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Brown Paper Packages

Growing up, I was always tasked with gift wrapping for the entire family – gifts to my mom from my dad, gifts from my sister to our brother, and even gifts from my siblings to me. Funny, I couldn’t stand it at the time, but I realize it was because I was the only one in the family crazy enough to get those crisp corners, fluff the bows, and hide the taped edges just so.

We all know by now that I’m a perfectionist. We get it; we can move on.

While I’m completely attracted to shiny and sparkly things, I’ve always been more of a brown-paper-packages kind of girl (we like that it can be used year round), but I still like to fun it up; see exhibit A, right here. This year, I spruced up my usual kraft paper with gold ink, so, you know, I guess I still added some shiny, sparkly goodness.

Yes, I’m still the gift-wrapper under this roof (Scott’s more of the put-it-in-a-bag and throw-some-tissue-in-there kind of guy), and oddly enough, I’m finally enjoying it. (It only took 30 years!) I’m thinking my Yay! stamp helps, because isn’t that what you’re really feeling when you’re giving those personal, thought out gifts?

I actually use this same stamp for all my outgoing Pet Shop orders (check out exhibit B, right here), and it makes just as much sense for holiday gift giving, right? I originally got the idea from Jack’s fuzzy friend, Ammo the Dachshund, and with his blessing, I made my own using text in Photoshop, saving my Yay! file as a .png and sending it off to Simon’s Stamps. (Although any text-making program could work, like Word.) Of course my favorite part is that they’re super affordable – we always get the traditional wood handle rubber stamps and use a separate ink pad. Because yes, we have a few Simon Stamps. (They’re just really addicting! And, they reverse the text for you. Easy.)

In our usual Christmas-y fashion, we’re a bit behind in sharing festive-y goodness around this virtual home (and we still have a project or two we’d like to tackle), but we think any pre-made stamps from hobby stores could spruce up packages in a pinch; you could even use brown paper bags!

Also, these paws.

And now that I’ve finally embraced my gift-wrapping place in the world, I wonder, how do you embellish your gifts? Can we see?

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  • jackie jade12.17.12 - 8:36 AM

    aww this is such a good, but easy, idea! i love playing with stamps, so i might have to try something like this soon!

    also wanted to say i love your pet paintings! i have 2 cute doggies and would love to get their portraits done sometime soon!ReplyCancel

  • Rebelwerewolf12.17.12 - 8:53 AM

    I was always tasked with wrapping presents when I was growing up, too! It was because my family is very last-minute, so our relatives would be arriving at our house, and my parents would have to go greet them, leaving me to wrap all the presents.

    I’m actually kind of sad that there’s not really any reason for us to wrap presents this year – we’re staying home, and we’ve already spent our budget on a camera and new toys back in November. Maybe I’ll wrap those back up and stick them under the tree that we still haven’t put up yet?ReplyCancel

  • Molly12.17.12 - 1:30 PM

    I actually wrapped presents like this on Saturday! My 3 year old was going to a birthday party, & I had him do the stamping so he was included in the gift giving. I wish I would have taken a picture. I made the stamps & a few pom poms to put on top. Craft paper is the best go to wrapping paper.

    ps- That is the cutest ribbon, & you tie an awesome bow!ReplyCancel

  • Jennifer12.17.12 - 1:44 PM

    I can definitely relate to being the gift wrapper. I was always the one person in the house who just loved to wrap gifts. I even wrapped my own some years! Haha. I love this idea too! I am totally going to make my own wrapping paper now.ReplyCancel

    • Kim12.17.12 - 2:05 PM

      I’m glad that all of you feel my gift-wrapping pain! I suppose I always sort of liked it, since I would wrap even the tiniest gifts – even just little $1 stocking stuffers. Makes it more fun that way.

      Jackie Jade, I hope I get to “meet” your pups sometime soon!

      Rebel, definitely wrap the camera and old gifts. It’ll make it more fun.

      Molly, thank you!

      Jennifer, dooo it!ReplyCancel

  • Thanks for the shout out! :)

    Ammo and I have been wrapping our gifts in brown paper for a few years now. I even carved a little Christmas bulb that I stamp in red or green on ours. Maybe this year I’ll have to mix it up and carve some snowflake stamps!

    P.S. Love the yay! in gold!ReplyCancel

  • Trude12.18.12 - 5:20 PM

    I use brown paper too! Either from Michael’s, or sometimes you can find rolls at Home Depot. Usually I just leave it plain and spruce it up with ribbon or stamps (love your yay, sooo cute!) or glitter tape, but since I bought a shit-ton of Martha all surfaces paint for a gift project I think I might try painting simple designs like this: http://www.eatsleepcuddle.com/2011/12/homemade-holiday-gift-wrap.html We’ll see, stripes may be about all I can handle!ReplyCancel

    • Kim12.18.12 - 5:49 PM

      Those designs are SO cute! Perhaps if I’m adventurous enough, I’ll have to try that next year!ReplyCancel

  • Heather {ModernMealsforTwo}12.21.12 - 8:35 AM

    I’m behind at everything right now, including blog reading. So, sorry for the tardy comment.

    Three things
    1. I’m also loving the kraft paper look. I like how you mimicked wrapping paper with stamp. It’s a nice, subtle touch.
    2. Custom stamps are so addictive! We have a few with our photography logo (different sizes for different applications). Love them.
    3. THOSE PAWS! SOO cute! They make me miss having daily kitty time in my life. (Hubster is allergic so no feline pets for me.)ReplyCancel

    • Kim12.21.12 - 8:39 AM

      Heather, Scott’s allergic to kitties too, so he can’t cuddle them like I can, but we make it work. Perhaps a surprise kitty under the tree could be nice this Christmas…ReplyCancel

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