Unusual Gift Wrapping Ideas for Holidays and Birthdays, Part One : Jewelry and Other Small Items

Those who know me are well aware that I can’t seem to do anything in the normal prescribed manner. The same goes for gift wrapping. I despise wrapping gifts in the traditional manner, and though I still do so for the kids sometimes (simply because they love tearing into them), I don’t generally “wrap” presents at all.

I prefer giving people things they can use, or things that I have made for them. This usually applies to the wrappings and trims as well. What follows are a few of the crafty little ideas I have come up with through the years.

When giving someone a piece of jewelry, be it one I have made, or one that I bought, I rarely wrap it up in a little box and tie it with a bow. That is far too normal for me. What I usually do instead, is make a box to put it in. This is something I started doing with my handmade jewelry, since it never quite fit into store bought cardboard jewelry boxes to begin with.

Often I will make a box out of wood or leather. Other times I will make my own cardboard boxes specifically to fit the item, then either paint or cover these in fabric to make them more attractive.

In addition to the fabrics and paints, if I want it to be very special, I might add rhinestones, gemstones, or even small metal ornaments to embellish the box. I often do this on my wood and leather boxes as well, in addition to painting them.  Sometimes I make them in different shapes, such as treasure boxes, or stars, or hearts. I even add closures, hinges, and tiny locks if I have time.

However, I don’t always have this kind of time, and there are other easy ways to attractively enclose the treasures you give without being so crafty. Cute little jewelry boxes are easy to find, and come in many shapes and sizes. I have many that I found in thrift stores for anywhere from 10 cents to a dollar. They can also be found at your local “dollar store” just as easily.

I like giving jewelry in the little ceramic or glass boxes that I have found. Especially with the glass ones, I usually just wrap a bit of colorful tissue paper around the jewelry, and pop it inside the box.

Sometimes, if I am worried about transporting my gifts, I then put these little jewelry boxes into a basket, which I can then decorate with ribbons and flowers and such. This is especially nice when giving jewelry sets, or any items that call for more than one box going to the same person, because they can all be placed in a basket together, ready to go.

Some other ideas I have used when giving jewelry or other small items are:

1. The “basket method” again, only this time wrap the items in colored tissue or cloth, secure it with a bow, rubber band, or twist tie, and place in the basket as before. I once did this using a collection of hand tatted dollies to enclose the tiny treasures, and that particular gift basket was very well received.

2. Wrap in tissue or cloth as above, and place in a decorative wine glass, vase, or a little glass bottle with a lid or cork.

3. Place jewelry in a lovely velvet, silk, or satin jewelry roll or pouch.

4. A hollowed out book that has been painted also makes a nice gift box, and makes use of those old college books you will never read again, but can’t get anything for at the bookstore (or, of course you forgot to return them in a timely manner, and they are now outdated).

5. A handmade card with a built in pocket (these can be folded into the card, or glued on), can also be a great little place to put your jewelry gifts.

6. Small items such as makeup can also be given in a cosmetic case or small purse.

7. Pen and pencil sets, or art supplies can be given in art and craft boxes, or pencil boxes or cases. I have also given these types of items in long slender cosmetic cases, which look very much like pencil pouches anyway. Some eyeglass cases are even good for this purpose. Keep it useful.

In addition to these ideas, many gifts can simply be “wrapped”, or tied up in useful items such as colorful bandannas and scarves. This way, it is even a useful item for any men in your life.

These are just a few of many unusual gift wrapping ideas. More are yet to come, and perhaps even detailed instructions and images of some of the aforementioned ideas as I make a few up for the holidays.

Based upon my over 25 years experience in working with arts and crafts.

Image Credit : Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

Originally published on FullofKnowledge, December 15th, 2013.