Showing posts with label gift wrap. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gift wrap. Show all posts

Sunday, December 21, 2025

Wrapping Scheme 2025: Pasta Pasta Lotsa Pasta

We're quickly approaching 20 years of gift wrapping schemes! While I have a year to think about what my 20th wrapping scheme will look like (should I do a commemorative black, white and pink?!), this year is the most out-of-the-box theme yet. 

Last summer, my friend Lauren jokingly sent me this cheeseburger wrap as inspiration, and we got to talking and she joked I should do a bread or pasta theme. It made me laugh and in 2025, a laugh is sorely needed. I did a cursory search of Etsy and, lo and behold, if you can dream it, Etsy sells it as wrapping paper. 

I liked the idea of a comfort food theme, and pasta, red sauce and basil somehow manage to still be in the traditional holiday colors! Inspired by my favorite children's book, "Pasta Pasta Lotsa Pasta," I present the gift wrapping scheme of 2025: when you're here, you're family. 



A bit whimsical, but still every bit beautiful. The traditional Italian restaurant tablecloth wrapping paper is from Ruby Stripe, who heroically 2-day shipped me a replacement when my roll got lost in the mail. The watercolor pasta paper is by Wrapping Birdie. The hand-drawn Italian treats in black-and-white paper is by Peachie and Tink Gift. When you need a gorgeous illustrative paper, you'll always score with Cavallini & Co. And in homage to my tomato-loving toddler, painterly tomatoes on the vine from Central 23 and watercolor tomato slice tags, also by Ruby Stripe. 

Ribbons are a mix of Michael's and classic raffia to evoke pasta. 



Detail of the illustrated Italian goodies — farfalle, fish, prawns, penne, pizza, rotini and more.



Our Italian feast laid out, ready for Christmas! This might be one of my favorite trees we've ever had. 

Now, to brainstorm for my 20th anniversary wrapping scheme! Any ideas? 

For a walk down memory lane:
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Tuesday, December 24, 2024

Wrapping Scheme 2024: Joyeux Noel de Paris!

 For the diehard OG readers of this ancient artifact of mine, I present to you — the 2024 Christmas Wrapping Scheme! I'm only two years away from my 20th anniversary of challenging myself to creatively wrap gifts along a color scheme or theme, and I can wholeheartedly say it always brings me great joy to see it all come together. This year felt like a race to the finish line, between a condensed and busy holiday season and life with a 2.5-year-old who wants to fight about everything. But I got it done and it's a beaut. 



Inspired by finally taking my dream trip to Paris, I decided to pay homage to the city's beautiful green gardens, mint accents, dusty pinks and bold reds, with touches of gold. Picture Laduree boxes and elegant women with red lipstick. The red bow, red-and-pink stripe, and funky boomerang-shape papers are all from Target. The muted pink and green stripe is from Have You Seen the Paper on Etsy.


Although I still shop around a bit in standbys like Target and TJ Maxx, I am loving the wide breadth of wrap available from makers on Etsy, and it makes me glad to support their businesses. I bought two beautiful watercolor print papers from A Thing Created, including this one of the gardens of France.


And this one of Jardin du Luxembourg, complete with the iconic green chairs. 


I picked up this rose velvet ribbon trimmed in gold and the marble design tags at Boxwood in Alexandria.



The tags are by Rebecca Woolbright and gave the gifts that extra special pop!

Eagle-eyed readers will recall I actually did a pink and green scheme in 2018, and was able to reuse some materials from that theme. Now I have to start dreaming about 2025!

See the whole retrospective of wrapping schemes here:



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Saturday, December 23, 2023

Wrapping Scheme 2023: Old World Glamour

Oh hello! It's me in my...*checks notes*...THIRD post in 2023. Bless those of you who actually read this! 

It's time again to celebrate my passion, my art, my muse — gift wrap. 

When I initially embarked on my gift wrapping scheme journey, I was trying to subvert the traditional wrapping. I was zigging where Christmas paper zagged. So, after all these years, it felt like the biggest wild card yet would be leaning into an Old World palette — Christmas, but make it Gilded Age. I was trying to explain to my Mom that it's "Dutch masters meets Henri Bendel's" and she rightfully so was like, "Huh?"


It wasn't until I put the packages together that I saw clearly where this inspiration came from: Samantha, an American Girl doll. Samantha was basically my childhood icon and her wardrobe consisted of velvets, burgundy satin, brown checked taffeta and giant bows. So the inspiration may theoretically be "Old World" but it's mostly "Samantha Parkington, Victorian Orphan in New York."



I wanted something that looked *rich* and was delighted to find this Baroque still life wrapping paper from the Etsy shop SoChroma. The ribbon is from Michael's.


I've had a hard time finding burgundy wrap that fit the bill, but this wine-colored print by JunebirdPaperCo on Etsy was exactly what I'd been seeking! This ribbon was from Target.


And to pull it all together, I loved this brown stripe paper by RubyStripe that reminds me of the classic Henri Bendel's packaging (as modeled here by Fran Fine), and feels very "quiet luxury." 

Lest you believe what you see on the internet, you should know I had to immediately hide all these presents again because my toddler does not yet respect my process. 

See the whole retrospective of wrapping schemes here:

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