Becolorful

Boy or Girl? Gift Wrap Ideas

Follow Pamela Rosenberg's board gift wrap ideas on Pinterest.

 

 

 

How can it be? I'm going to be a grandma! It doesn't seem like THAT long ago that I was bringing home our own first baby.

I can't lie. My first reaction was to be ecstatic for my daughter and her husband but then it hit me, I'm too young to be a grandma!

:D  

But once I wrapped my head around that fact then I began embracing new daydreams of sweet baby breath, tiny fingers that will wrap around my own, and images of pudgy, roll creased little baby thighs.

I am also having so much fun watching our own little girl trying on this new roll of mom as she looks forward to her early 2015 due date. 

We are more than a little excited. Just this past week Mike and I went with the parents to be and the other set of first time grandparents to a gender reveal ultra sound.

I HAD to have gifts.

:D

But what to buy? Boy? Girl? Neutral? So I did a little bit of everything. I had to explain to Mike that half of this would be coming back home with us.

 

I love a thoughtfully wrapped package and I had a great time using up old scrapbook and craft supplies and incorporating them into gifts for our little one.  I have seen other blogs and Pinterest boards with gift wrapping ideas so I thought why not share mine as well.

If there is going to be more than one gift I like to coordinate them or have a theme to work with.

This time I went with my usual black and white theme for a jumping off point because it was gender neutral and an easy coordinating element.

This larger gift had some maternity basics for Elizabeth. The gift wrap I found on Amazon and the felt flowers in the dollar aisle at Michael's. Add a green ribbon and I called it done.

 

This past January the parents-to-be chose a motivational word that they hoped would describe their year this year. The word they went with was Adventure. I wanted to tie that word into one of the packages so again I went with a black and white wrap, some chipboard letters and a bit of card stock. With these simple elements I was able to pull together my take on their word for one of the baby boy gifts.

 

 

Sometimes it is as easy as a quote that I had torn out of a magazine years ago, a solid colored paper,and some colorful scraps of ribbon tied into the signature black and white stripe.

 

 

But what if it were a little girl?

This package contained a cute little bath wrap and bib that matched the little flower socks so I tied the bootie/socks on to the front of the package and repeated the flower theme with a bit of card stock cut into the shape of the flower and added some stick on letters spelling out Girl.

 

On this second girl package I used an old Target gift wrap that was black and white but reversed to pink. I cut the paper larger than I needed and pulled the edges to the front and then folded them back revealing the contrasting back side of the paper. I embellished it with a youthful ribbon and a chipboard G for girl.

 

 

I often times like the outside to the package to be a hint to what is inside. This was my gender neutral gift ( a Sophie the giraffe teether).

 

 

 

So I knew when I saw this little painted wooden giraffe at Michael's for fifty nine cents that it would make the perfect package tie on.

 

 

I tied him on with pink and orange and black and blue polka dot ribbons as a nod to either boy or girl.

So what did I end up passing out at the reveal?

BOY GIFTS!

:D

There will be a new little baby boy in our world and he is due to arrive around January 9, 2015.

#lifeisgood

xoxo,

p

One Way To Finally Use Up Some Of Those Lingering Scrapbook Supplies

 

I used to scrapbook before I began blogging. 

I loved documenting our family story but I didn't relish cleaning up the mess or the big sucking sound of money flying out of my billfold.

Once I began blogging I quickly realized that this too is a record of all things important to me at the various chapters of my life. 

But what to do with all of those scrapbook papers, stickers, and embellishments?

I have used some in altered art projects...

(rub ons)

 

(embellishments)

 

(sticker letters)

 

Still, I have a LOT, hundreds? of dollars worth. It scares me to think about it.

So one of the ways I make use of my resources is by incorporating them into gift wrap.

This month there are two family members having birthdays so I set aside an hour or so and went to work.

 

 

At Christmas time, when there are so many packages, I like them to coordinate and this past year I went with only two papers in black and white. Then I trimmed everything with green. I got the idea on Pinterest and loved how it looked. Birthdays, though, are different. For birthdays I like the wrapping to be a hint to what is inside. I let the gift inspire me.

 

For this package I cut up scrapbook papers and incorporated some relevant stickers.

 

 

 

Faux flowers are another favorite of mine when it comes to wrapping a gift. For years I have recycled what seemed like a house full of silk flowers into my gift wrapping. This time I started with a mirrored paper  and then added some scraps of craft paper and the last remnants of a sheet of birthday stickers. They must have a shelf life because they don't want to stick like they used to.

 

Embelishments, ribbon and glitter stickers jazzed up this gift.

 

 

 

This last trio of packages have to travel all the way to South Korea so I have to think small when I'm buying. I will wrap each of them in tissue so hopefully they arrive looking like they do today.

 I have embellished them with jewel and three dimensional letter stickers, ribbon and trim.

 

 

 

I have used paper to create three dimensional flowers like this one that donned a baby gift

 

 

but this was one of my favorites. It was a new grandma gift for a friend. I almost didn't want her to open it. 

:D

 

 

Gift embellishing is a fun way to use up some of those left over supplies and I love the endless creative options. The problem is, I have enough scrapbook stuff left that I think I will be able to wrap birthday gifts for the next ten years without having to replenish my supplies.

Geesh!

#ineedanintervention

:D

Gift Wrap Glamour and Motivated Monday

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The Blackberry Vine is having a second Pretty Packages Party.

If you know me you know I probably need a gift wrap intervention

so this is my kind of party.

I had a gift to wrap for a friend.

Her daughter is expecting their first baby any day now.

 

She is one of my first friends to become a grandmother.

Funny, she doesn't look or act like a grandmother.

So when I saw this in a gift shop I thought of her.

 

The phrase seemed just right for my cute friend.

 

When I wrap a gift I like the wrap to be a hint to what's inside.

So I wrapped this one in black and white paper,

added a photo of a glamorous woman ( Sophia Loren),

used some pop dots to give the picture dimension,

selected a piece of colorful scrapbook paper and cut out a pair of stylish readers.

Then I embellished the readers with rhinestones.

 

 I made a name tag for the package that says Mimi - the name she has selected for herself as a grandma.

Voila, my interpretation of glamorous gift wrap for my friend the fabulous Mimi

 

  Congrats Mimi. Little Schu is going to love coming to your house.

Tomorrow is Monday and it is time for my second Motivated Monday Party.

Thank you to everybody who linked up last week.

You all inspire me and make me wish I had more time for projects like these;

 

Give Me The Simple Life

 

Less Than Perfect Life of Bliss

 

Recaptured Charm

kfd designs 

  
Chicy Creations 

 

I hope you will link up this week.

I will be featuring some of the more unique projects.

What should you link up?

Maybe something you were motivated to finish up 

or maybe an image that has motivated to you to tackle a new project,

or maybe something you have started and are motivated to finish this week - show us your progress. 

How to link up?

Please link up your post, not just your blog URL,

Add the Motivated Monday button to your post or in your sidebar.

You can find the code in my sidebar.

Be kind and comment on some of the other submissions.

We all like to get comments.

xoxo,

P

 linking up here:

 

Pretty Packages All in a Row

While linking up to a crafty party this morning I saw this fun Pretty Package Party.

I have always loved to wrap gifts. 

It's just another way to create but with paper, ribbon, texture and color.

 I even did a post a while back stating my probable need for a gift wrap intervention. I have a whole closet dedicated to this obsession.

When I wrap a gift I like to consider the recipient and the occasion but I also like the wrapping to be a hint or reflection of what is inside.

This past weekend I had the fun taks of shopping for a gift for a baby girl. I found this precious little handmade skirt and tank top at La Vie en Rose in Galena, Illinois.

 

I bought something that would fit her next year.

This shop had so many great choices but I was drawn to this unusual color combo for a baby girl.

 

I gathered up some wrapping paper, card stock, a paper flower I'd purchased from Michael's some time ago, a bit of ribbon, and a couple scrapbook embellishments.

I cut the card stock into 2" wide strips and accordion folded them, taped them together to form a circle and then built up the flower with the other paper embellishments and a large brad that I painted to match the flower on the dress.

I think it has the same feel as the gift.

At least that is the effect I was going for.

 
So there you go.

It's a wrap.

For more inspirational wraps be sure and stop by The Blackberry Vine

XOXO,

P

Linking up this post with Today's Creative Blog

 

 

and Sugar Bee Craft Edition

 

    

I Need A Gift Wrap Intervention

 

Along with pulling together my new studio space comes the inevitable purging and cleaning. It's true that this part of the house was primarily used by the boys in the family and their friends but the closets were mine. There are two in this room. I use one for purses, which will be the next one I clean out, and this one. This is the gift wrap closet. The problem with this closet was that it was flanked by my boy's computer desks and it was an obstacle course just to get to it. So I would forget what was in there, fall in love with some new ribbon or wrap, or find a bargain I just couldn't pass up and pile them on what was already in there. I realize I am really putting myself out there and opening myself up to ridicule with this post but for those creative souls out there that like a pretty gift and can appreciate all the wonderful opportunities that a little paper, ribbon and embellishment can provide, I put myself at your mercy. 

 

It took me all day to clear out this closet. Well I did go to the store for a few organizational elements, but for the most part this is all I can claim as an accomplishment today. I threw away, gave away, and stockpiled for next month's garage sale. What I couldn't part with, and yes, there is a lot left, I organized. I actually have so much left that I could go into the gift wrapping business and probably not have to buy anything new for a month. I could wrap a gift for everyone I know and I never ever ever need to buy another gift tag. So here it is - my freshly organized gift wrap.

The closet -

 

 

Embellishments -

 

 

The essentials -

 

Christmas gift tags -

 

 

Gift bags -

 

 

Rolls of wrap ( Christmas) -

 

 

Now I know that looks like a reasonable amount but I must admit there's more...

 

These are the "everything else" wraps.

So if you see me in the gift wrap aisles at Target, Hobby Lobby, or Barnes and Noble please stop me. I am in desperate need of an intervention. But hey, doesn't it look all nice and organized?