Here we go...

My gift wrap obsession started with boredom. When I would find myself with extra time, I would end up wandering the isles of Target browsing clearance items. (You know the end caps that many have described as "dangerous.") I ended up with quite a collection of gift wrap and tags. I had a hell of a fun time mixing and matching styles and patterns for every age and occasion. Gift wrapping became a little hobby instead of a chore that was done at the last minute before leaving for an event. Eventually, after enough Christmases, birthdays, and weddings, my stock of clearance gift wrap and accessories decreased. I briefly transitioned to visiting specialty paper shops for interesting patterns and textures, but lately I am more interested in using items I have laying around the house and repurposing pieces of invitations and gift bags to give them new life and create beautiful packages that people are excited to receive.

Gift wrap sets the tone for what is inside, and it can be just as interesting as the gift you are giving! As long as it shows you took time to consider the person who is receiving the gift, you're doing it right. Simple paper and a short, thoughtful card can be perfectly beautiful if it suits the person opening it.

Each gift I wrap is a tiny little art project. Some projects turn out better than others, and some I struggle with and they don't turn out like expected. The good news is that your only enemy is time. Leave yourself enough time to wrap and rewrap, you can open the gift and try again until you get it right. (This is especially true if you are using inexpensive materials!) I am using this blog as a space to catalogue some of the gifts I've wrapped, some practice (fake) gifts that I've done for fun, and maybe even show the not-so-pretty gifts that I ended up rewrapping. I like to remember what works, what didn't work, and to share that with you.

This is the part of the blog where I close with something witty, but I wasted all my pun power on naming the blog Gift Wrappers' Delight. Maybe next time you'll get a funny closing line from me.

-Kate