candy colored.. and a bit of neon & gift wrap ideas

I've been very influenced and inspired design-wise this year by pinks, chartreuse, purples, tangerine and yellows.. sometimes almost neon-ish. You can definitely see the influence in my Sewing Nook and Bedroom that I redecorated this year.

I kept seeing these colors pop up in vintage Japanese items, and especially this year while perusing vintage holiday gift tags on Etsy. That same color combo kept popping up and I was totally drawn to it!

cards from cottagewear, bostonbaglady

My friend Pilgrim sent the above image to me thinking I would like it.. I think she's on to me! : )


I took this color palette and used it for our Holiday Gift Wrap this year and found supplies from the most unassuming and ordinary of places!

I struggle with wrapping paper every year. Truly. I never like the patterns out there, and if I do, they are designer papers that are out of my budget. I have a hard time justifying the price for such a small amount of paper. And I usually want colors that are not typically Christmas-y (although the classic greens and reds that I find in vintage decorations are definitely growing on me!) 

But to keep with my Candy Colored Christmas decor, I wanted some really fresh colors, in this color palette I can't seem to hide from. ; )

It's very hard to find these colors, and if I were to hunt them down, it would be online and that adds up with shipping, etc. So it hit me: What about colored Kraft paper? Does it exist? I googled it and realized, hey! It's bulletin board paper that teachers use! Bingo.

So I dragged Cooper with me to the local School Box store and was immediately giddy over the color choices and the SIZE of these rolls. I bought 5 rolls at 48" x 12' for $6.49 a roll. These rolls are easily twice as wide as a standard roll of gift wrap. And I really like the feel of the paper and the matte finish.

While looking at the paper, I noticed these "Terrific Trimmers" that teachers use as borders for their bulletin boards. I loved the scallop-ish design and all of the color choices! And even a cute gingham. I had a light-bulb moment. They were perfect for a gift-wrap accent. The design totally reminded me of a trim that you might see on a vintage mod 60's dress. : ) You get 12 feet of trim in a pack for 2 dollars and change. That is a lot for your money. Think about how much you spend on store-bought bows? I will have lots of trim and paper left over after Christmas.

To keep the look from being too simple and graphic, I added some vintage patterned ribbon and trims that I've been hoarding for the longest time. I have a hard time using things like this because they're treasures! But why let them sit in a drawer and not be admired? Life is too short. (But you know I'll be asking the giftees to give that stuff back to me after they've opened it. Haha. Luckily, they are supportive of my crazy ways. ; ) Reuse and recycle, right?

I basically just put two lengths of trim facing opposite of each other together, and then covered the "seam" with a length of trim or ribbon. You can even double up on one or both sides like I did above to add a bit of layered dimension. It really does remind me of trim that might go down the middle of a really cool mod blouse, don't you think? With a dash of 70's calico from the ribbon.

The gift tags were bought on Etsy vintage, again with that same color palette. I backed them with some cheap craft felt I had in my stash. (sometimes the cheap felt is the best thing!)

I used to spend a lot of time on gift wrap every year. Especially when I was all about the yarn pom-poms. After doing that for a couple years, I swore I wouldn't do it again. They are SO time consuming! They are gorgeous, but so tiring. As time goes on, I realize I need easier/faster solutions. Who has time to spend 30 minutes on each gift? Not any Mother I know. The great thing about this solution, is that it's super fast! But it looks like you put a lot of time into it. : )

If you've been coming to my blog for a while, you know my love of gift wrap. I put together a collage of what I've done for the Holidays over the past few years (2007 must have been a dull year, as I have no photographic proof of how I wrapped gifts that year. ; ) Maybe they'll spark some ideas for your own gift wrap this year. We still have time to make them look pretty!

Have a great weekend and thanks for the kind words in the last post! : )

Comments

[Stephanie]

I love this! Where or where are those striped socks from?! I've searched and searched but cannot find any in those colors...

[Ms.Tips (Tammy)]

These are amazing! You always inspire me too go pull out my craft pile :)

[Eva]

I used to think about gift wrap but I lost it somewhere along the way. This year I'm proud to have put curly ribbon on.

Sad.

Would you tell where you got your stockings? They are just what I'm wishing for.

[Delores Orridge Naskrent]

Hi Danielle
So exciting to read about you and see the things you do. I am a graphic designer from Canada and I design cards, gift tags and gift wrap. I would love to send some to you to "play" with if you are interested. Find me on Pinterest or on my website.