The gifts are stacked, wrapped and ribboned - ready to be ripped apart.
At this time last year I was exclaiming that I would never change the way I wrapped presents again. Gone were the days of experimentation with dioramas, glitter and pinecone bows. I'd had a gift wrapping revelation last year and I was sticking with it.
And I did, kind of.
Last year I introduced you to the main components of this wrapping; wax seals and silk ribbon.
If you saw it and thought I WANT TO DO THAT NEXT YEAR, you still have time - as long as you haven't wrapped your presents yet.
All of the supplies below are available in one spot in my Amazon Shop.
I still love this method, if you can call it that, because it looks beautiful, it's easy to do AND it eliminates the need for tags. The wax seal, with the recipient's initial embedded into it *is* the tag.
The rolls of ribbon I recommend are huge, so even after using it for all my wrapping and bows on my trees last year I still had a ton of ribbon leftover.
All I needed was different paper, because even though I loved last year's wrapping I had used up all the toile paper. Enter Zazzle.
I started using Zazzle to buy Christmas paper last year because up until that point I was stupid.
I had no idea how much GREAT wrapping paper was out in the world. The paper is all designed by artists, each has their own shop selling their designs. But you can browse around or search for anything in particular you're looking for.
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To find my paper I searched the Zazzle site for "vintage christmas wrapping" and found the artist I bought my Santa paper from.
Each roll is around $30 CA and is very thick and strong. You will never have to worry about pulling the paper tight to tape it only to have all of the corners rip through.
This is the Zazzle artist I got my paper from but there are a ton of choices.
And if you get just one roll of nice paper you can wrap the rest of your gifts in a cheaper paper that compliments the colours, like a plain red or a plain white paper from the dollar store.
Just don't pull the paper too tight on those or you risk all of your presents looking like they're wearing an off the shoulder number.
I forgot to mention that you can also change the scale on any of the designs without having to resort to Ozempic.
Coming up soon, the rest of the house tour.
That K isn't for me, it's for my niece. I haven't wrapped my gift to myself yet. I'm getting a whittling kit.
If you're looking for a complimentary gift to send me, please consider Steri-strips™️ and Bandaids.
Brooke
When I go to the link posted early on for the seals and wax, it takes me to an Amazon page with a big black circle and a notice (see attached screenshot). What up with that? I can’t get to the seals and wax.
Virginia
Beautiful as always! A very happy holiday season for you and your family.
You bring both joy and inspiration. I am grateful.
Lisa Herzberger
MERRY CHRISTMAS KAREN! And thank you for all the joy you've brought us this year!
Karen
Hey Lisa! Thank you ma'am. More joy to come. ~ karen!
CathyR
The Container Store had the best paper and I was always first in line the day after Christmas scoring all the good stuff the day after Christmas!! I have an addiction to good, thick wrapping paper. These Zazzle artists are just the thing to feed my addiction. Love the wax seal tags; I watercolor my cards & envelopes and the way looks great on them. I even bought a little wax melting ‘oven’ that uses the pellets. I’m still on the hunt for clear wax that can be poured over little bits of dried flowers.
I can find any color you can imagine, just no clear🧐
Happy Holidays, Karen!
Alice
Would paraffin (sold in the canning section) do?
Karen
Hi Cathy! It wouldn't be perfectly clear I guess but the wax I'm using here actually gets melted with a hot glue gun. So I wonder if you could somehow do it with hot glue? I'd have to test it out. ~ karen!
Mindy Northrop
Buuuuuuut, what if there are four Ls in the family? Double/triple stamp?
Deb from Maryland
@Randy P took the words right out of my mouth! "I can't decide if the wrapped gifts are simply beautiful or beautifully simple. Perhaps that's because they are both?" Just beautiful, I'm going to copy it asap. :)
Karen
Copy away! The fun thing about Zazzle paper is the scale is so big AND you can change the scale. It's just plain fun for a gift wrapping geek. ~ karen!
Cara M Powers
Gorgeous gifts and that wrapping paper is amazingly beautiful. I plan to make the bacon wraps when family is here. Bet the vegans horde them.
Happy Holidays to you (and Phillip).
C Powers
Karen
Thanks Cara! Let me know how the vegans like them. ;) ~ karen!
Chris W.
Not enough words to describe how beautiful these packages are - I'm not sure that I would let the recipients open them because they're so pretty. At least not in front of me - take them home before ripping them apart so I don't have to see the destruction! Wishing you a wonderful holiday and a very happy New Year. P.S. Making your bacon wraps for Christmas Eve - been looking for a good excuse to overindulge!
Karen
Thanks Chris! I'm happy with the presents. And hopefully you'll be happy with the bacon wraps. ~ karen!
Hettie
Very pretty! I'm inspired. I'll look for a sealing wax kit on Amazon. (I always shop Amazon via your link.) Merry Christmas, Karen. :)
Karen
Thank you Hettie! It helps a lot. :) ~ karen!
Randy P
I can't decide if the wrapped gifts are simply beautiful or beautifully simple. Perhaps that's because they are both? The wax seals really do add an 'old world' touch. That specific 26 letter kit is currently unavailable, but I did see other brands that looked the same on Amazon.ca.