Gift Wrap Ideas # 2: Pompoms

I love pompoms! They're so fun to make, and add a quirky crafty feel to anything - especially parcels.

 

All you need is some leftover yarn (if you don't knit yourself, be nice to someone who does or look in charity shops for leftover balls), some cardboard, and a bit of time and you can make pompoms a-plenty to cheer up any gift.

This is a great project to involve your kids with, though they might need a hand with the fiddly stages: there's a great pompom tutorial here that explains everything brilliantly in case (like me) you'd forgotten how to make them.

Any colour yarn will do, but I chose a nice festive red and a modern green to look terribly chic (darling) against my brown paper parcels. I am a big brown paper fan, but you could use any sort of wrapping paper for this look: the pompoms just take the place of ribbon and bows.

Tie lengths of yarn round your parcel as you'd do with a length of ribbon and knot securely. I used three pieces on this parcel but you can experiment and see what you prefer:

 

Then use the two long ends sticking out from your pompom to tie it onto where the yarn crosses, this can be a bit fiddly but knot it as securely as you can and then trim the two ends so they can't be seen:

 

You can use one big pompom:

Or group several together (maybe several in different colours?) to give your gift a real wow-factor:

 

If you're still loyal to old-fashioned ribbon but still want to add a pompom-y touch to your gifts, you can easily use them to decorate your tags... First off, punch a second hole in a luggage tag:

 

I impatiently stabbed mine with a pencil but you could make your hole much more neatly I'm sure! Then take a smallish pompom, thread the ends through the two holes...

 

... knot them tightly at the bag of the tag, tie a bow and trim the ends neatly...

 

... and hey presto, a pompom tag:

 

Just remember you might want to keep these presents out the way of cats & dogs! :)

Please feel free to borrow one or two photos if you want to blog about this project, but remember to credit me and link back to the original source, and do not reproduce my entire tutorial on your site. Thanks!

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Gift Wrap Ideas # 1: Cake Ribbon

For a modern luxe look, try wrapping your parcels with brown paper and paper cake-decorating ribbon!

 

The full-on bling of foil ribbons makes for a gorgeous contrast with matte brown parcel paper (or kraft paper and its subtle stripes). The result is simultaneously simple and highly detailed, clean and crisp but also recalling the decorative lace and doilie look that's been popping up everywhere this year.

 

Start off with a simple brown paper parcel - the neater and crisper you can make your corners the better and square packages work best (put your present in a box if necessary). Use wider ribbon for larger parcels in a simple strip, securing the ends with double sided tape for extra neatness:

Two pieces of narrower ribbon works great as a twist on the traditional ribbon-tied parcel and would be great for parcels sent through the post as there's nothing to get squished in transit:

 

You can't tie a standard tag to the paper ribbon, but you could tuck one under it or maybe just write your recipient's name directly onto the brown paper?

Smaller sections - any pieces left over from your parcel wrapping, for example - can be used to make tags and cards... I stuck three small strips to a luggage tag (I'm loving large tags this Christmas!) using double sided tape:

 

The end result will be a great addition to any parcel tied up with gold ribbon - be sure to stick your ribbon strips slightly off-centre and to cut a little more than you need, trimming it once it's stuck down to make sure the whole width of the tag is covered and your edges are super-neat.

I also used pieces of the wide silver ribbon to decorate some blank white cards, again sticking the ribbon off-centre using double-sided tape:

 

They're quick and simple to make and would make fantastic Christmas party invites...

More gift wrap ideas coming soon! :)

Update: several people have asked where you can buy this sort of ribbon - it's traditionally made for cakes so cake decorating supply shops are your best bet - it may be called paper lace or cake bands / cake banding.

Please feel free to borrow one or two photos if you want to blog about this project, but remember to credit me and link back to the original source, and do not reproduce my entire tutorial on your site. Thanks!

Enjoyed this gift wrapping idea? Buy me a "coffee" and help support my blog!


Subscribe to my newsletter for a monthly free pattern and visit my crafty tutorial archive for lots more free projects.

Visit my shop to buy my printable PDF sewing patterns:

Delightful Post

I got a lovely parcel in the post this morning, filled with fabric ordered from the oh-so-talented Michelle of Cicada Studio.

Winter Foxes + a free pad of matching sticky notes:
... and a sample pack of Earthly Delights because I couldn't decide which print I liked the best!
Mushrooms, Pussy willow, Lily of the Vally and Dandelions... I still can't decided between them, they are all so charming and I can't wait to use them in some little projects.

Michelle's blog is definitely worth a read if you like her work and want to keep an eye on what's coming soon, or if you just enjoy following the progress of creative people turning their interests and obsessions into beautiful things. The Emily Dickinson quote she has on her blog is very well chosen: “The possible's slow fuse is lit, by the Imagination.” Fantastic stuff.

Poppies

Rather appropriately, today I've been beading lots of poppies...
... though not quite as many as that...

UPDATE: My poppy design is now available as a sewing pattern! Visit my shop to see all my printable PDF patterns