The Art of Gift Wrapping: 50 Innovative Ideas Using Organic, Unique, and Uncommon Materials

From organic and eco-friendly wraps to lush and romantic presentations, the more than 50 projects and ideas contained in The Art of Gift Wrapping will remind you that it is as much fun to wrap as it is to receive.

Gift wrap and paper expert Wanda Wen knows what it means to give thoughtfully wrapped presents—a talent that has made her and her store, Soolip, a favorite among celebrities and tastemakers. With her expert tips and techniques—and creative vision—she invites you to use natural, luxurious, and everyday materials to perfectly dress any present for its occasion. Whether nestling your gift in a bed of all-natural moss, creating custom packing tape, cascading fresh flowers down a tower of boxes, or simply matching a festive paper with just the right ribbon tie—your thoughtful packages will leave lasting impressions long after the gifts have been opened.

About the Author

Wanda Wen is the founder and creative force behind Soolip, the Los Angeles paper and lifestyle boutique that is a favorite among Hollywood celebrities and tastemakers and corporate clients. Wen has successfully combined her passions for paper and nature with her background in fashion, launching the unique brand Soolip with multiple extensions and satellite businesses. Wen and Soolip have been featured in numerous publications, including Martha Stewart Weddings, Town & Country, Vogue, InStyle, Elegant Bride, Travel + Leisure, People, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Wen has also appeared on Today, HGTV, the Style Network, E!, and the Fine Living Channel. She is also an expert gift wrapper for Scotch brand and a judge for the annual Scotch Brand Most Gifted Wrapper Contest. Wen resides in Los Angeles with her three children, a dog, two birds, and a guinea pig.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Potter Craft (April 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307408477
• ISBN-13: 978-0307408471
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.7 x 0.7 inches

Gift Wrapping with Textiles: Stylish Ideas from Japan

Chizuko Morita has tapped into the traditional Japanese art of wrapping with cloth to create startling new ideas for gift-giving. In a minute or two—or sometimes seconds—a swatch of cloth can be fashioned into a stylish wrap that shows you really care. The ideas in this volume range from wrapping CDs to books, a box of chocolates to a bottle of wine, a poster to a soccer ball. Square, oblong, oval, spherical, and tubular—almost any shape can be decorated in a unique fashion. And since the wraps rely on only three knots, they are nearly foolproof. So much grace achieved with so little effort! Ms. Morita's ideas have their roots in the Japanese furoshiki, an elegant cloth traditionally used for wrapping and carrying bundles. Wishing to adapt the centuries-old practices to today's lifestyle, she devised a number of ingenious wrapping ideas, each illustrated with step-by-step photographs—and each simple, fascinating, and fun! INCLUDES:
* Stunningly original wrapping ideas
* Gift-wraps for wine, books, CDs, pictures, posters, balls, and boxed items of all sizes
* Based on techniques that have their roots in centuries-old Japanese traditions of wrapping for gift-giving also
* Additional ideas to freshen up everyday items such as pillows, baskets, and more
* New thoughts for decorating the breakfast and dinner table
* Add an elegant touch to flowerpots, planters, or a bouquet of flowers
* Make an instant magazine "rack" or knapsack

About the Author

CHIZUKO MORITA has created her own style of wrapping with textiles based on the practices surrounding the Japanese furoshiki, a traditional carrying cloth. She has taught her techniques to Americans and Europeans in Kyoto, Tokyo, and Boston, and appears regularly on Japan's public television channel, NHK. This is her seventh book on wrapping, and her first in English. SHUICHI YAMAGATA is a photographer based in Kyoto. He specializes in shooting kimono, jewelry, cooking, Japanese fashion, and other items.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha International (February 17, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4770027362
• ISBN-13: 978-4770027368
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.4 x 0.4 inches

Wrap It Up: 100s of Fast, Fun, and Festive Gift Wrapping Ideas

Wrap It Up offers hundreds of clever and inviting ideas to give your presents an extra flourish that loved ones are sure to appreciate. Using both traditional wrapping paper and ribbons, combined with some simple trims found in craft or stationery stores or unusual materials like maps, posters, cellophane, or newspaper, there is a wide range of inviting schemes for all occasions. With inspired color combinations and clever use of materials now you can bring a decorative touch to even the simplest package.
Instead of using ribbons for bows, try reusing materials found around the home like twine, buttons, decorative buckles, scarves, or even dog collars. Anything can be used as an unexpected decoration. There are also traditional ribbon-wrapped and flower-bedecked packages, but done in a unique manner with ideas that you don’t see elsewhere, like threading buttons through the ribbons before tying them around the packages, or wrapping a strip of torn newspaper around the middle of the package, under an elegantly tied bow, for an interesting and striking effect. With Wrap it Up you can turn even the most ordinary gifts into something special: a unique present for someone you care about.

About the Author

ESPEN MARKUSSEN  is the head of his own design firm, E-Design in Norway, as well as co-owner of an art and hobby supply store for many years. Espen studied graphic design and marketing and enjoys working creatively with his hands.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; Original edition (September 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312574827
• ISBN-13: 978-0312574826
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.9 x 0.3 inches

The Gift Wrapping Book: Over 150 Ideas for All Occasions

The Gift Wrapping Book: Over 150 Ideas for All Occasions by Caroline Birkett (Author)
Gift wrapping, according to former textile designer Birkett, is a feat to be accomplished and then admired. Her instructions include those both nimble and not and range from covering a basic box to fashioning crackers for all occasions. There is something for everyone in these 150-plus different projects. Each runs about a page or two with minimal directions, large color photographs, and occasional tips on best/alternate methods. Some of the more unusual ideas: a rose-embellished bow, an origami box, a paper fan bow, and woven paper baskets, among others. At the end are the basics: materials, tools, and the five fundamental techniques (measuring, transferring, scoring, folding, and cutting). This handy how-to will leave gift givers rapt with pleasure.
This book provides readers with hundreds of inspirational ideas and techniques that ensure their wrappings are as special as the gifts inside. Detailed instructions show how to make individual boxes and bags to accommodate awkward shapes, plus solutions galore for tricky wrapping problems.
Readers will also find advice and suggestions for perfect finishing touches, from tags and tassels to paper flowers. Step-by-step photography ensures every project is easy to follow, with gorgeous pictures of the finished wrapping.
Caroline Birkett trained as a textile designer. She spent several years designing luxury knitwear collections and new products with a large ribbon manufacturer. After turning her talents to designing and writing craft projects, she's brought her flair for combining colors, patterns and textures to the medium of paper.
Book Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: David & Charles Publishers (October 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 071531453X
• ISBN-13: 978-0715314531
• Book Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches

Gift Wrapping: Creative Ideas from Japan

Gift Wrapping: Creative Ideas from Japan by Kunio Ekiguchi (Author)
There is something so beautiful and special about a thoughtfully wrapped gift. Forget those garish papers with bright colors that assault your senses. Learn to wrap things so that the wrapping itself is a gift. This book shows you exactly how to wrap your gift with the subtleness found in so many things Japanese. You don't even need boxes for most of the numerous wrapping techniques, and therein lies the beauty. Highly recommended, you won't ever want to part with this one.
This book is incredible! Highly recomended this for not only someone who enjoys paper craft but also for Graphic Designers. Well illustrated and easy to understand and plenty of pictures. Also great for learning the traditions behind the wrappings. If you're searching for artistic and elegant ways of wrapping up gifts, you will fall in love with this book! Each idea is beautifully presented and diagrammed in detail.
Much care and thought go into gift giving. And the way a gift is wrapped can say a lot about the care and thought that went into its selection. This easy-to-follow, idea-packed volume draws on traditional forms and techniques of Japanese wrapping to create unusual, attractive, and surprisingly simple ways to wrap presents of all shapes and sizes.
The Japanese combine a love of ceremony with an equally strong fondness for giving and receiving presents. They have developed a sophisticated system employing many interesting and eye-pleasing ways to wrap all kinds of gifts. This tradition is evident in techniques such as layering several sheets of paper to create a color contrast or subtle shading effect, wrapping part of the gift and leaving pan visible, using origami-like folds to decorate or add interest, and fashioning soft wrappings from large squares of colorfully patterned cloth called furoshiki.
The author draws on his extensive knowledge of this Japanese tradition and his experience in other forms of paper craft, including doll making, to create sixty-six imaginative gift wrappings.
All sixty-six ideas are shown in beautiful color plates and accompanied by step-by-step instructions that take you from the materials you need to the finishing touches. Let these exciting and creative wrappings add a new dimension to your gift giving.
About the Author
KUNIKO EKIGUCHI has a successful and varied background in such traditional Japanese crafts as doll making and paper craft. His extensive knowledge of traditional Japanese papers and his talent for combining the classic with the modern are prominent in Gift Wrapping. He is the author of The Book of Boxes, The New Book of Boxes and Japanese Crafts and Customs. He is also the designer of the stylish Christmas arrangements featured in Origami for Christmas.
Book Details

• Paperback: 124 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha International; New Ed edition (July 14, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870117688
• ISBN-13: 978-0870117688
• Book Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.4 x 0.1 inches
• List Price: $18.00
• Amazon.com Price: $13.50
• You Save: $4.50 (25%)