Christmas Packaging Tips
- The presentation of the gift is part of the gift itself.christmas gift image by Elena kouptsova-vasic from Fotolia.com
The tradition of wrapping Christmas presents is a festive holiday activity, full of creativity and excitement. For others, it is just another form of stress, cluttering the holidays with unwanted chores and a little too much tape. Whichever wrapper you are, add some simple flair in your next package and bring joy to the recipient. - Many cube-shaped gifts are easy to wrap. Cover four sides tightly with festive wrapping paper, tape the end of the paper, then tuck in the ends for the remaining sides and secure them with tape. This traditional method can be livened up with brightly colored paper or can be nostalgic with parchment or brown paper. Wrap ribbon around each side and tie an ornament, small toy or sprig of holly into the middle of the ribbon for an easy upgrade, as noted in Good Housekeeping.
If your recipient is expecting a certain gift from you, you may want to disguise your present to keep him guessing. Put the box or gift into a larger box and stuff it with packaging materials so she can't hear it clunking when she shakes it. If the gift makes a distinguishable noise, throw some sleigh bells, which you can find at local craft stores, into the box to hide the sound of the gift. - If you are giving a perishable gift this year, pack it carefully at the last minute, to avoid breakage or spoilage. Pack cookies, candies and other snacks in tin containers. Yankee Magazine suggests lining the tin cans with parchment paper and place the items inside. Lay parchment paper in between each layer of snacks. Keep perishable foods, such as chocolate candies, in the refrigerator until it's time to open them. Avoid placing the gift near a fireplace or warm Christmas lights. If you gift is very perishable, such as meat or cheese, give the recipient a card, outlining the details of the gift and keep the food in the freezer or refrigerator.
- Instead of individually wrapping little gifts, risking loss in the mayhem under the tree, tuck little presents inside a stocking. If you have just one small gift, wrap it in paper as you normally would and thread a string through the top. Hang the gift from a bough of the Christmas tree. If you have several medium-sized gifts, of various shapes, wrap them in tissue paper and tuck them all into a gift bag. Flat gifts can be gathered and placed in a shirt box. Long, cylindrical gifts can be placed in wine bottle bags.
