Gift bags are so easy and convenient to throw a gift into with a little tissue paper and instantly without much effort you have a pretty gift ready to give. The only thing missing is the satisfaction of tearing into that beautiful gift wrap and discovering the very present you were wishing for under that lovely wrapping paper. It seems that everyone has there style of opening gifts. Some love to carefully open the box from the ends, making sure not to tear anything, while others rip open the wrapping so fast you end up with shreds of paper everywhere. I am somewhere in between.With the popularity of gift bags, the wrapped gift is not as popular it seems. Don’t get me wrong, I love an easy and beautiful gift bag! This year I had started saving boxes for wrapping some gifts in, and bought some new paper, and we had a ton of left over ribbon from last year just waiting to adorn a pretty wrapped box. The girls love to wrap presents, so they were a big help this year with that process. I came across a big stack of Christmas cards from years past, too pretty to throw away, but not really having a use anymore. I thought it would be a great idea to use them to trim our packages.
Coda bought Makayla some gifts and wrapped them herself. She cut out this snowflake and it complemented the wrapping paper perfectly. Growing up my Mom would create the most beautiful wrapped packages. I really wish we would have taken some photos of them to remember them by. She would attach all kinds of pretty bobs and bits and ribbon and tags. Every gift was it’s own little work of art. There really were no gift bags back then. It made anticipating Christmas morning that much better.
What are the Christmas traditions in your home? Are you creating any new traditions? Do you change things up every year? Is there more gift bags or wrapped presents under your tree? I have enjoyed making a special effort this year with wrapping the gifts and adding a little more flair with the card embellishments and ribbon. Sometimes I will attach an ornament or sprig of greenery or something too.
It seems each year there is focus on certain aspects of Christmas holiday traditions around our house. Some years I focus on the food more, or table settings or the outdoor lighting. Other times like this year it is the tress and the presentation of the gifts. There have been years where I go baking nuts or making crafty ornaments or decorations. I’m not sure if I would ever be able to be one of those people who flawlessly pulls it all off in effortless style. Or maybe those people don’t really exist, they just have the illusion of that perfect holiday that most of us end up striving for, but maybe don’t quite pull it off. I have come to enjoy doing just certain things, and maybe next year tackle the other things that didn’t get the spotlight the year before.
We feel very blessed to have such an abundance this time of year. Sure there are those out there with more, but for sure there are those who have much less. I hope you have a beautiful holiday, what ever you celebrate and I know the New Year is going to be spectacular!
Be inspired and stay creative!