Good luck, gifted wrappers!

See tip 2. Why is this picture so blurry?

I can't believe it's already been a year since the 2012 Scotch Most Gifted Wrapper contest! There's no better way to enjoy a weekend than meeting other skilled prezzie artists and enjoying holidaytime in NYC.

Not sure who's competing this year, but I'll be following the 2013 contest, which takes place Friday, Dec. 6. Best of luck to this year's contestants. Here are my top 5 tips for the big day:

1. Get good sleep the night before. It might be tough if you get jitters, but contest day starts early, the rest is worth it.
2. Smile, and don't take yourself too seriously. That's good advice for anytime, right?
3. Relax. The atmosphere can be overwhelming and mess with your focus. It will be loud and frenetic. Be prepared to deal with it.
4. Enjoy the company. This is a chance to meet other people who share your intense interest in giftwrapping; they're really interesting and fun folks!
5. Have fun. Seriously. By all means, do your best and try to win. But remember that if you don't, it's still an awesome experience.

Game on, wrappers!

Most Gifted Wrapper contest re-cap

Photo courtesy of Hunter Public Relations

Last week I had the chance to represent Jolie Colis in the 2012 Scotch Brand Most Gifted Wrapper contest in New York City. I didn't bring home the big prize, but I had a great time and met lots of great people who are also into giftwrapping. (Which was awesome.) Here's a picture of me wrapping a giant rubber duck and a board game in the first round. That's my timer Britney in the background. I had 10 minutes to wrap two gifts. You'd be surprised how quickly 10 minutes goes by!

In this round, eight finalists were whittled down to four, who continued to round two. I didn't make it to the next round, but had a great time cheering on the ladies who did. Those who advanced to round two had 13 minutes to wrap a tuba on a stand. In the final round, the last two contestants had 18 minutes to wrap a giant model airplane. It was an absolute hoot. Who doesn't love some high-spirited holiday wrapping chaos?!

In the end, the talented Lia Griffin of Elinee in Portland, Oregon earned the top prize or $10,000. Shelly Dozier-McKee of ConfettiStyle in Atlanta, Georgia came in at first runner-up.

The 2012 contestants: Sheryl Oberman, Michelle Beshaw, me, Lia Griffith (winner!), Michelle Noe, Brenda Guerrero, Shelly Dozier-McKee (1st runner-up) and Shasta Garcia. Photo courtesy of Hunter Public Relations.

I'm so glad I had a chance to participate in the contest this year, and if you're even a little interested in giftwrapping, I encourage you to enter next year's. It's a fun holiday-time weekend in New York with crafty wrappers just like you. :)

New obsession: bows-to-go!

This weekend I was a busy bee preparing for the Home for the Holidays event at DestinyUSA on Nov. 16. In addition to giftwrapping tutorials, I'll be selling these little pre-made giftboxes, which I dubbed "bows-to-go." Like many of my projects, the ideas and execution got better the more I practiced, and I'm really happy with the result.

They remind me of little petit fours. I spent most of the weekend making as many unique combinations as possible. The best part is they're made with a top and a bottom, so they're reusable, and you don't have to tear or untie anything. The only thing better than a pretty prezzie is a eco-pretty one!

Also very happy with how my new moocards came out! They're so cute and affordable! Thanks, Moo. I'll be ordering more soon! Let me know if you're interested, because I can refer you and we both get a discount!

I'll display them on this nifty dessert tray I bought for my custom mongram boxes, because I'll be taking orders for those at the event, too. I hope I'll see you there! Friday, Nov. 16, 2-7 p.m. Until then, cheers and give pretty!

Thrilled to bits!

Hi friends,

Super-exciting news! I've been chosen to compete in the Scotch Brand Most Gifted Wrapper Contest on November 30 in New York City. I'm one of eight finalists battling it out for the $10,000 top prize and probably the biggest giftwrapping bragging rights ever.

Wish me luck! I'm looking forward to meeting other people who love wrapping prezzies and representing CNY! Whoo hoo!

In the meantime, here are some quick tips for making your prezzies extra special.

Happy holidays!

I know, it's early. But a recent trip to London has inspired me to get in the Christmas time mood. In particular, a visit to Fortnum & Mason got me really excited. F&M is easily the most gorgeous and elegant retail experience I've ever had. And a bit surreal, to be honest. You come up the centuries-old staircase to an inviting, but not overwhelming combination of cinnamon and pine fragrance. There's just enough room to walk around, and every square inch of merchandise space is used to the max. It was just captivating: sparkling ornaments arranged perfectly in glass pedestal bowls, artfully decorated trees, rolls of glittering gift wrapping paper. I wanted to buy one of everything; this is visual merchandising done right.

I was especially tempted to buy one of these (fuschia) beauties, but sadly, it was more than I could pay for something that might not make the trip home in my suitcase. The whole display was a feast for the eyes, and well, F&M does sell online, so there's still time if I change my mind.

And of course, I had to visit the gift wrapping department. I love the glamorous chandelier over the counter. Maybe I need one for my shop...

I could have stayed there all day. The papers in the shop weren't too different than what I find here in the states, but it was (naturally) the presentation that struck me! You could tell that the wooden display tables had been lovingly maintained, the employees were incredibly knowledgeable, and even the brass plates on the door hinges were polished regularly. All of this points to an immense pride in the work, which really appealed to me. Though I'm very happy with my dayjob, I had a little fantasy of donning the tidy F&M waistcoat and bowtie, and standing behind the gift wrap counter, wrapping exquisite treasures in gorgeous, fine paper and silk ribbon. Who wouldn't?!

That said, I'm brainstorming a Fortnum & Mason-inspired prezzie series. Stay tuned.

PS: In case you were wondering, the signature robin's egg blue of Fortnum & Mason came 130 years before Tiffany & Co.

Holiday giftwrapping tip 8: rob your Christmas tree

It's almost go-time, and if you're like me, you're probably frantically getting those last few gifts on your list. That means you've got less time to lovingly wrap them. Here's a clever way to dress up a gift that's quick and green, in a way. Your recipient will take home your gift and hang the little ornaments on their own tree.


Cute, right? This prezzie has mini-ornaments and a jingle bell, secured with a simple, slim ribbon. The pleated paper band is optional, of course. And if you don't know how to do the pleat, a regular band of paper, or a wide grosgrain ribbon will do.

For larger gifts, use larger ornaments. Just make sure you take them from the back. :)

Happy holidays!

Holiday engagement giftwrapping, part 2

My last post on wrapping engagement rings had quite a response, so I'm posting another idea.  This one is really simple, and it's incredibly romantic.

I printed two versions of a love poem, in a large and small font size. Skew the angle of the lines so it's visually interesting. And don't worry about it not being readable; this is as much for the graphic effect as it is about the sentiment.

Cover the top and bottom of a box with the printed text, and add a simple ribbon. It's a lovely way to make the moment extra special, especially if you're not great with words. Use a poem, or song lyrics. Heck, you can use lines from the first movie you saw together, if that's meaningful to you.

This project would work nicely for any other occasion, like Mother's Day, Father's Day, or even a version with words of wisdom for a graduation gift.

Steampunk gift machine!

Sorry it's been a while, I haven't been feeling well, and this latest project took quite a bit of planning. My husband is a real fan of steampunk, so for one of his Christmas gifts, I've built him a funky gift machine, complete with little gears and moving pieces.

No how-to on this one, it's really just experimentation. I just got a bunch of materials together and winged it. If you're interested in doing one yourself, here are the colors, textures, and materials to use:

- metal gears and (if you're really ambitious) watch movement parts
- woodgrain paper (I used cherry wood Con-Tact paper)
- metallic cardstock
- little brass stick-on buttons
- jeweler's wire (for the tiny coil)
- faux leather (I didn't use it, but it would look awesome)

Once again, for complex gift wraps like this, I prefer a box with a top and bottom, so you don't have to tear any paper. And you can use it for other things post-gifting.

I'll be back tomorrow with a holiday how-to. Stay tuned...

Holiday giftwrapping how-to: monogram gift boxes

The long-awaited how-to video is here! This is my first time shooting and editing video, so bear with me; I'll get better at it. The captions look pretty small in window, so click here to see it on YouTube.

Holiday giftwrapping tip 3: get sentimental

One of the simplest, most charming ways to add a personal touch to gifts is to use a special photo in your design. This example isn't a holiday gift; it for my friends Greg and Carolyn's wedding. All the same, it's easy to see how a well-chosen photo can make a gift come to life.

The happy couple shared their engagement portraits with friends, and I just downloaded an image, printed it and added it as the feature focus of the wrap. With photo sharing sites like Snapfish, Picassa, and Flickr, it's easier than ever to do the same.

This idea is especially fun for young kids, because there are no gift tags to read. I made this one for my niece when she was two.

Supplies:
- a beautiful photo
- solid and/or patterned paper (keep patterns subtle)
- cardstock
- ribbons of varying colors and widths
- vellum sheets
- stick-on gems and other prezzie-bling
- double-sided tape
- Glue Dots
- super-sharp scissors
- decorative edge scissors

How-to:
- Wrap your gift (use a box!). I like 2-piece, top-and-bottom boxes because you don't have to tear the paper to open it, and something like this makes a sweet keepsake.

- Apply your ribbons in a pattern of your liking. I've used a basic criss-cross here, but you could easily use the woven plaid pattern from holiday gift wrapping tip #1. *Secure your ribbons using glue dots; double sided tape is too wide for most ribbon, and regular glue is not strong enough. It will also make a big mess.

- Prepare your photo. You can simply crop it or make an overlay frame with the vellum, as I have here. To cut a window out of the vellum, center your vellum sheet over a ruled cutting mat, and use a ruler and X-acto knife to carefully trace the window. *Use an extra sharp blade, too. Dull blades will fray up what you're cutting, and they force you to press harder than you need to, which is dangerous if you slip.

Next, Apply a glue dot to each corner of the photo, and carefully align your vellum window layer over it. Since the glue dots will show through the sheer vellum at the corners, cover them with a ribbon. Cut a short width of ribbon, and wrap it diagonally around the corners and secure them on the back with another glue dot. This creates a ribbon photo corner that will attach to your cardstock frame to add color and dimension.

- Make a frame. Using the decorative edge scissors or punch, add texture to the edges of a sheet of cardstock. I've used a scalloped-edge scissor here, but there are tons of choices in craft stores. I love the zigzag of pinking shears, too. Super cute. This example has two layers, but you can do as few or as many as you like.

- Put it all together. Attach the photo to the frame, and dress it up with your favorite prezzie-bling. I used little rhinestones, pearls and a tiny bow for this gift. Then attach it to the box, over the ribbon.

That's it - a picture perfect gift. And be sure to take lots of photos this holiday - you can use them for next year's gifts!