DIY Gift Wrapping Kit
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Ez in D.I.Y. + Projects, Gift Giving / Wrapping Ideas, Nice Package, diy, gift idea, gift packaging, gift wrapping, holiday, sponsored post, waverly

Tip: click on the tutorial images below to see an enlarged view in a new window.

A few years ago I posted about a special gift wrapping kit that I made as a birthday gift for my sister. She ended up loving the gift and that post is one of the most visited here on Creature Comforts, so today in partnership with Waverly, I thought I'd finally share a more official DIY Gift Wrapping Kit for any of you who have a pretty packaging fiend on your holiday shopping list. What I love most about giving kits like this is how truly unique and customizable they are. You know that your loved one can't go out and buy it for themselves, they will never receive another one like it, and they will feel truly spoiled!

In this post I'll be sharing a few simple DIY techniques for pretty goodies that you can fill your kit with. But of course these are just the tip of the iceberg...the possibilities for what you might fill your own kit with are endless! Tip: to make things easier, and for a more finished looking presentation, I recommend working with a specific color palette or theme in mind. This will make finding supplies much easier (they'll practically jump out at you while shopping)...and the whole process a lot more fun.

Here's a list of what went into my finished kit (keep reading for the DIY for many of them):

And for packaging it all up:

Additional supplies:

Up first in the kit we have some simple DIY Fabric Adhesive Bag Seals:

You may recall my 5 Minute DIY fabric stickers post from a couple years ago. I'm still using those sweet stickers for gift packaging and thought they'd make a fun addition to the gift wrapping kit. I made these ones a bit wider and longer than the version from my previous post so they could serve as adhesive bag seals. Easy!

You'll need a Xyron sticker maker with a permanent adhesive tape roll (found at craft stores for around $10). For the seals, cut strips of fabric that are narrow enough to fit through the opening in the sticker maker, and about 10" in length. Feed your fabric through the machine with the printed side of your fabric facing up. Follow the directions that came with your machine for proper use. Remove the clear plastic covering off of each sticker, set aside, and repeat process with remaining fabric strips.

Cut your 10" sticker strips in half so that you are left with two 5" stickers. Use a sharp pair of scissors to cut a notch out of the end of one side of your sticker so that it looks like a pennant flag. Repeat with remaining stickers. For presentation, place stickers in a glassine bag or bundle them together using a strip of paper wrapped around the middle (secure the paper band with a piece of tape).

Next up we have another simple project that I repurposed for this gift kit...my DIY Paper-backed Fabric Gift Tags. I used several different fabrics to create an assortment of tags. My favorites are these pretty white ones that look hand-stitched. I love these tags because they are so very simple to make, but you would never guess that when they are prettying up the top of a gift.

No matter what fabric you use, the process will be the same (I use two different fabrics in the steps below...I hope it's not too confusing):

Apply glue stick to a piece of heavy-weight cardstock, making sure to coat a surface area that is as large as the portion of fabric you will be gluing to it. Place your fabric (right side up) onto the glued paper and press firmly all over the design to adhere.

Once the glue has dried, use a pair of sharp scissors to trim around your fabric tag. For printed fabric, you can simply use the outside edges of the design as your guide or cut a shape free-hand. Attach an adhesive dot to the back of each tag, or include a little glassine bag filled with them so your gift recipient is well-stocked and ready to wrap.

Another easy idea that has big impact is to include little spools of pretty twines and ribbons inside your kit:

Follow the directions for my DIY Fabric Ribbon here. For yarn and twine spools, just begin wrapping twine/yarn around a plain wooden spool (sold in packages at craft stores for a couple dollars) until they are full. Ta-da!

Package little crafty supplies inside glassine bags for a cohesive presentation.

Keep mini kraft bags, gift tags, or anything else that is flat from getting loose by banding it with paper. Just wrap a strip of scrap paper around until snug and secure with tape. You can label or leave the band blank...it's up to you.

Package everything inside the photo box starting first with the flat supplies (such as gift bags and tissue), and layering additional supplies as they fit best. If you will be shipping your gift, be sure to fill in any empty spaces with crumpled tissue paper so that the supplies stay in place.

Write a sweet note or the recipient's name on the tag in the front of the box (optional). Tie your kit up with some of the gift wrapping supplies you created (for a little hint at what's inside) and give!

Here are a few additional supply/source suggestions for filling your gift wrapping kit:

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This post was kindly sponsored by Waverly. Follow them on Twitter, Pinterest, and like them on Facebook. The DIY content, images, and opinions shared in this post are my own.

Article originally appeared on Creature Comforts - daily inspiration, style, diy projects + freebies (http://www.creaturecomfortsblog.com/).
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