Holiday giftwrapping tip 2: get inspired by fashion

Is it just me, or is this a downright somber period of fashion? Everything I see lately is unstructured, slouchy, and distressed. What’s with all the grey, tan, beige, and um, grey? What I wouldn’t do for a gorgeous, tailored, vibrant ensemble in a luxe fabric! Like a modern kimono!

Alas, you may not be able to dress yourself like a geisha princess, but you can dress your gift like one. This prezzie is a bit fancier than the last post, but still totally doable.

Supplies:
- Japanese yuzen paper (available in craft stores or online) This stuff is a bit pricey, impossibly beautiful, and may actually break your heart to cut it. But trust me, it’s worth it. Yuzen and chiyogami papers are used to make washi eggs, an exquisite artform that warrants its own post.
- Satin ribbon (coordinate color with paper)
- Satin cord (coordinate with paper, but contrast with ribbon)
- Glue Dots
- Double-sided tape
- Super-sharp scissors

How-to:
- Wrap your gift (use a box!) with the yuzen paper. *Always use double sided tape. Regular tape is just plain tacky. Think of it this way: if your gift were an outfit, visible tape would be like visible pantylines.*

-  Cut a length of the satin ribbon to go around the box, with a half-inch extra. Secure it with a Glue Dot on the bottom.

-  Cut a length of satin cord to go around your box twice, with 2 inches extra. Wrap it around the box twice, so when you look at the bottom, the cord appears as two parallel rows. Then join them on the top in an x-shape and secure them in a tight knot. A tight knot is important because the cord can be slippery and can undo itself easily.

The mini-geisha pictured here contained a gift-card. I found the boxes at Michaels in the baking and treat-package aisle. This wrap looks especially sweet on small packages, which is also good because small gifts require less precious yuzen paper. But don’t hold back if you have a shirt box-sized gift; yuzen sheets come in sizes as large as 2 feet by 3 feet, so if you wish to splurge, by all means, splurge away!

That’s my prezzie for today, friends. Now you try. Give pretty!