The wrapping of gifts .............

......... I had a wrapping session this weekend............. wrapping Christmas presents................ Gosh! Doesn't it take a long time?! ............... I have different levels of wrapping........................ For 'small people', children in other words.......... they get fun paper, but not too expensive, because in my experience, it just gets ripped off without any ceremony............. .............. The next level is 'MOST men, and those for whom frippery is of no interest' ................ They get 'respectful' wrapping paper, (nice, but not too expensive), and they also get a bit of curly wurly ribbon, you know, the stuff that comes in a ball, and you curl it with your scissors? ............ The level up from that, is when wrapping becomes fun............. everything that would be classed as unnecessary, or a waste of money to the level below this one, comes into play at this level................... Tissue paper is a must, ribbon, or nice stripy string has to be used.............. and everything has to be very carefully wrapped, with feelings of goodwill and love going into every cut and sticking of paper, string, ribbon and tape.............. Colour combinations are pondered over........... special, expensive wrapping paper that was hoarded away, after being bought at that ridiculously pricey shop, is carefully removed from the drawer................. The question, "can I part with this?" looms large. To a certain extent, there is a leeeeettle bit of pain in amongst all that love, because you are having to part with treasured paper and ribbon which has been hoarded for quite a while.............. But the love and wanting to give a beautifully wrapped gift win out in the end ........................ The 'highest level' I've just described, is the one that gets applied to wrapping the pictures that people buy from me................ I've been asked where I get the string I tie my wrapped packages in............ After hours of searching for stripy string on the internet, I finally found this butcher's twine at Smiths is Sundries, go to the 'sundries' section on their website.................................... I haven't been able to find the English equivalent of the beautiful American shop Bello'occhio............. it's my idea of heaven! If only I knew of somewhere similar, here in the U.K. ...................... Maybe the closest equivalent would be cox and cox...............

Comments

[driftwood]

I bet your parcels look lovely.
I've just wrapped one in bright turquoise tissue paper with black netting ribbon, it's quite the parcel! and not for a small person!

[Helen Lambert]

I didn't realsie there was someone else out there who had 'levels of wrapping'...my highest level gets hand made paper from Ikea which is yummy...I tear not cut and tie with Louisa Harding sari ribbon, then finish off with either baubles and jingle bells (from paperchase sale last year) or...chocolate tree decorations..then I finish with a luggage lable decorated with some 'french house' lables/stickers. Pete has just been given a new wrapping paper rule..no ugly supermarket paper allowed in our home any more!and certainly not for my gifts!!!!!!!!!!!

[GrannyPurple]

I have been to San Francisco only once in my life, and we came across that shop quite by accident--had to wait half an hour for them to open--and it was well worth the wait. Now I'll have to dig around to find all the treasures I remember getting....

[Cath]

On a totally unrelated subject......could you possibly post a few more pic's of your kitchen eg. the space beneath the window? I know it's terribly nosey of me, but my husband Brian and I are REALLY struggling with the layout of our kitchen! It's quite a large space but we want to cram so much in as we spend most of the daytime hours here. I adore your kitchen, but can't quite make out how the space has been utilised.

[bakeandsewblog]

I too love beautifully wrapped gifts - but I havent graduated to quality of paper, yet, that may still come. But brown paper with fabric ribbon is my favourite and all the corners have to be neat and sharp. But I am lovin your string........