For Men wrapping for Women
This is not a step-by-step guide on how to wrap a gift - you wouldn’t want directions from me anyway - I am simply giving you some suggestions of unique materials to use to do the wrapping. A creative choice of paper makes up for a sloppy wrapping job.
A large piece from a brown paper bag (instead of taping it closed use the sealing wax and sealer that you bought her for her writing box)
Pages from the Victoria’s Secret catalog (good for wrapping lingerie)
Old wall calendar (for watches/clocks)
Travel posters (ask a travel agent)
The Sunday Comics
A personalized picture or artwork created on your computer
White butcher paper personally decorated with crayons
Colored plastic wrap
Greatly enlarged photocopy of a photograph
Pages of your children’s artwork
Vintage movie posters
For Women wrapping for Men
When he sends you flowers, dry the rosebuds and flatten others in books. These make wonderful bows and it's a special way to show you care and remember his gifts. You can either tie them with twine, (better than ribbon for a more masculine look) or glue flattened flowers directly on the package.
Throughout the year, collect coasters,
matchbooks, cocktail napkins and business cards from special places you go. Glue these onto white butcher paper after you've wrapped the gift creating a collage, a testimony to your past year.
If you have a Dollar or 99 Cent Store nearby, these stores have lots of unique wrapping ideas at just one dollar each. Fake flowers, ornaments,
decorations, stickers. You can pick up lots of ideas for very little money.
Use Scratch Lottery Tickets for name tags.
Is your guy into cars? Chamois are expensive, (about $14 each) and a necessity for any car aficionado. Use a new chamois as your wrapping paper, tie it with a bandana, leather twine or shoe laces, (arts and crafts stores will have this) for a
useful gift wrapping a gift. You can pick these up at any auto supply store.
Fishing lures make great adornments on men's packages, if they are into fishing. This is also an opportunity to be "cute". I love to put Christmas ornaments and candy canes on packages as part of the wrapping. It's part of my tradition every year to give an ornament that represents something special about that
year to each person.
Don't forget baskets. Places like Michaels have lots of baskets in different shapes and sizes that create a masculine feel to any gift you give Use an old tie or bandana to decorate. Both make great Ribbon.
Check out the remnants area at your local fabric store for unusual wrapping ideas like using fake fur or flannel.
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Heart boxes
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We picked up this box (Three nested) at JoAnne Fabrics for about $4.95. We then glued wire rimmed ribbon around the edges and created a bow with the rest. JoAnne always has very cute boxes in the shapes of hearts, snowmen, Santa, stars, trees and other popular ideas for under five dollars. Embellish with sequins, or use clear glitter nail polish to add some pizzaz to white areas or colors.
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Paper Mache (This is a great project with the Kids)
Ever needed a round box or Egg Shaped? Get a balloon, mix up some liquid paste and strips of newspaper and cover the balloon with several layers, (about 1/4 inc thick). Let dry twenty-four hours.
Once dry and hard, use a safety pin or hat pin and pop the balloon inside. With a sharp box cutter or knife, cut into two halves. You can choose the standard ^v^v^v^ type cut, or get creative with cutting off the top about 1/6th of the way down, or do the classic view egg, like the
sugar eggs at Easter and cut a hole in the front.
Once cut, use spray paint to cover the inside and out in one uniform color. (hint: use a flat paint so you can glue decorations on the egg. Gloss tends to be too slick) Let dry.
When the paint is dry, use ribbons, glitter, dried flowers or paint to decorate the outside. At Christmas time you can make this look like a an ornament, or stack several together to create a snowman, Santa or bell. Use your imagination! Use a half
dome to create the bottom of a ball gown and stick a Barbie doll in the top for a unique gift for a little girl.
To secure your egg, glue buttons on the one half near the edge you cut. Four to six are optimal, spread evenly. On the other half, lined up with the buttons, poke four to six small holes. Seal your egg with clear gloss paint or shellac but keep four to six holes clear by inserting toothpicks or Q-tips.
When the clear coat dries, tread gold or silver elastic through the holes. Tie a
knot inside and pull the loop out through the hole. Wrap the loops over your buttons to secure and you're done.
Great Ways To Give Gifts
It is amazing how much thought someone will give into picking out the perfect present yet uses very little imagination on how to give it. In many ways, the presentation of a gift is just as important as the item itself. Imagine buying someone a gold ring and leaving it on the kitchen counter with a note that says “thought you might like this.” Or contrast that with the gift of a ring hidden inside a rosebud that will “magically” appear as the rose blossoms in the sunlight.
The next time you are giving a gift, consider presenting it in a creative or meaningful way. I will give a few examples of things I have done which I hope will spur your own creative juices to flow and come up with ideas on your own. Of course I am flattered when my ideas are mimicked, however, I know that I am not the sole romantic person on earth. My aim is to bring out the romantic that is inside each of you.
On one Saturday morning while my wife was sleeping in late I ran a string all through the house, beginning at the location where I hid her gift. The string went through cabinets, under seat cushions, in the bathtub, behind the sofa and throughout all the rooms in the house. Had I been thinking ahead, I would have attached small gifts all along the string as a teaser for the big present at the end. After I ran the string through our home, I brought the other end of the string to my wife in bed and explained that I had bought a present for
her and it was at the other end. I had never seen her get out of bed so quickly on a Saturday morning.
Another way in which I like to give presents to my wife is by having her find them. I will write about 7 or so clues which lead from one written clue to the next until the final clue leads to the hidden gift. Sometimes I will even write the clues in form of poetry. He is an example:
With your ear you’ll hear
Not the ocean or the sea
But the next clue telling you
Where the treasure trove will be.
(The next clue was inside a conch shell).
If you want to go all out on the “treasure hunt” theme, you can give your spouse a tape in the “Mission Impossible” style giving them their assignment to locate the missing gift. Depending on the time you have and equipment available, you can even include videotaped clues which definitely would add to the overall excitement of the quest.
Once I created a treasure hunt though town which ended in a park where she had to walk certain paces to find where her “treasure” lay. This time it was a picnic that I prepared in advance and asked a friend to lay out for us while we were finding our way there.
There are dozens and dozens of ways in which you can transform the presentation of even an ordinary gift into a truly romantic occasion. Remember, it is the thought that counts. Put some thought into the entire gift giving experience next time.
Store Bought vs. Hand Wrought
Do you remember when you were a child and made a card or gift for your mother for her birthday, Mother's Day or some other occasion? I fondly recall the joy I saw on my mom's face when I presented her a jewelry box I made by gluing pasta shells on the outside of a cigar box and spray-painting it gold. I don't think I could have bought her anything that would have made her more pleased.
A gift from the heart -- and hands -- will be treasured forever. It speaks of a pure love. Anyone can buy a present at the store, but it takes a greater effort to use your own hands and time to create something for the one you love.
You don't have to be talented or creative by nature to produce a gift that will be adored by your sweetheart. Five-year-olds rarely create true works of art but what they do make for their parents are priceless treasures.
The next time you are looking for a card or gift for your beloved, why not consider a gift from your heart -- and hands.
