Gift Giving No. 2 - Wrapping Ideas

I love to give and receive a beautifully wrapped gift. I also believe that only a woman can truly appreciate and recognize the effort shown in the presentation; so I save my most creative gift wrapping and embellishments for women. Sorry, men it's a gift bag and some tissue for you, and the cleverly-handmade gift tag so you don't feel left out.

Nothing says how special your gift recipient is like a few added embellishments. 

Even when you are gifting on a budget, the package presentation can be super special and fun.  Here are some tips.

1. Keep your eyes open for wrapping paper and ribbon on sale whenever you shop throughout the year. Don't wait until you need these supplies to purchase. Better to stock up.

2. Set aside an area of your home as a wrapping area or even devote a room to wrapping if you have the space.

3. Gift tags and embellishments can be made from almost anything. Keep on the look out for items that remind you of your friends and family whom you buy gifts for.  Here are a few items from my stash of goodies.

Vintage playing cards.  Fantastic gift tags for the airplane enthusiast.

Vintage luggage tags - great gift package embellishment for the world traveler.

Shoe sketches cut out and used as gift tags for the fashionista!

How about these vintage French flash cards to add sweet nothings to the gift package?

Old maps and atlases make colorful gift tags.

Here are a few more trinkets that can add panache to your gift package.

Old watch faces and gears would be spectacular wrapped within ribbon.

This horse bridle rosette is a great embellishment for a friend whose monogram it matches.

This vintage 1909 book is filled with fantastic toasts to use on gift packages.

Chalkboard painted wooden gift tags are clever. Great to enhance a gift bottle of wine.

And I'm loving this idea for tickets to...the opera, Broadway, a baseball game...

These tags are sporting seashells, dominoes, and even buttons.

What a fantastic bow old reel film makes!

Image Sources: Cavallini, A Gift Wrapped Life, Watson Kennedy, Etsy, Urban Comfort, Real Simple