Gift Wrap That Survives The Trip

This is a particularly busy time of year in the Julep Household in terms of family birthdays. Since NONE of our family lives here, we are continually shipping gifts across the country. Wrapping the gifts in a way that looks great and survives the shipping process is key.

This morning I was wrapping some gifts for one of our darling nephews and I thought I would share with you some of the tips and tricks I have learned.

Tulle Ribbon: The thing I hate most about shipping gifts is that the bows get crushed. My favorite product for avoiding this problem is Tulle Ribbon. I love Tulle Ribbon because even if it gets crushed, it bounces right back. You can tie it very simply (like I did in the photo above), or you can make more elaborate bows and it will always look great. I’ve been buying it at Hallmark, but sometimes it can be hard to find. I also just found out that it can be ordered online from Nashville Wraps. (You want a 2 or 3-inch spool of ribbon, NOT the 6-inch. Trust me. I once tried buying the 6-inch stuff from The Container Store, thinking I could fold it down myself. Complete disaster. Stick to the smaller ribbon.)

If you can’t find Tulle Ribbon, or you can’t find the color you want, the next best choice is:

Satin Ribbon: Go to Michaels or A.C. Moore and buy some spools of nice satin ribbon. Personally, I prefer to actually go to the store and buy this (instead of ordering online) because I want to feel the quality of the ribbon. If it is stiff and papery (ie, cheaply made) it will get crushed. You want nice quality satin ribbon, and you can usually find it at the aforementioned craft stores for a really reasonable price. (Evaluate it carefully, though, because these stores also sell the stiff papery kind.) Also, be sure not to buy the wired ribbon, because that’s absolutely the worst when it’s been crushed. You want plain, floppy satin ribbon. When you tie it, make a simple square knot and trim the ends so they look pretty. (I’m a big fan of notched ends.) Be forewarned: big elaborate bows will not work for shipping packages encircled with satin.

Clear Cellophane Gift Bags and Patterned Tissue Paper: For wrapping small, awkwardly shaped items (or even baby clothing that can be rolled and tied with a pretty ribbon), I like to use patterned tissue paper inside of a cellophane gift bag (finished with tulle or satin ribbon, of course). The cellophane can get bumped around quite a bit in transit and it will look no worse for the wear, and of course there are a lot of options available in patterned tissue paper, so it makes gift wrapping that much easier. I have purchased cellophane gift bags at The Container Store (not the cheapest option) and recently I also found them at Michaels labeled as “Large Treat Bags” (which are very economical).

And don’t forget to include your personalized gift tags! Tiny Prints offers some lovely choices!


Do you have a favorite gift wrapping tip you’d like to share?