There aren't a lot of years I just buy wrapping paper and ribbon at the store and call it a day with my presents, but this year that's exactly what I did. I'm such a loser slouch.
I should loser slouch my way through the rest of my life because I happen to love this year's presents. Loser slouch is the only way to go! From here on in I'm going to loser slouch every aspect of my life. The next time you hear from me I'll have a tv dinner in my stomach and velcro closure shoes on my feet.
THE CHRISTMAS WRAPPING THEME
I wanted to have traditional colours but not super-bright versions of them. Gold, green and red. I really wanted a sort of golden moss green, 2" wide satin ribbon with intermittent flecks of copper in it and no wire, but that's surprisingly hard to find.
So I went with Moss green, a dark almost burgundy (which until today I thought was spelled burgandy) red and gold.
I really, really didn't want wired ribbon. I just wanted plain satin ribbon that falls and shines nicely, which is what I got for the green ribbons.
With unwired, satin ribbon you get nice flop so things don't look overly fussy or perfect.
(p.s. Please ignore my bad, grainy photos. I got a new camera! And I'm just figuring it out. Actually I haven't figured it out at all, lol, but I didn't have time to redo some of my less than perfect photos. It's a great camera, I swear. These were my first shots with it before knowing where all of the adjustment dials were, lol. Sometimes you just have to dive in knowing you're going to make mistakes.)
I don't care anyway now that I'm a loser slouch.
I also moved my presents out from under the tree this year because they end up covered in pine needles and it makes watering the tree harder than it already is. A couple of vintage suitcases makes a better backdrop for them anyway if you ask me.
For the red ribbon I did go with a wired ribbon because I wanted velvet but I still wanted to be able to form it to look a bit sloppy. You can't do that with regular velvet ribbon.
All the bows are plain, no double or triple bows and some presents don't even have bows at all. Just a knot tied at the top of the present.
I got bored with just the plain suitcases and presents so I added some garland. Then I added lights to the garland. Then I added massive pinecones to the lights and the garland.
By the way I used the C cell battery operated copper wire lights I got a few years ago and they're still going strong and I STILL love them. If you want or need wire lights these are the ones to get. They have plenty of wire and lights, the wire is copper not silver, but best of all is the C cell battery pack. NOT double A batteries, which means they last way longer before the batteries need to be changed. Plus they have a self timer and go off automatically after 4 hours. Honestly, they're one of my favourite things ever.
If you think yeah those are nice, but where's the WOW? You can take a look at these, these and these wrapping ideas from years past.
You know, from before I was a loser slouch.
How did you wrap this year?
Loving the paper and ribbons, just lovely! :)
Ha! I used that exact same plaid paper as you! I think I got it at the end of the season last Dec at Homegoods. Has a nice heft to it. Happy Holidays!
Oh, I love them - I am a sucker for plaid at Christmas! Beautiful - if you are a loser slouch, I guess I am a double-triple-loser-slouch-XL! Although I do love wrapping, I tend to use brown/white paper bags and lots of festive greenery and pretty ribbons. Happy Christmas.
I'm going for a slug from the Jameson bottle on the sideboard first... Your packages are lovely, my dear. Is that a box of rainbow unicorn with the big red bow? You saw my wish list... I love you !!
Good for you! Thank you. It is! And I did. ~ karen!
You can take needle nose pliers and pull the wire out. Just cut to length to make it easier. Also you can pull the wire halfway and make it ruffle. Just saying.⛄️
Hi Karen, love everything (well, almost everything, because sometimes you are just silly) you do, and this is no exception. It's not an over-the-top Christmas at your house, and I am doing my little bit to convince the over achievers, and all the stress that goes with, is NOT necessary, and that LESS can be more. Less stress, more enjoyment, and less stuff, less clean up end of it all, and worry about finding MORE storage, when we already have more stuff IN storage than we need (of course, yes, I am talking about myself, mostly).
In any event, maybe next year, we see you pull off the magic of 100% completely recyclable wrapping materials (like you're brown paper, and reusable satin ribbons). In any case, just want to say have a very Happy Christmas my funny, delightful blogger (mine, of course, but only because you are the ONLY blog I follow), and all the best, full of new ideas to share, in the coming year. Kind regards Karen, as always.
Charlotte T.
The ribbons absolutely make these gifts special!! Where did you find such beautiful ribbon?
I'll save Karen the trouble. See above all purchased at Michaels.
My Christmas wish for you Karen and all of your wonderful readers is contentment,if life is not happy at this moment may all of your tomorrows make up in joy for all past sorrows.
Thanks for all of the wonderful instruction and laughs you serve up in abundance- Karen, at 78 I ignore the labor part and rejoice in the jaw dropping final result-your yard still astonishes!
I have now determined I need go no further than your blog for all my worldly needs, particularly Christmas. Having reviewed relevant previou posts as well, next year's wrapping, stocking stuffing, baking and decorating requirements are covered. Please don't move away.
And thank you additionally by making the links to Amazon.ca vs Amazon.com. We Canadians are sensitive about such things.
See you at the Christie sale... May is my favourite one!
Me too! ~ karen
I bought a 4 pack of coordinated paper from Walmart 😂
Taking the easy way out you could say, but I’ve got a 3yr old and 7month old so they keep me too busy to be as creative as I’d like lol
Karen, I make bows for my husband’s wreaths he makes this time of year. I always get the wire ribbon. When I switch to wrapping presents for the grandkids I cut the ribbon to length and take a needle nose plier and pull the wire out so they don’t get poked. It works fine.
Your blog makes my day. Thanks so much for sharing.
Good thinking! I'll try that. ~ karen!
I've had a bad habit of buying paper and ribbon after Christmas when it's on sale. Been doing this for years and I have massive amounts of both. So this year it's all about trying to use up what I can (and NOT buying any more!).
That said, I will probably try to salvage all the ribbon, bags and boxes I can from everyone when we unwrap. I dislike seeing all of it go into the trash and a majority of it can be used again.
My grandma would save every scrap of wrapping paper from unwrapping each year, she'd use it until it it was just large enough to wrap a jewelry box (she was an AVON lady). It became fun to see the wrapping paper from 10 years earlier back in circulation!
My grandma did the same!
I planned to wrap from the paper I bought last year at the dollar store (it looked like kraft paper with green and red Christmas images on it), but apparently I left my stock up at my sister's house in Ontario (where we did Xmas last year). I wrapped a few gifts in Ikea red-and-white striped paper but I found it wasn't very durable, so I went back to the Dollar Store on Friday and got a few rolls so I could finish the lot.
Again: thank goodness for the Pledge or I'd be nowhere near this calm!
Love you loser attitude. I'm such a detailed oriented perfectionist that makes me crazy. I'm trying to teach myself to have some loser slouch in my life, with help from my kids. The only presents currently under our Christmas tree are the ones that my children purchased at their school Santa shop. They are beautifully wraped in glittery bags plastic bags, duct taped shut, and no tags, just names written in sharpie. I can send you a picture if you need some ideas for next Christmas.
It might be several years until I'm at the duct tape phase, lol. ~ karen!
I had every good intention to do pretty wrapping with custom name tags like I did last year. Instead I stuffed the gifts in mismatched bags and said, "f*beep* it, dogs are red/green colourblind, they won't know the difference."
Hahaha! Well. So long as they take proper care wrapping their presents for you. ~ karen!
Aww, come on Karen, "what DID I wrap with"? Surely you jest because I am the last minute person. The good news is that I actually have a plan for some nice paper and satin ribbon. Actually, my packages will look similar to yours.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas!
Most of the stores where I shop package their goods in brown paper bags...I collect all year long and then decorate the bags in a variety of ways...this year I will adorn the gift tags with a pine cone an orange slice( yes I finally had success) and a bit of twine. I save all kinds of ribbon...tablecloths, blankets, even sheets often come tied with ribbon.
I save old Christmas cards and as long as there isn't a letter written on the inside of the cover I cut those up for gift tags. I cheated somewhat ( I did use a 50% off coupon at Michael's) and I bought a paper cutter shaped like a tag and it really sped up the process.
When the kids were smaller we would stay up after they went to bed wrapping sometimes until 2 or 3 in the morning 😩 Now I wrap it as soon as it comes in the house!
Have you noticed how often "green" is also "cheap"? When we lived in the city my husband used to cut the grass with an old push mower that we picked up at a garage sale for $10... long before it was cool to be Eco friendly.
Before I start to sound like I'm bragging about how green I am I better shut up as I have also contributed more than my fair share to greenhouse gases by driving all over the place for competitive sports both winter and summer for 2 out of 4 kids.
Merry Christmas to you Karen and all the other Readers of this outstanding blog! And before anyone jumps on me for being politically incorrect....what I hope you will take from my wish is that you will find, while celebrating your event, the same peace, joy, and fellowship that I experience during Christmas with my loved ones.
Camera asides made me laugh out loud! I got a fancy schmancy Nikon (with a telephoto lens!) three, yes, 3 years ago and have yet to figure it out enough to make my pictures look better than my phone's pics. That's probably because I have to sit and read instructions that my brain says should be ALREADY IN MY BRAIN after all my years taking pictures.
Resolution for 2019--I will learn to use my new (ish) Nikon so that when there is a huge bald eagle at the top of a pine tree in the field trying to pretend he isn't going to grab one of my chickens, I will be able to take a good photo to show everyone who doesn't believe that a huge bald eagle was casing my yard.
better idea--Maybe you could ask Idris to make a video tutorial so I would be more inclined to stick with it.......
ps--the gifts look gorgeous--especially sitting on that beautiful floor. (That I originally voted not to do but now that I see it can admit that I'm a lazy and sometimes negative fool.)
Merry Christmas-hope you find the almond ; )
LMAO!!! I don't own a Nikon but if Karen gets Idris to do a tutorial (especially shirtless!) U bet I'd be watching! Not sure how much (if any-lol!) information I would actually retain ;)
Your presents look beautiful. I admire your style. And panache. And spelling skills. I especially admire and appreciate your hard work all year that makes so many of us snicker, chortle, guffaw and laugh out loud.
I also appreciate the eclectic group of followers who pile on your posts adding to the hilarity. You gathered us, so you get the credit.
Merry Christmas to you Karen and to Betty, Pink Tool Belt, Fish Pedicure and all your readers who celebrate it. May it be merry and bright.
Wow. Your presents are always too lovely to open. I’m lucky mine get paper even on them.i devote a lot of time to choosing gifts..I always want to get them just right and ultimately leave the wrapping til the last minute and end up just throwing some paper on them. I never resort to bags though for my kids as I always feel like it’s a rip off. A gift really feels like a gift when you have to rip off the tape and rip the paper.
Karen, I have to tell you - I can't wait to get your posts! I actually go refresh my coffee, turn off the phone and read and laugh and chuckle and pretend I am right there with you! To be even more honest, I like this year's gift wrapping the best. I love your style, your humor and let us not forget the haircut! This year I used brown paper from the Dollar store and ribbon I had in my stash! I used all different colors, mostly re, green, gold and silver, whatever I had. I am quite pleased with the results given what I worked with! So, here's to all us creative, free thinking girls! I LOVE being a loser slouch!