dig it: solid-colored wrapping paper

Looking at a display of Christmas wrapping paper in a store hurts my eyes. I'm sick of the same old snowmen, snowflakes, Christmas trees, Santa Claus faces & reindeer silhouette designs. The appearance is especially offensive when they're all jumbled together in a pile of gifts.

It's time to simplify gift wrap.

Monochromatic wrapping paper & gift bags are my new favs. I scored a pack of 13 brown paper gift bags at Michael's for $6.00 and splurged a little on a couple rolls of wrapping paper from Paper Source (black & red). Adding real ribbon will make your gifts POP, and the ribbon is reusable! I'm thinking as hair accessories for my nieces.


Photo from Petit Elefant



















If you want to "reduce, reuse & recycle" (ya dang hippie) you can save brown paper grocery bags throughout the year and use them to wrap gifts... school book style. Or just go to the grocery store and grab a handful when your cashier isn't looking. What? Who said that? Not me.

An alternative to reusing brown paper bags is to invest in a giant roll of white or brown butcher paper. You can find this at your local craft or teacher supply store. Or online... You'll drop $30-$40 but one roll could easily last you through multiple holiday seasons (as well as weddings & birthdays).

Still in the mood to recycle something? Make bows out of magazine pages. They'll add some pizazz to your solid-colored gifts. I went to town on an Elle magazine last month and made about 20 of them. It's highly addictive and my back was hurting afterwards from hunching over at the kitchen table, but they are so freakin' adorable and I couldn't stop.

And whatever you do, don't be a regifter or a degifter.