After one last frantic pass through stores to finish the Christmas shopping, it’s time for the final stage of gift giving – the wrapping.
For some people, that means the wrapping paper they grabbed on their way out of the store and a stick-on bow or perhaps a bag with a little tissue paper, et voilà, they’re done. For others, like Durango residents Cindy Cortese and Buff Rogers, the presentation is as important as the gift.
“I remember when I was a little girl, going to a department store and seeing the examples of fancy wrapping on the wall at the gift-wrapping department,” Rogers said. “They were all so beautiful, and I would just stand there and stare.”
It just seemed natural to Cortese, who said how she wraps her gifts has always been a creative project.
“I just started out thinking the wrapping was part of the gift,” Cortese said. “It does take time, but it’s a lot of fun.”
Who’s receiving the gift?
“They can be fun, elegant, masculine, natural, contemporary, any kind of theme you like,” she said. “After I saw the live radio play at the (Durango) Arts Center of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ I had fun using angel tissue paper and added a bell for the angel getting its wings.”
Rogers likes to match the wrapping to the recipient, but she also thinks in terms of being coordinated with the gift itself.
Savvy shopping
Both women agree that knowing how to shop for components is key.
“This could cost a lot of money, but I buy everything after Christmas,” Cortese said about her holiday wrapping. “I look for bargains – you can get big rolls of paper or spools with 50 yards of ribbon that are usually $10 for $5 or less. Some people are intimidated by the big rolls, but they last a long time.”
Rogers has scored some good deals, sometimes getting as much as 70 to 90 percent off items.
“I got these stars made out of twigs that are gilded,” she said. “They were originally $1 apiece, but I got them for 10 cents apiece.”
Creating a “stash,” as Rogers calls it, takes time and attention.
“I’m thinking about it all year long,” Cortese said. “Whenever I see a good deal, whether it’s fabric, paper or ribbon, I jump on it. The perfect situation is like buying clothes – if you pick up the wrapping paper and ribbon at the same time, and they’re companion pieces, you know colors will match.”
On the days just after Christmas, they have a few places they’re sure to shop.
“Costco, Pier 1, Sam’s Club, Walmart,” Cortese ticked off on her fingers. “And you have to think beyond the basics. I’ve ripped apart boas, garlands, all kind of things for decorations on packages.”
Recycle, reuse, recreate
Inspiration can be found anywhere.
“The white plastic decoration I used on this package fell off a wreath years ago,” Rogers said. “And these leaves fell off another.”
Both women save all kinds of things that might look good on a box or bag.
“For this bottle of wine, I just used the brown paper bag it came in from the store and tied it with raffia for a natural look,” Cortese said.
They both like to use materials that the recipients can reuse.
“You can find great boxes and bags that aren’t all that expensive,” Rogers said. “When I use a pre-made package, I try not to put tape all over it, so they can reuse it. And I stopped using a glue gun years ago, so things would be more reusable.”
On the receiving end
“I like to relish mine,” Rogers said. “I’m the slowest one to open my presents.”
While both women hope the recipients appreciate the special wrapping, it’s the pleasure of creation they both treasure.
“No one else may know, but it matters to me,” Cortese said. “It’s a creative process, and sometimes it’s like going into a zone, like when I paint.”
Rogers will never forget the time she wrapped gifts with her brother.
“He likes pretty packages, too,” she said. “Once he had a box already wrapped with the paper, and he asked me how to make a big bow. ‘Now show me how to attach it and make it special,’ he said. It took me an hour. Then he slapped a sticker on it, and it turned out he had conned me into wrapping my own present.”
abutler@durangoherald.com
Creative wrapping tips
Buff Rogers and Cindy Cortese offered these tips for people who want to ramp up their wrapping style:
Organize your tools and materials before you start, although Rogers said her work room often looks as though “an F5 tornado has gone through” when she’s finished. Some of the tools they recommend are a solid tape dispenser and a good pair of scissors or special paper cutter.
Both women used to use double-sided tape, but except for special instances, use clear tape now.
Wire ribbon is a versatile component both pretty forgiving and good for gifts that will be mailed because they just need a little fluffing up on arrival.
Don’t put all the bows and decorations in the middle of the package. Most gifts are stacked under the tree, and off-center allows for easier stacking, so more of the decorations can be seen.
Use multiples to make an impact, such as more than one color or type of ribbon on a package. Be luxurious with the items you use. One gift Rogers wrapped had three different types of silver ribbon and multiple silver pipe cleaners twisted around it.
“Read the person who will receive the gift,” Cortese said. “Some friends want something more simple or natural, others want more bling or a more contemporary style. I like Victorian. My granddaughter Kayla loves pink, so she always knows the pink package is for her.”
Play with materials. Both women like tulle, which comes in a wide variety of colors and designs and also mails well. More decorative tissue papers are available now, and they tend to be less expensive than wrapping paper.
Cortese likes to buy wrapping paper when students are selling it to support their school. It’s often two-sided, and some comes with lines on the back to make cutting straighter.
Always reuse items from packages you receive, but in a new way. It may take a little more time to figure out how you’re going to use it differently, but trial and error is an important part of the wrapping process, they said.
If the gift tag will interfere with the presentation, put it on the bottom.
Tired of buying gift tags? Use decorative scissors to cut rectangles out of regular paper.
On an oddly shaped package, Rogers puts double-sided tape on the top and then puts a handful of confetti on top to make it festive.
