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Best prices on gift wrap and ribbon?

11 years ago

I enjoy wrapping gifts beautifully. But gift wrap and ribbons always seem overpriced to me. Where are some cost effective places to shop for these items?

Comments (6)

LuAnn_in_PA
11 years ago
I buy all mine from Paper Mart. They have good prices on many other things too!

Here is a link that might be useful: Paper Mart
sushipup1
11 years ago
The various dollar stores have supplies, too.
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excel spreadsheets? lists? rooms dedicated to wrapping? Sheesh that's far too organized for me. I thought just getting the ornaments organized by tree was a HUGE undertaking! For wrapping I use the desperately rushed, christmas is in 4 hours, need a bottle of wine approach. I spread out the entire mess of crap with a hole in the middle for me and the wine, and begin digging my way out carefully :p I actually am organized when it comes to the decorations though. I have one attic for trees, one for ornaments that go on the trees that are on the 3rd and 4th floor as well as the decoration, and then I store the decorations and ornaments for the first floor and second floor are kept on the second floor. Less hauling down (and up) stairs that way :) I also label the boxes for the appropriate tree which is helpful when distributing boxes around the house. WHile I can obviously see what's vintage and what's traditional as well as all the other themes of a tree through the plastic boxes, I don't know how many vintage go to each tree unless I put them in separate boxes. THat leaves me just enough ornaments for each tree without taxing my little brain. I wish I could apply that kind of organization to presents LOL I do actually wrap all but the Santa ones in advance (so that's the 23rd verses the 24th btw) and those can go out under the main tree. I have been known to buy the same thing more than once...perhaps that list idea is a good one LOL Gad a room dedicated to wrapping and holiday storage...well I'm a bit nutso over christmas (major santa barf is in EVERY room) so that would have to be a big big big room! But it's a lovely fantasy!
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We're planning a closet -- typical hall closet size -- that'll have a lock instead of a doorknob; thus, it'll be accessible only to me and my husband. This closet'll have shelves top to bottom, and maybe basket type shelves on the inside of the door for bows, ribbons and so forth. The closet will serve a couple purposes: - gun safe - purchased-ahead gifts - gift wrap - a small amount of cash that we keep on hand As for buying ahead, I do pretty well with it. It's rare that I buy something that just sits around forever and ends up at Goodwill. When I wrap things, I just do basic wrap and use a sticky note to remind me what the item is. I add the bow at the last minute so that I can stack boxes without messing up th wrappers. I like the idea of putting your gift wrap items near the dining room. Practical and efficient.
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I learned I have to be careful in how I present gift cards. Once I was giving two kids gift cards attached to wrapped candy bars. I gave one to the first child and was with her as she opened it and found the GC. Her sister was asleep, so I asked her to give the other candy bar + gift card to her sister later.... I found out the sister had not noticed the GC and threw it in the trash with the wrapper. Luckily, it was still there when I told her to go look for the GC with the wrapping paper. So however clever you make the presentation, make it obvious that there is a card, too.
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If You Still Wrap Gifts….
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Comments (16)
Next year I believe I'm going to hire out to do all my wrapping. I'm sure it's mostly age with thumbs having some arthritis, but using the same type gift tags that Jilly used, either I'll hire someone or just put gifts in walmart bag and say "Here ya go. Bye now!" lol With the gift bags with sturdy roped handles I had to tie 4 ends of them so they wouldn't slip through the holes. And then I get to stick a pretty little ribbon through the tiny hole on the gift tag and TIE IT to the handles. Thick paper will definitely tear if a hard box with sharp corners is being wrapped. Wrapping paper around the gifts was the easiest thing until I added several colors of baker's twine aroumd the box and had to put my kitchen aid timer in the middle so I could tie it into an ugly bow. Ending of course with putting ribbon through the tag hole....etc. Today I'll be wrapping the brew kit that's in a box the size of an artificial tree and weighs 22 lbs. What I do know is I'll go back to the sticker tags, and never buy sacks where I have to secure the ties. I'll staple them! Sometimes it's not fun being a perfectionist but I do love giving and looking at the gifts after they're wrapped. Did I mention when I pull a piece of tape out it winds around my finger?
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grainlady_ks
11 years ago
Make your own.... I convert all that junk mail we get into homemade paper (lots of how-to information on-line; and a good use for an old or garage-sale purchased blender). I make my own gift tags, envelopes, greeting cards, book covers, decorative arts, etc., from homemade paper.

Instead of bows and ribbons, add some natural embellishments like twigs, dried rose buds, cinnamon sticks, dried orange/apple slices, evergreen sprays, pine cones, holly, acorns, eucalyptus..... Attach a homemade ornament, hand-crocheted doily, ribbon roses.... Inexpensive jute/twine, twisted paper and raffia all make great additions.

-Grainlady
Adella Bedella
11 years ago
Buy it after Christmas when it is 50-75% off. Look around, you will find that some of the paper is generic enough to use year round. You can also find a lot of curly ribbon and the wire edged fabric ribbon on sale then too in Christmas and non-Christmas colors and patterns.
azzalea
11 years ago
If you use curling ribbon, I think the larger spools (the kind used by balloon places) are your best bet--they cost several dollars to buy, but contain virtually a lifetime supply. I've got several different spools of different colors, have been using them for many many years, and I don't think I've ever used one up.

Check for the little independent places--we have an independent dollar store that has great gift wrap, ribbon, etc. Theres another place thats only open about 4 days a week, that sells artificial flowers, paper/party goods, and whatever other odd lots of things they get their hands on--they have an entire aisle of ribbon by the yard at unbelievable prices. I think, if you look hard enough, you can find little places like that.

Lots of time, rather than waste money on gift wrap and ribbo that will jsut be tossed after the gift is opened, I make fabric tote bags. Especially when I'm giving an afgan or child's quilt. That way the bag can be used over and over. For the same reason, when I'm using paper wrap, I lean toward paper gift bags--most people save them to reuse, so I figure they're much more worth the price than throw-away wrapping paper. Can't recall the last time I actually wrapped a gift with paper and scotch tape, actually.
jannie
11 years ago
Everybody says, buy Christmas wrapping paper the day after Christmas. Well, I've done it and it wasn't useful. I don't have a proper storage place for paper, so I just stacked the rolls of paper in a closet. It got beat up for a year, when I went to use it I found it all wrecked with tears and creases. I ended up having to discard half of each roll-just plain dumb! In the future, I would only buy if I had a proper way to keep the paper clean and dry, where it wouldn't be disturbed every time someone grabs for an umbrella.

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