Once you've procured the perfect gift for each person on your holiday list, the realization sets in that your task isn't complete at the swipe of a credit card. You have to wrap your finds, too. To create that final winning touch, here are five simple gift wrap ideas that make use of brown paper and string (and just a few other things).
N.B.: Today, to celebrate the season, five lucky Terrain shoppers will walk away with a $1,000 Terrain gift card. Want to be one of them? Make a purchase at shopterrain.com—today only—and you’ll be automatically entered to win, or enter here.
Finished Look
Above: Gifts in a range of shapes and sizes, wrapped and ready. Original photography shot with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III digital SLR. The filmmaker's camera.
Materials
Above: Accessories to pull the packages together include rubber bands and baker's twine.
- Set of six sturdy Wrapped Up Gift Tags in cream colored cardboard; $6 from Terrain
- 1 roll of Baker's Twine in a festive twist of red and white; $22 from Terrain
- Pair of household and floral scissors for trimming paper and natural materials, such as bark and cedar
- Schoolhouse Elastic Bands, staples with a vintage appeal; $8 for 72 bands from Terrain
- Japanese Washi Tape, easily rippable and removeable, in colors of your liking
- Schoolhouse Cotton String in kraft and cream colors; $8 for four spools from Terrain
- 3 gift boxes from your local art supplies store
- 1 19.6 Ounce Weck Jar Set of 4; $24 from Terrain
- At least 1 Roll of Kraft Wrapping Paper in light brown; $12 from Terrain
- For added decoration, pick up some Sea Oat Grass (dried chasmanthium) $15 a bunch, Preserved Cedar, $18 a bunch, and six Birch Bark Strips, $10; all from Terrain
Above: The containers: Weck jars, kraft paper, and boxes.
Wrapped Candles
Above: Start with two sets of three Pure Beeswax Tall Tapers ($24 for a set of two), 18.5 inches long, in white and natural beeswax; group each trio into a pyramid and secure with a rubber band. (For a moody look, Terrain also offers 10-inch-long Pure Beeswax Tapers in black; $28 for 6.) Next, fold in the edges of a strip of kraft paper to wrap around each bunch.
Above: Tie off the paper with white cotton string, twisting it around itself in the front and back three times; secure with a bow.
Cedar Wreath Gift Box Decoration
Above: A porcelain beaded trivet (see DIY Video: Wooden Bead Trivet for how to make one) and four Washed Linen Napkins in navy blue ($12 each from Terrain) get tucked inside a box and wrapped in kraft paper.
Above: Start with a bunch of preserved or fresh cedar branches (see Materials above); cut off 2-3 inch pieces and then connect the pieces by tying them in the center of each branch with cotton string. Work the shape into a circle and finish it by tying the two ends together. Tie on more pieces of cedar to fill out the wreath to your liking. The result: a tiny wreath sized to fit on the top of your box.
Canning Jars and Baker's Twine
Above: For homemade holiday treats, Weck jars are a favorite gift box: they keep food airtight and can be used as pantry storage after the holidays.
Above: Simple and to the point: tie colorful baker's twine around the clamps of the Weck jars to keep everything in place, add a tag to each, and let the clear glass show off the gift inside.
Minimalist Gift Wrap
Above: Binchotan charcoal is the perfect present for spa fans: Japanese activated charcoal is known to increase blood circulation, deflect negative ions, remove toxins, and more (see Black Magic: Japanese Charcoal). Here, a charcoal-infused Eye Mask ($26), Toothbrush ($8), Pumice Stone ($16), and Scrub Towel ($18) are ready for a gift box.
Above: Wrap box with kraft paper, then gather about 10 stems of oat grass (see Materials above) into a bundle and secure with a rubber band. Tie the grasses onto the box with a long strand of cotton string.
Birch Bark Trees Package Decorate
Above: Using a few birch bark strips (see Materials above) and a pair of floral scissors, cut out crude shapes of Christmas trees and pierce them at the top with a small pin creating a hole for string.
Above: Using washi tape to mimic ribbon, tape off the outside of the package. Thread the string through each birch bark tree, knot it, and tape it to the top of the gift—after the present is opened, the trees can be used as holiday ornaments.