Make Your Holiday Gifts Stand Out with Expert Wrapping Tips

As someone who wraps for a living I offer one word on how to get the most efficient and beautiful wrapping done. In a word- organization.

WHY WE NEED TO KNOW: We will all be wrapping more gifts this year. Gift wrapping, once a free or fee based service, used to be a staple of all fine stores.  Recently even major departments have stopped offering it, making our retail store the sole source in Southeast Michigan for that personalized service.

BUYING SUPPLIES: We offer discriminating shoppers 700 ribbon choices, more than 175 styles of wrapping paper (including our own line of locally designed and printed papers) unique gift tags and tie-ons, cards and gift items.  

For those unable to visit the Royal Oak store, our website www.readysetwrap.com has a large selection of holiday papers, (including our own) in single sheets and an assorted of printed, predecorated gift boxes for all occasions as well as bows, and gift tags.

WHERE TO SET UP TO WRAP: Start by setting up a wrapping station or area in which to work your magic. I love to work on an ironing board- sure beats ironing on it! I recommend a mat that sewers use for cutting fabric (Buy one of these from local craft or hobby shop). Place the board where you get good light.

YOU WILL NEED: Supplies include tape, flexible measuring tape, wire cutters, chenille stems (for tying bows), glue stick and index cards (for using leftover scraps and turning them into gift tags or cards), hole punch, and other items. Put all of these in a plastic container that can go anywhere.
 
NEW HIGH TECH TOOLS: You do not even need a ruler this year for perfect gift wrapping. We created the WrapItApp for iphones and ipods with Vectorform of Royal Oak. The application utilizes the phone itself to measure the necessary paper. It offers step-by-step tips for wrapping and how-to instructions for making bows. It is available at http://wrapitapp.com and for download at the iTunes store for $1.99.

OTHER WAYS TO WRAP: Be inventive- use newspapers for wrapping paper, Kraft (brown) paper typically used for mailing gifts, wallpaper remnants, even fabric. Think “outside of the box"- if you can't re-cycle boxes from last year, consider a container or some other useful item (a measuring cup for kitchen items, a laundry basket for towels, coffee cup for sample sizes of coffee and coffee break snacks) and use cellophane to "cover" your gift.
 
WHEN TO WRAP: Wrap as you buy. If you have several children, wrap each child’s gifts in the same paper. Then you don't have to remember who is getting what. Store without bows- these can be added last. As you finish up with friends or family, pack them back into your shopping bags, label the bag and store them in a handy spot. You eliminate that last minute rush to pack up before leaving for that celebration or get together.

Lisa’s Gift Wrappers is located at 28834 Woodward Avenue (1 block south of 12 Mile), Royal Oak., MI 48067. More info at 248-547-9094 and at www.lisasgiftwrappers.com