The demands of the holiday season can make gift wrapping seem like a chore. But with the right materials and knowhow, gift wrapping can be fun, creative and memorable. Liz Maute, owner of Lionheart Prints, breaks it down.
Rather than thinking of gift wrapping as just another item on the to-do list, Maute says to tap into the magic of the season.
“We get lost in the hustle and bustle, but when we can slow down and put energy into it, it becomes a joyous experience,” she said. “Gift wrapping is not as hard as it seems.”
Maute advises good quality or specialty paper and ribbon, both available at Lionheart along with expert wrapping services for both in-store and non-store purchases. Good quality paper is thicker and will fold easier. Maute says blurred ink on a patterned paper is an indicator of lesser quality. For ease, she recommends a hands-free tape dispenser.
Adding a little lagniappe to a package will make it extra special. A sprig of Rosemary, a bit of evergreen, a cinnamon stick or an ornament that hints at the gift recipient’s personality or interests are among Maute’s favorite go-tos.
For do-it-yourselfers, Maute suggests recycling utilitarian items such as brown paper sacks and shopping bags. Pens (available at Lionheart), acrylic paints and even stamps made with potatoes are great ways to decorate them and a fun activity for kids. Shopping bags with a small logo can be made season-appropriate by cutting an image (or images) from a holiday greeting card and gluing it over the logo. Christmas card images can also be repurposed as gift tags.
“Great design is everywhere,” said Maute who recommends looking around for inspiration. “We just have to put on our creative lenses. It’s a muscle we have to train.”
While Maute suggests staying on theme with things that relate to the season, she also advises thinking outside the box. For example, she likes to keep a Christmas gift relevant with motifs such as Christmas trees while using a less typical palette of pastels or purples.
You can even turn wrapping into a social event. Maute suggests a counter-height workstation with good materials, an assembly line set-up where each person handles what they do best (wrapping, ribbon tying, etc.) and of course, holiday tunes, libations and snacks.
“It’s the beauty of the process,” she said. “You can be like little elves.”
- Three pieces of tape should be enough for a regular size gift: one on each side and one on the bottom (connect paper to paper rather than paper to package so you can slide package as needed when folding the ends).
- Cut paper 60% larger than the height of the package to have the right amount on either end.
- Measure ribbon by wrapping it around the package three times. You’ll have the right amount for a crisscross wrap and to have the tails a little longer than the bow.
- Folding the corners is key. Check out an online how-to for instructions with visuals.
About the Expert
Ten years ago, Oklahoma native Liz Maute parlayed talent and experience in graphic design into her own handmade greeting card business. Today customers can shop Lionheart Prints’ range of stationery and other paper related products online and in-store and see the business’s vintage printing presses at work.
