paint, stamp or glue on plain paper. You can completely customize the paper, as it were. with regard to the recipient of your gift or the gift itself.
Also a nice idea is to use your computer to make a collage of photos and print them out, in color or in sepia for a nostalgic color effect or just in black and white. The only limitation is that your wrapping paper has a maximum of A4 size. So only suitable for not too big gifts. Imagine a gift for grandpa or grandma wrapped in paper depicting the grandchildren.
Tip
Simple gift bags or gift bags are fun to decorate yourself. Take a plain colored paper bag and cover it with, for example, cute album pictures or nice cut-out pictures from glossy magazines. Or look for nice pictures from the internet, print them out and stick them on the bag. You can of course also print and paste your own texts. You can close the gift bag nicely with a colorful ribbon to make it look even more festive.
The art of packaging
Once you get the hang of wrapping beautiful and special gifts yourself, you will discover more and more possibilities. You can easily get a lot of information, tips and ideas on the internet. There are also enough books for sale? especially English speaking ?? in which it is explained step by step how you can wrap a gift in a creative way. In addition, there are now enough workshops given that you learn a lot from.
In English speaking countries they have a fancy term for creative gift wrapping: ??The Art of Gift Wrapping??. And to be honest, some packaging is indeed true works of art. Sometimes the packaging seems even more expensive than the gift itself.
In Japanese culture, when giving gifts, packaging is very important, almost as important as the gift itself. Japan knows the art of packaging ??Kâritsu-tsutsumi?? called tsutsumi for short, which literally means to decorate, to wrap. The origin of Kâritsu-tsutsumi lies in the ancient knotting and braiding techniques. The specially printed gift paper is called ??Noshigami?? and the thin cord that is artfully tied around it is called ??Mizuhiki??.
In addition to paper, Japan also uses square cloths, made of cotton or silk pieces, for packaging. These wipes are called ??Furoshiki?? and thanks to this packing method, the parcels are also easy to transport. The term “Furoshiki” originated from the word “Furo” which means “bath”. Originally, the wipes were used to pack and transport bath items.
Gift wrapping related to the occasion
You can adapt the packaging to the occasion. This makes it extra fun for one Christmas present adapt the packaging accordingly. As decoration you can use mini Christmas balls, bells, stars, holly sprigs, pinecones, berries, fir green, cinnamon sticks, etc. Actually, many of the Christmas decorations that we also use in the Christmas tree and in Christmas pieces are good material, provided they are not too large. And the ribbon can of course also be adapted to this popular party. The range of ribbons is very extensive, especially for Christmas.
What applies to Christmas, of course also applies to Easter. Although giving gifts at Easter is not really common in the Netherlands. But if you are invited by family or friends for an Easter brunch and you prefer to take one for the hostess Easter present then bring an Easter bouquet, then you can also keep the packaging in the Easter atmosphere here. Stick those little chicks, feathers or little Easter eggs made of wood or plastic on top of your gift. It is also nice to decorate it with small spring flowers, real or art. And of course you use beautiful yellow ribbon as ribbon.
White roses, hearts, doves, tulle, lace, pearls, etc. are ideally suited to wrap the packaging for a wedding gift to decorate with. Let your creativity run free and you will see that you will still be amazed at your own abilities.
If you use natural products, wait with making and attaching the decoration until the last moment, so that everything still looks fresh when you give it as a gift.