Potomac’s Occasions Gifts Lauds Beautiful Wrapping

It’s a tedious task at times, but a good gift-wrapping could make or break a gift recipient’s holiday joy. Ever received a gift so beautifully wrapped that you didn’t want to untie the bow, and yet couldn’t wait to see what was inside? At the same time, a lackluster fold around what’s obviously a book doesn’t do much to inspire excitement.

To help you get the creativity flowing, we asked local gift store-owner and presentation-extraordinaire Stephanie Menick of Occasions Gifts for some tips on wrapping beautiful presents.

Patch: Half of the act of giving a gift is the presentation. How much effort should be put into the wrapping?

Stephanie Menick: Gift-wrapping shows that you care about the person enough to take the extra time to wrap the gift. Small touches can be added to reflect the recipient such as using their favorite colors or finding recycled paper if you know they live a green life. Even the most basic gift bag shows that you took the extra time to make it pretty!

Patch: When shopping for gifts on a budget what are some ways to spruce up the presentation of a gift with the wrapping?

Menick: The perceived value of any gift goes way up when you wrap it in pretty paper, cellophane, and a bow or ribbon. I've even seen people recently who just wrap a ribbon around a book and then attach a picture or printed quote as the card. It makes the gift look amazing and doesn't take a lot of money. Another great budget-friendly way to wrap is to use any kind of plain paper you may already have and add a bright or festive ribbon, it actually winds up looking really elegant even if you didn't spend a lot on the gift or the wrapping!

Patch: Do you have any fun, creative ideas to share?

Menick: One of my favorite gift-wrap ideas is to include something on the outside of the package. Whether it's a sign, lollipop, or pen, a little bit of the gift on the outside of the package makes the recipient even more excited to open it!

Visit the Potomac Patch Holiday Survival Guide for more life-saving holiday ideas.

Patch: What wrapping methods are popular this year? Which are classic go-to schemes each year?

Menick: Pinterest has really been influencing trends in gift-wrapping this year.  A lot of people are looking for more of a vintage, rustic look. It can be achieved with raffia, burlap ribbons, brown papers, scrap fabrics, and maybe even some sequins if you're really creative. 

Purple is actually really big for the holidays as well. It isn't a traditional color, but when paired with silver or gold, it winds up looking really festive! You could never go wrong with the classic trends of golds, silvers, reds, and blues! No matter how many people love purple for their holidays this year, there's always many more who want an elegant gold and silver scheme. It's nice because it can be sent to anyone even if you don't know which holiday they celebrate.

What types of gift wrap are you using this season?