Wrapping Christmas Presents | Unusual and Beautiful Ways to Use Kraft Brown Paper
The kraft paper trend is still going strong in 2019. Not only extremely affordable and eco-friendly but it looks great, too.
Here at Coulson Macleod, we adore the classic combination of black and white paired with rustic kraft brown or natural greens.
If you're looking for unusual yet beautiful present wrapping ideas this Christmas, read on...
TIP: We think fresh greenery and flowers look superb (and are compostable) but do bear in mind that you may need to add these to your presents as close to Christmas as possible to avoid them wilting. If you like to be all wrapped up well before - more time to kick back with some mulled wine, hurrah! - then you could also get artificial stems that can be reused afterwards.
A SIMPLE FLORAL & TWINE DESIGN
For this, we used gypsophila or 'baby's breath' as we think its delicate, tiny flowers are very pretty. However, to make it more festive you could use a sprig of holly with red berries or a small fir tree branch.
The flowers were tied and secured in place using natural twine, wrapped multiple times around the length and width of the parcel.
HAND-DRAWN LETTER INITIAL WREATH TAGS
Our team member, Natalie, drew these intricate 'C' and 'M' tags. Whilst it may be rather time-consuming to decorate the paper itself by hand, you could make up your own tag design. Hand-crafted details such as this make the present that extra bit special.
You could also work with an alphabet letter stencil and/or wreath stamp. We'd recommend using a pencil to sketch out your design first before committing with a fine permanent pen.
Simply wrap with white paper raffia for an elegantly minimal finish or use striped baker's twine for a more traditional effect. Adorn with greenery as desired. Here we used some rosemary taken straight from the garden. It looks great and smells great, too.
FESTIVE CITRUS & CINNAMON STICKS
Who says you have to seal your presents with a bow? How about some dried citrus fruit and cinnamon sticks?
A perfect way to prolong the life of potpourri that has lost its scent. If you're feeling extra crafty, you can also make the decoration yourself by drying out orange slices. Simply lay them on a baking tray lined with grease-proof paper and pop them in the oven on the lowest temperature setting for 2 hours on each side.
HAND-STAMPED PATTERNS
We went right back to school with this one. A nostalgic throwback to cutting shapes out of potatoes (or any root vegetable for that matter) to use as a stamp. For ease, go for a basic, block design such as a Christmas tree, star, holly leaf or bauble. Either freehand straight onto the potato or cut a stencil out of paper.
SNOWY WHITE PAINT SPLATS
One for arty folk. A very simple but effective look that's fun to do as well. White paint splodges adorned with a stem of eucalyptus. This would also be complemented by the white berries on mistletoe, perhaps.
This design takes a little more time allowing for the paint to dry so we'd advise making up your paper well in advance of the 25th. We would also recommend doing this outside on a sunny day or in a well-ventilated garage, shed or outbuilding to minimise the mess.
TIP: Mix your paint with some water first to achieve better splats! If your paint is too thick, it may crack when the paper is wrapped.
MINI POLAROID TAGS
Upgrade your gift tags! You can either use an online printing company such as a Photobox or LaLaLab for affordable Polaroid-style prints or have a bit of fun and take the images yourself using a Polaroid Instax camera.
Here we took a quick photo of a mini Christmas tree and the phrase 'Love CM (Coulson Macleod)' in the same font as our metallic fold-out concertina cards.
You could also use a photo of yourself and the gift recipient as an extra special touch. This means that it doubles up as a keepsake to reduce waste. If you wish to do so, write their name or a short, thoughtful message on each polaroid with a permanent marker pen.
Still looking for a few more gifts to tick off your list? We've got a huge selection of typographic art prints, mugs, notebooks and marble stone plaques for even the most tricky-to-buy-for family members and friends.
Our products are individually printed and carefully hand-finished right here in our Northamptonshire studio. We also offer free UK delivery and worldwide shipping.
