5 Cute & Easy Ways to Gift Wrap this Holiday

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We still cannot believe that all of the upcoming December holidays are around the corner! That means it is time to brush up on our gift wrapping skills. Gift wrapping doesn't have to be limited to pretty pre designed wrapping paper like the ones you find at the Dollar Tree, Target, or Walmart. Get creative this year using things around your home like cardboard boxes, feathers, tulle, ribbon, scrapbook paper, and the list goes on! Paper Source and Michael's are our absolute favorite places to shop for unique paper and craft items. Above we have chosen some of our favorite gift wrapping looks. Try them out and show us your best gift wrapping looks by hashtagging #TSSGiftWrapping.

Now, get to wrapping those gifts!

P.s. If you REALLY can't wrap if you're life depended on it, many malls and department stores offer complimentary or with donation gift wrapping.

DIY Holiday Cards

Whether you’re in college, have a family, or you’re going off on vacation/staying home for the holidays, sending a holiday card is a fun, creative, and inexpensive way to get in touch with people during the jolly season and fill them in on your year.

Every year since middle school, I’ve taken on the challenge of writing and sending my family’s Christmas letter (what can I say, I love to write!) Coming from such a small town, it is tradition in the community for each family to write letters about their year and to send them off to all the other friends and families. For this reason, I’ve seen a full spectrum of the possibilities for Christmas/holiday cards, and they’re just as much fun to create as they are to give out! There are also many options out there for card giving, just make sure you’re starting early enough to get them out before the holidays!

The Letter:

This is what my family does every year, sometimes with a card, and on busier years just the letter. If there are a lot of individuals behind the sending of the card, it’s a fantastic way to make every person seem just as important. It gives the receiver an idea of what each person has been up to. A really fun way to do the letter is to make a cute header and play with fonts and colors. I generally create a letterhead on publisher or Photoshop, and place it into the document. With some sophisticated ivory cardstock, print your letters off for a look that makes it seem you’ve had the letter custom designed!

The Card:

This is one of the best ways for someone living on their own, or in college, to send off Christmas/holiday cards to their friends away at other schools, or to friends they see on a regular basis. Plus, it’s a really unexpected touch. This year, I’ll be doing this in addition to my family’s Christmas letter, so everyone back home can know what I’m up to, but my friends can have something a little more, well, me! As I’m sure I’ve said before, cute stationary is one of my weaknesses, and I’ve found some adorable  holiday designs at places like TJ Maxx, Target, and The Paper Source; the hardest part is deciding which I like best!

The Photo Greeting:

I mentioned earlier, that it’s still super easy to make something last minute to send out even if you’re not going to be home for the holidays. Although something detailed and prepared early on is really intimate to receive, a fun option that has become more popular is the printed out picture. Many families have started doing this on their busier years, and a lot of places have great templates for you to choose from. You can even choose the message you want to be on the card, so it gives the picture a more personal feel. You can get these done at so many places, some of my favorites are minted.com, shutterfly.com, and peartreegreetings.com. They have fantastic selections, I almost caved in and did that instead!

Overall, it’s the season to go out of your way; to be festive, happy, and care for others by reaching out and wishing them the best. Giving holiday cards is a traditional but timeless way to do this, and it’s one of my most favorite parts about the holidays. With that, Happy Holidays to you all, may your hearts be merry and light this season.

Jollily yours,