It’s officially gift-giving season! Even if you don’t get around to handmade gifts this year (we’re lookin’ at you, grocery-gift-card-aisle-frequenter), you can always compensate with personalized wrapping that *definitely* goes the extra mile. We’re teaming up with the Scotch™ Brand to bring you 21 gift wrap hacks that will boost your wrap game. Because it’s no longer about the biggest present under the tree; it’s totally about the prettiest one ;)
We’re super excited to bring you another year of the Scotch® Most Gifted Wrapper™ Contest — co-hosted by our very own Brit Morin! Brit will judge and select three winners, one of which will win up to $10,000 in prizes (!) based on their killer wrap skills. We’re accepting submissions NOW through December 1, so get wrapping! But first, scroll on for some majorly inspiring gift wrap techniques below.
1. DIY Nesting Gift Boxes. Why not make the unwrapping experience just as fun as the present inside? We picked up some kraft nesting boxes, spray painted each a different color and customized them with Scotch® Expressions Glitter Tape. Chances are the giftee will cherish the boxes just as much as the gift!
2. Decorate with tape confetti. We chopped Scotch® Expressions Metallic Tape and Scotch® Expressions Glitter tape into tiny triangles for these wrap jobs. Simple and sweet, right?
3. Layer, layer, layer: If you ask us, the more texture, patterns and layers, the better. Bri Emery of designlovefest clearly agrees :) Follow Bri’s tutorial to make your gifts pop with layers upon layers of gift wrap.
4. Embrace the pom-pom. That’s right, pom-poms can be sophisticated too. OK, maybe not SOPHISTICATED, but they sure are fun. Replace the classic ribbon wrap with a strip of Scotch® Expressions Glitter Tape and a cluster of monochromatic pom-poms for a super whimsical look.
5. Go green. If you’re the minimalist type, try Oh Happy Day’s simple and super elegant wrap hack: Add real-live greenery to your gift boxes. Bonus points for plants that smell yummy :)
6. Use double sided tape on the *outside* of the box. This hack is one of our favorites. First, we created custom patterns using decorative Scotch® Tapes in various colors and finishes. We then added a strip of Scotch® Double Sided Tape and scattered holiday-themed mylar confetti on top of it. After shaking free the excess confetti, we were left with a clean line of festive sparkle!
7. Get creative with odd-shaped gifts. The venerable Joy Cho of Oh Joy! found a genius way to wrap her funky-shaped gifts — by embracing the shape rather than hiding it. We love this fringe-y wrap job she used for these adorable arrows.
8. Be bold with patterns: Sometimes clashing is a good idea. Take a cue from designlovefest and combine tons of wrapping paper patterns on the same gift. Pro Tip: If pattern-combining intimidates you, stick with an overarching color palette. And be brave! :)
9. “Dip” your gifts in confetti. That mylar confetti hack above? It works with classic confetti too. We covered the bottom half of these boxes in double sided tape, then scattered tons of tissue paper confetti over it for a “dipped” look.
10. DIY a 3D gift topper. This one is a bit more involved, but totally worth the extra work. We made our own patterned “paper” with various decorative Scotch® Tapes, then punched them into perfect circles. We then folded each circle in half and affixed them to one another with Scotch® Double Sided Tape. Voila, a 3D gift topper! Fun, right?
11. Go the peek-a-boo route. Have we mentioned we like layering? :) Wrap your gift box with one kind of wrapping paper, then choose another paper to layer. Lightly fold the second wrapping paper and cut out a shape — that shape will be mirrored on the other side of the fold. Tape the wrapping paper with cutouts on top of the first layer. BONUS: Use the cutouts to decorate another gift! Two birds, one stone.
12. Give the classic wrap job a glam touch. If you ask us, hot pinks and metallics will never go out of style. Reach for the fun glitzy wrapping paper, top off with even *more* metallic and glittery tape, then finish the gift with a bright pink topper. Can’t lose.
13. Get sparkly. Hack alert! You know that nifty double-sided tape trick above? We figured out how to do it on a bigger scale! Use Scotch® Heavy Duty Packaging Tape to line the outside of your box (you can affix it by taping it to the inside of the lid or the base of the box). Then sprinkle festive mylar confetti over the shipping tape for a bright, shiny and wide stripe of FUN.
14. Try the piñata treatment. Make your box *that* much more festive with the ever-popular piñata effect. Simply cut paper tissue into strips, then fringe these strips two-thirds of the way up. Starting at the bottom of your gift, tape them in overlapping rows. Learn more details here!
15. Make a bow out of tape. Yep, you can go 3D with tape! Ditch the store-bought bows and opt for this nifty DIY Scotch® Expressions Metallic Tape bow, instead.
16. Get personal. If you’re like us, you’re all about multi-use decor. That’s why we’re partial to these DIY monogram toppers — the giftee can proudly display them long after the holidays are over.
17. Paint your own gift wrap. Three cheers for homemade patterns! Buy solid-colored wrapping paper, then make it your own with some acrylic paint. Learn more over at Oh Happy Day’s blog.
18. DIY paper pinwheel toppers. These look fancy, but they’re a cinch to make! Simply fold a rectangle of gift wrap accordion style, then bend in half to create a half-pinwheel. Secure with a small piece of Scotch® GiftWrap Tape to hold the two sides of your accordion fan together in the middle. Repeat for the second half and tape together to make a full circle pinwheel, or just pop a half-pinwheel on top of your wrapped gift. Ta-da!
19. Or make a twine pom-pom. Again, these are crazy easy to make, and are sure to be a hit with the crowd. Wrap twine around your fingers to the desired thickness, then carefully remove from your hand. Tie a tight double knot in the center of the loop like you’re tying off a coil of rope. Then cut the top and bottom loops of the coil. Just like that, you’ve got a pom-pom!
19. Make patterns with tape. Sometimes it’s nice to go off script. For this wrap job, we played around with making patterns solely with tape. We ended up with this riff off of plaid and argyle patterns, and we’re kind of in love with it.
20. Outline the edges. Temper a loud wrapping paper with solid strips of tape for a fun and modern gift. This Scotch® Expressions Metallic Tape in Silver is *everything.*
21. Get monochromatic. Treat your wrapped gifts like the art collection that it is! We love that Jordan Ferney of Oh Happy Day stuck with a color story for all of her gifts, but switched up the wrapping techniques and toppers throughout. Each gift feels unique, but she probably only had to buy a few materials for the whole season. Win, win.
Enter the Scotch® Most Gifted Wrapper™ Contest for the opportunity to win up to $10,000 in prizes! Enter at mostgiftedwrapper.com between November 1 and December 1 for your chance to win.
LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE U.S. and D.C. (excluding AZ, CO, NE, MD, NJ, ND, TN and VT), who are 18 (19 in AL and 21 in MS) and older at the time of entry. Ends 12/1/16. To enter and for Official Rules (including prize descriptions), visit mostgiftedwrapper.com. Void where prohibited.
