It’s a wrap
A well-dressed present speaks volumes about the level of care you’ve taken
Want to offer a gift that strikes an extra note of appreciation and affection? Then wrap it with the recipient’s personality and lifestyle in mind, suggests gift-wrapping expert Corinna vanGerwen.
“That can guide you to make the gift feel more personal, more considered,” vanGerwen says.
For a nature lover, for example, vanGerwen likes to use brown parcel paper and twine, embellished with a feather or foliage, which can be dollar-store faux or fragrant, live greens.
Paper need not be expensive, says vanGerwen, who’s a fan of affordable Kraft paper, large rolls of which can be found at any office-supply store. It’s also carried in black and white by Curry’s, where a 200-foot roll costs about $60.
Seasonal papers from Ikea are reliably handsome. This year is no exception, with Overflod, a series that includes papers and bags in black, white and blue graphic patterns, coupled with punchy orange ribbon. Papers start at about $2 a roll and ribbon at about $3.
Vinter is a more conventional take on the holiday, with stars, snowflakes and reindeer themes executed in red, gold, and silver. Prices range between $2 and $7.
While moody blues and black are “unexpected” for the season, vanGerwen finds them “really lovely, especially with metallics — gold or silver.”
Sapphire blues are a highlight of Canadian Tire’s Canvas collection, where a package of four jewel-toned rolls with matching ribbon and bows sells for about $17. Ribbon elevates the look of any package. Canadian Tire has a good assortment, including funky brights, chubby stripes, classic white and golds, and traditional plaids. A package of five rolls is $5. To make a gift extra special, consider a length of velvet or satin that the recipient can tie a pony tail with.
Tucking an inexpensive tree ornament into the ribbon is a great way to further customize a gift. For a child, consider Ikea’s Sagoskatt soft toys, sales of which support the company’s “Let’s Play for Change” initiative ($4 to $6).
Lee Valley Tools is another good source. Quirky hand-knit finger puppets ($4.95) would delight a youngster, while a spade-shaped tree orna- ment (set of three/$17.50) would work for a gardener.
No time to wrap, or afflicted with butterfingers? A plaid stocking, trimmed with plush faux fur from Bouclair ($17) makes a fun alternative to a conventional bottle bag. Indigo has a Kate Spade wine tote bag with satin ribbon for $25, as well as gift bags (about $5) in seasonally appropriate plaids that pair with matching or contrasting tissue papers ($4), which can be made more special, vanGerwen suggests, with a spray of the recipient’s favourite room fragrance. To make gift cards more festive, HomeSense has sparkly envelopes ($4 for a set of three.) Looking for a twist on the old standby gift of a coffee mug filled with homemade cookies? Why not heap goodies in a hand-painted bowl in a very merry green, wheel-thrown in Portugal by Casa Cubista and available through Saudade for about $22?
Gift wrapping with the recipient in mind is a simple way to make any gift, no matter how simple, more meaningful, says vanGerwen.
“Then it’s not just ho, ho, ho, and the gift is open and over. It makes a moment.” Prices are subject to change and product availability may vary.