All round tips.
If your gift is soft or an irregular shape the best way to start your wrapping process is to put it in a box. Having sharp edges and flat sides to work with will make your presentation much tidier and give you a nicer result. If you don’t have a plain box you can reuse, you can buy plain boxes at stationary stores or rolls of corrugated card which also work well as a base layer to wrap around the gift to form a cylinder.
When I tear the Kiss Co wrapping paper sheets from the books and unfold them I like to use the crisp creased edges as guides for wrapping my gift box. I align a corner of the box with a corner of the fold, so the creases run along the edge of the box rather than across a front facing side.
Using washi tape (a paper style tape with strong but non-sticky adhesion) means that as well as being a lovely texture available in a variety of colours, if you need to tighten your wrapping paper or adjust where the design is sitting you can easily do this without ripping your paper. I also like to have a roll of double sided tape so I can seal edges down without the appearance of any tape in some situations.
Having sharp scissors is very helpful for the overall finish of your wrapping project, for both the paper and the ribbons you might use. Best results come from having one pair for paper and one pair for fabric. This keeps them both sharp for their specific use.
For my ribbons and cord I have chosen a peach tone found in the details of the houses. This will stand out against the blue background of the paper. I have also chosen a satin ribbon to contrast with the matt paper. When adding a tie to your gift wrapping, as well as making decisions about which colour and texture to use, you can also think about scale.
There are a couple of things to consider: A large bow on a small gift like I have done here feels very generous and lush. It works with a small-scale paper design by contrasting well which exaggerates the size of the bow. A thinner ribbon or cord as per the other gift will feel minimal in comparison and let the design of the paper be the hero while still feeling finished. Both are good choices, consider the person who is receiving the gift and the occasion for which the gift is being given.
Sharp scissors are essential for good bows with nice crisp edges, cut straight across for thicker fabrics and a bold, simple finish or cut on a 45-degree angle for silk or loose fabrics to prevent fraying.
I have used the offcuts of this paper design to make confetti. I have cut out both the individual elements in the design and random shapes which mimic aspects of the design. This is an easy thing to do using offcuts and will add some fun to your gift as well as reducing waste.
I love finding a ribbon in a complimentary yet contrasting design to my gift wrap. I will take the gift wrap I’m using with me to my favourite ribbon supplier and will look for an unexpected pairing. This ribbon is a tiger stripe which I would never usually be drawn to individually but it echoes the colour combination and shape of the flowers in this paper design. As the ribbon is such a statement I have tied it simply, without a tag, and used a plain envelope for the card which I will slip in the back. A 45-degree cut looks crisp on the ends and will stop the fabric from fraying so that it may have another use by the person who is receiving the gift.
With the wrapping of my gifts I like to reference what is illustrated in the paper design. This paper design features dried flowers so I have added a small dried bouquet from my local florist which is long lasting and serves as an additional gift.
I don’t always use traditional ribbon or twine for my gift wrapping. At your local craft store or haberdashery consider the colours and textures of the bindings and trims available. This adds wonderful texture and shows creativity and personality, either your own or of the person for whom the gift is intended. Either is fine!
Another simple way to add personality and make a statement with the appearance of your gift is to consider the colour of the envelope if you are including a card. I have picked out a colour from the design which makes this already bright and cheery gift even more so.
A large gift is a perfect opportunity to use one of the Kiss Co large-scale photographic paper designs, where there is no repeating pattern, just a single image. Having a gift with a large top or front also gives you a great space for creativity. Here, I have used two paper designs. The large-scale print wraps the entirety of the gift and then the small-scale design has been folded to form a paper ribbon with clean edges which is wrapped round the centre of the gift. This allows for things to be tucked in place, such as dried flowers or a statement envelope without the use of a ribbon.
You can use double sided tape to hide your construction or you can choose washi tape in complimentary colours and show off your tape. This is a great option for when you don’t have the time to shop for ribbon and you have access to the multiple designs in each Kiss Co Wrapping Paper Book. Contrast is key here, for my gift I have contrasted the scale of each design but kept it within the same colour family. You could also consider contrasting patterns. This is quite a clean look without the excesses of ribbon and embellishment.
A small print design works well on a small sized gift. You see less of the repeat of the design which looks special.
This design has natural references in it, so a way of adding to the presentation is to pop a sprig of something similar to the illustration under the bow. I use eucalyptus or gum which has a lovely scent. If you are choosing something from your garden or foraging from your neighbourhood then woody, hard foliage will last longer than something soft, like a fresh flower, which will wilt.
With a complex print design like this there are a few ways to choose a ribbon. With all the green in this design, a green ribbon would have been a simple, soothing choice. This time however I have picked out the smallest amount of colour in the design for my ribbon. This pink ribbon has a tiny green stitch detail which ingratiates it further to the paper design.
Another great option for this design is the rainbow stripe. It picks out all the colours in the paint swatch part of the paper design. It shows the way you can customise the wrap depending on who the recipient is and really enjoy looking for pairings that will feel effortless but show your care.
Fabric ribbons are a lovely addition to a gift, as they can be re used by your giftee for other wrapping projects, as hair ribbons or on a bouquet. I like to cut generous lengths of ribbon specifically so they can be reused for many other things. A generous length of ribbon also looks and feels luxurious.
A large print on a small package can look great as an abstract style by only showing small parts of the larger design. With this approach you can choose which colours or shapes of the design you like the most and choose this for the front facing side of your gift.
I have cut out a single flower from the paper design off cuts and used it to make a pop up card. This is a great way to reduce waste and feels sophisticated in its matching.
I have personalised the gift by adding a sticker with the first letter of the giftee’s name in sparkly holiday season gold. Rather than obscuring all this detail with a big bow, I have attached a gift card with a delicate cord in a tone picked out from one the flowers.
You can buy large letter stickers in many designs or make your own using double sided sticky tape and special paper. Double sided tape is a great thing to have in your gift wrapping kit. By using it under the edges where the paper overlaps you result in a tapeless look, as if the wrap is held there by expert crafting and paper folding. When I apply this technique I always use a bow or string as a backup to keep it all together.