Whenever I head to my gift wrapping drawer, the first thing I'm thinking about is who I am wrapping this gift for. Is it my husband or my three grown sons? Not a problem---they rip open the gift without even seeing the gift wrapping art I've created. It's just an impediment to their getting to the goodie.
But if I am wrapping a gift for one of their three wives.....well that's a different story. One wife is a girly-girl who loves frilly paper and lots of ribbon. One wife loves the outdoors: she's a crack shot and spent a vacation in Nepal educating people about preparing for earthquakes, and then hiked through the Himalayas. And my baby married a girl who followed his dream to move out west and work in LA, and who he described once as "not intimidated by anybody".
And this is where your creativity shines----sometimes the look of the package is more interesting than what's inside. And how well you know the person you are spending time to create a work of art for them is crucial. I've created a few questions to ask yourself before you begin.
Questions:
1. Will this person even look at the package before ripping into it? Sometimes a pretty box you have saved, tied with a 2" satin ribbon in a single bow is all you need. And after the festivities, make sure you retrieve that special box!
2. How would you describe this person in one word: athlete, gardener, hunter, adventure-lover, art-lover, minimalist, country-girl; or think of his or her personality: are they sweet, fast-moving, ambitious, deep-thinker, spiritual?
3. From your gift wrap paper, quickly choose one for that person. This is your canvas.
4. Once your canvas is displayed, it's easy to decide on ribbon, or a decoration such as a fresh flower, a stem of rosemary or greenery. How intricate you tie your ribbon, or add toppings will have come from just the two questions you asked yourself-----and I guarantee your presentation will delight your recipient.
The Right Gift + The Right Gift-Wrapping = A Delighted Friend
