How to Select All-Occasion Gift-Wrapping Supplies

Be prepared for any gift-giving occasion. Buy your gift-wrapping supplies ahead of time and have them organized so you can find your supplies when you need them.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Gift Ribbons
• Tissue Paper
• Greeting Cards
• Clear Tapes
• Gift Bags
• Gift Bows
• Wrapping Paper
• Scissors
• Scissors
• Tissue paper

1. Determine your gift-wrapping supply needs by considering the types of gifts you give throughout the year and the gift-giving occasions that you celebrate. Does most of your gift giving occur during the winter holiday season, with a few adult birthday gifts given throughout the year? Do you have a child who attends many birthday parties throughout the year?

2. Search the Internet for discount gift-wrapping supplies as well as unusual wrapping papers, boxes, and gift cards and tags.

3. Visit craft stores, party supply stores and greeting card shops to get an idea of the gift-wrapping supplies that are available. Look for sales and purchase needed gift-wrapping supplies in bulk.

4. Purchase the bulk of your holiday wrapping supplies for one year during the previous year's post-holiday sales. You may not be used to planning that far ahead, but most holiday gift-wrapping supplies can be purchased for up to 75 percent off the regular price at these post-holiday sales.

5. Purchase a package or two of blank greeting cards or all-occasion card packs to keep with your gift-wrapping supplies. These will come in handy for forgotten birthdays or last-minute occasions.

6. Keep tissue paper and an assortment of gift bags and boxes on hand. Tissue paper can be used with either bags or boxes and comes in a variety of colors.

7. Keep gift-wrapping supplies together in a plastic container. Make sure that scissors and cellophane tape are kept with your supplies. If you do a lot of gift giving during the winter holiday season, keep a separate box of supplies just for the holidays.

Tips & Warnings

• Purchase wrapping paper on tubes rather than in packages of precut squares. Wrapping paper that comes on a tube is less expensive. Also, the precut, folded wrapping paper has crease lines that can give your package an untidy appearance.
• Keep some brown kraft paper, stamp pads or paint, and some decorative stamps with your gift-wrapping supplies. Use these items to make your own wrapping paper if you don't already have paper suitable for the gift-giving occasion.
• Keep brown kraft paper on hand in case you need to wrap a package for mailing. Keep a black marker on hand for addressing packages.
• Make sure that your wrapping paper is thick enough. Paper that is very thin will rip easily during both the wrapping process and gift transport.

on 11/22/2005 I don't know why I never thought of this before, but it's so obvious and such a good idea I have to share. When you buy that discounted Christmas wrapping paper, try to buy a lot in a solid color - red, white, green, gold, silver - or a non-seasonal pattern (no snowflakes or Santa). That way you will always have an emergency supply of paper to wrap gifts for any occasion! This Father's Day, dad received several presents handsomely wrapped in a lovely gold and white patterned paper left over from Christmas.