{ the jaunty magpie }

As wary as I am of clutter and the accumulation of junk, I admit to being a paper and ribbon hoarder.  It's my weakness, the siren song of collected ephemera. When I'm the recipient of a beautifully-wrapped gift, I don't tear into the gift, I gingerly separate the taped parts and keep the paper. The same with long scraps of ribbon. The voices of my mother and grandmother ring in my head: No, no, don't throw it away, it's still good!! And despite all logical arguments to the contrary, it's worth it when the holidays roll around.

I vowed to be a Wrap Superstar this holiday season. Mostly thanks to Pinterest, I've been keeping inspired by packaging/wrapping ideas, and collecting them on one of my many obsessive boards. I made it a point to get started on wrapping early this year, just so I wouldn't fall into the typical trap every year, which is throw everything together at the last second. Not Jaunty. 

This year I also made it a point to go through as much of my paper/ribbon/gift box stash as possible, whittle that pile of junk down to nothing if I could. I repurposed old tea and cookie tins, wrapping them with decorative paper to cover up the old labels. I found a stash of old maps in my car -- they're perfect for wrapping gift boxes! And spare buttons for clothing that we all know we'll never mend -- woven between pretty baker's twine, it makes for especially twee packaging and gift tags made from paper scraps. Plain brown kraft paper paired with pretty ribbon makes for simple year-round gift wrapping. Buying discount ribbon spools in the clearance bin at fabric stores are my go-to for wrapping supplies. Online food service shops sell bulk plain takeout boxes, lined with a foodsafe material, which makes it ideal for baked goods or to package fancy soaps -- the boxes are easily dressed up with a bit of ribbon or twine. Be resourceful this holiday season!

When it comes to wrapping your gifts, make it as thoughtful as the item you're giving, using simple materials you probably already have around your house. And when in doubt, go to Pinterest to get inspired.

Jaunty Fine Print: Photos by Denise Sakaki