A Festive and Unique Holiday Gift Wrapping Technique

This holiday season, I undertook a creative quest to spice up my gift wrapping routine. I had become uninspired by traditional holiday gift wrapping techniques. Searching for a box big enough to contain my gift and then wrapping it in holiday-themed wrapping paper wasn’t bringing me as much joy as in the past. And much to my disdain, I’d been noticing more and more that some gift givers take the easy way out and simply drop their gift into a holiday-themed paper bag. .. possibly the most mundane, unimaginative, and uninspired gift wrapping technique of our time!

After some experimentation, I discovered that a little bit of tissue paper and ribbon can go a long way, creating a stunning conversation piece that gift recipients may be hesitant to unwrap! Tissue paper works well because it is not as stiff as traditional wrapping paper, allowing for the creation of beautiful designs.

Image featured above: The eye-popping end result of my gift wrapping experiment. I found it pleasantly serendipitous that the look is reminiscent of the holiday flower known as a “Poinsettia.” More on that lovely flower later on in the post!

Now, I’ll demonstrate step by step this festive and unique gift wrapping technique. I found that it works best for gifts that are cylindrical or spherical in nature, for example, wine and liquor bottles, candles, snow globes, mugs, etc. It also works well for smaller boxes.

Step 1: Gather supplies. You will need tissue paper, ribbon, and a pair of scissors. Choose whatever tissue paper colors suit your fancy. I celebrate Christmas so have chosen red and green. The key is that the colors are meaningful to you and the gift recipient!

Step 2: Gather gifts for wrapping. I plan to wrap a bottle of wine and two candles.

Step 3: Lay out the tissue paper for wrapping your gift on a hard and even surface such as a table, countertop, or kitchen island. You will need two pieces of paper. For a larger gift like a bottle of wine, unfold the pieces of paper completely. For a smaller gift, fold the pieces of paper in half. Arrange the paper, one piece on top of the other, in the shape of an eight-pointed star. This will yield a floral-inspired eye-catching end result.

Note that for larger and taller gifts like a bottle of wine, you will need to cover the top with an additional piece of tissue paper. This is necessary to keep the item completely covered. Pull the points of the paper down and around the item in the same direction.

Step 4: Pull upward each of the eight points of the tissue paper.

After pulling up all eight points, your gift will look something like this.

Step 5: Now is the time to add ribbon! Cut a piece of ribbon long enough to yield the look that you desire. For a longer and curlier ribbon, up to three feet of ribbon may be necessary. Pull the ribbon around the gift and tie it in a knot.

Step 6: To add the finishing touch, curl the ribbon. To curl the ribbon, place one of the blades of a pair of scissors against the bottom side of the ribbon. Pull the scissors gently toward you in a downward motion. Keep the pressure consistent and take care not to cut yourself. The gentle, downward motion should prevent unwanted cuts.

And voilà! Now is the time to admire the final result!

I’ll close this post with some fun facts about the holiday flower commonly known as a “Poinsettia.” The plant is indigenous to Central America and Mexico and dates back to the time of the Aztecs. The plant came to be known in Spanish as “La Flor de Nochebuena,” or the “Christmas Eve Flower.” It was first brought to the United States in the early nineteenth century by Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was the US minister to Mexico at the time. The name “Poinsettia” is derived from Poinsett’s last name. Other names for the Poinsettia include “Christmas Star” and “lobster plant.”

I wish you Happy Holidays and a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2025!

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