Hey girls – can you believe that you are ten days in? If no one else is saying it, I’m really, really proud of you. I love that so many of you are posting the benefits that you are already enjoying:
- Feeling ahead for this year
- Feeling ahead for next year
- Knowing what you are going to get each person on your list
- A feeling of accomplishment
Here are just a few of the comments that I’m hearing:
“Thanks for helping me keep it simple, Kathi. Doing photo Christmas cards for the first time ever and they are done and ready to go. I am smiling and ready to start sending…:)” Catha
“It’s so fun to get out of bed this week and see what I get to do today to get ready for Christmas!” Renee
Y’all have made my season – I love that you are encouraging me, as I try to encourage you. I am way ahead this year and a LOT of it is due to you.
OK – enough of the love in. Time to get to today’s project. Simple: Gather your stuff.
Originally this project was going to be “Buy your stuff”, but I know that all of us probably have enough gift wrap, tags and ribbon to supply Santa’s workshop. Problem is, most of us find it December 26th.
So dig through your basement, garage, spare closet or under the bed and gather together:
- wrapping paper
- ribbon
- tissue paper
- tags, etc.
- Scotch tape
- scissors
Get all this stuff in one place so that when you have to go into elf mode you’re not running all over the house.
This would be the time to also purchase anything that you are short on (I end up buying tape every single year.)
I would love to see what you do to make your wrapping special or how you save money on wrapping for Christmas. Send me a picture of your how you make your packages special, and if I feature your pic on the blog, I will send you one of my books as a thank you! Send the pics to info@kathilipp.com
I purchaced a long, clear container to hold all the fixings for wrapping gifts. (rolled paper, unfolded gift boxes, bags, tissue, ribbon, tape) Then each year I reuse Christmas cards people send by cutting them into smaller sizes to use as gift tags for the next year. They can be whimsical to sophisticated and it only takes a short time to do this. Just keep a hole punch handy and tie a small amount of thin ribbon through the hole, or tie it on when you wrap.
I usually buy wrapping paper on clearance AFTER Christmas to save money. I keep it stashed under our guest room bed in a special gift wrap container I got at Bed Bath & Beyond. I also save gift bags that are in good shape to reuse year after year. A few years ago I bought a giant ball of red and green yarns and we use that instead of ribbons. That $2.99 ball has lasted almost 3 years and is still going strong! I do need to check on “Santa” paper and make sure I have that on hand. We, I mean, Santa, wraps his presents in different paper than the rest of the family! 🙂
So, there is a box we pull down each year and put back up full of wrapping paper, boxes, and random other things. Today, I brought it in to use for wrapping presents. I found leftover ribbon to make cute bows on packages, used some paper I probably got in college that has moved numerous times and started using some of it today to begin using it up. 🙂 Do need more nametags for packages and have the rest of my supplies laid out and ready for more action tomorrow. I am determined to have all mail out packages shipped before the 7th of Dec. Whoohoo! A first.
I must admit that I purchase wrapping paper every year and generally from the dollar store. I purchase a wrap for each child (I have 2) and then paper for the rest of the friends/family. If I have any left over, it generally gets discarded because I have no place to store it. Well, I probably do *this* year since we moved to a much bigger house over the summer. Things that I have regularly on hand are: gift bags, tape, and tissue paper. The tissue paper hangs on a hangar in my craft closet which makes it convenient to find. Gift bags are sorted and grouped by holiday. Tape. Well, I have to hide it from my 8-year-old who is obsessed with origami. It’s in a basket in my craft closet, and it is a regular purchase any time that I’m out. Too much fun!! 🙂