Everything You Need To Create A Complete Gift Wrapping Station

Holidays come and go too quickly. Instead of waiting last second to frantically prepare those beautiful presents, why not create a gift wrapping station to help keep you organized and inspired all year long?

Here’s everything you’ll need.

A Personal Inventory

Before you start assembling the essentials for your gift wrapping station, you’ll need to ask yourself a few questions:

• How many people am I preparing presents for?
• Do I need privacy?
• How much room will I have to work with?
• Do I wrap presents throughout the year, or should I just stock supplies for the holidays?

Once you have a better understanding of your needs, you’ll be able to determine whether you can get by with your materials spread out on the living room floor, wrapping presents at the kitchen table, or if you should invest in turning that empty guest room into a year-long crafting area.

Gift Wrap (duh)

Quality is king when it comes to choosing the right gift wrap, but you also want to have a variety on hand. Start with at least four different kinds. Style-wise, the safest way to go is with a consistent color scheme. Look for inspiration around the house, whether it’s from a favorite painting, throw pillows, or your own wallpaper.

Scissors & Glue

Nothing can make your wrapping experience more stressful than realizing your scissors are too dull and your glue has become fossilized. Rolling Scissors, which are designed specifically for gift wrapping, are a popular option amongst holiday and craf enthusiasts alike. In terms of glue, liquid and sticks work just as well as tape, with the added benefit of being invisible.

BONUS TIP: Make sure you’re only putting glue on edges where gift wrap overlap, or else your edges will stick to the present itself.

A Roll of Double-Sided Tape

Stop looping pieces of tape! Double-sided tape will give you a professional-looking finish like in all those pins you’ve saved to your Pinterest board.

A Roll of Decorative Tape

Tape isn’t just for securing the ends of your presents. Jazz up a plain old gift box with decorative tape. Available in holiday and seasonal patterns, decorative tape creates an “instant wrap” design when crisscrossed vertically and horizontally.

Ribbons & Bows

Pair your selections of gift wrap with ribbons and bows that match the color scheme. A few basic combinations come to mind, such as gold satin and white wired.

Pieces of Nature

Don’t hesitate to think outside the (gift)box! Consider gluing pieces of nature like seashells, flowers, feathers, or small, smooth stones onto your wrapped presents.

Gift Bags & Boxes

Don’t feel obligated to wrap awkwardly shaped items. Save yourself some time and stress and keep a couple of gift bags and boxes on hand.

Tissue Paper & Creative Alternatives

White goes with everything, but if you’re looking to get a little creative, try incorporating newspapers, sheet music, road maps, or comic strips instead.

Candy

No, not for munching on. Colorful candies like peppermints are actually a fun way to pad the insides of gift boxes instead of using Styrofoam or tissue paper.

Gift Tags

Don’t forget to add a gift tag! Tie one onto your ribbon, or go with the sticker variety. Paint swatches from a home improvement store are colorful, free alternatives as well, or you can tape a copy of an old photo to the top of the present as a visual way of saying “From me, to you.”

• Need a place to gift wrap throughout the year? Design a custom craft room that’s just for you!

• Once you’ve wrapped your presents, you’ll need a few clever places to hide them around the house.