If you're not particularly good at wrapping then this is a must read post! It'll also be useful if you're looking for an extra idea or two for the day.
Like the title suggests, this post will give you a few ideas for beautiful wrapping. As much as we will love the presents inside, it's nice if they look good on the outside too! Sound familiar? So take a look back at the post I wrote on
Christmas wrapping as it'll give you the basics of wrapping. This post will show you how to make your wrapped presents beautiful!
Firstly I would strongly advise buying some double sided tape to wrap the presents and avoid unsightly tape everywhere! It really does make a huge difference.
My second note on wrapping is that I rarely use patterned paper. I prefer plain papers which are easier and more effective to decorate. I bought a roll of brown kraft/postal paper a while ago from Ebay which is so useful to have. Instead of having 10 different rolls of wrapping paper, I just keep the brown paper on hand and decorate it appropriately for the occasion!
My third tip is to head to your local haberdashery (that's where you can buy fabric and ribbon!) and buy a few metres of different ribbons, plain and patterned that you can use to wrap presents with.
So working from the left and moving clockwise...
- This is homemade wrapping paper. All I did was design something in MS publisher and print it off! Easy-peasy. If you'd like this one with lips on then just click here. Then I added a tissue paper flower on top (the tutorial can be found here - I layered 4 light pink, 4 dark pink and 2 smaller yellow). If you don't like that flower then take a look back at my very first post for lots of different homemade flower ideas.
- This has just been wrapped in plain brown paper with a ribbon (secured with double sided sticky tape) running straight across the middle.
- Firstly I roughly measured out the size of the present and then chose where I wanted my design. Then I drew out the hearts in pencil. After that I spread the glue into the shape, don't forget to go over the lines otherwise you'll still be able to see them (!), and sprinkle a huge pile of glitter on top (you don't want to miss a spot!) and leave it to dry. I'd advise doing all of this without the present underneath in case the glue leaks through. Finally, wait until it's dried, shake off the glitter and wrap your present very carefully, trying not to touch the glitter at all.
- This one is just simply wrapped in plain paper with a line drawn and 'i love you' written in a completely joined up script. Then I added a little sticky heart where the dot would be on the 'i'.
- This one took the most effort so don't expect this one to be done in a minute! Again, roughly work out the size of your present and where the front would be. Then on the inside, draw out a mirror image of the text that you want written. Then get a craft/stanley knife and cut out the words being extra careful of fingers! Take it slowly as the more intricate the letter, the more likely it is to rip whilst being cut out. Then all you need to do is back it with some coloured paper or tissue paper and wrap the present.
- Finally this one has been wrapped in purple wrapping paper and tied with a bow. If you plan to do this one, this is an easy one to replicate for all presents, making a really effective, coordinated look.
Hopefully that will have given you a few ideas for beautiful wrapping that will impress your girlfriend.
Next I'm going to give you some help in putting together a Valentine's banner like the one below. I originally got the idea from
here and put together my own version of the background.
You know how I like to make everything as easy as possible for you? This could be one of the easiest things you will ever make! All you need to do is print off the
template onto card, cut it out, make a little cut on each side of the shape and thread the ribbon through all of the letters in the correct order. Then hang it up somewhere on the day!
Finally, if you're feeling adventurous, you could even bake a cake for the day. Again, I'll make it nice and easy for you!
You don't need to bake the cake from scratch (I won't tell anyone!) so you could buy a box mix. If you do decide to make your own then here is a simple recipe for a
victoria sponge cake or here is the recipe for the cake I made above which is
purple, alternatively but much more difficult is a
red velvet cake (with some extra Valentine's link ideas) which will look amazing as a Valentine's cake! Once your cake (boxed or from scratch) is cooked and cooled, slice the halves so that they are flat. Spread one half with jam and the other half with
buttercream (from Lindy Smith's 'The Contemporary Cake Decorating Bible') and very carefully place them together. Then use a sieve to sprinkle icing sugar over the top so that it is completely covered with white. Rinse out the sieve and leave it to dry. Then cut out some shapes, I already had hearts cut but you could use anything (heart shapes, a message) that you can cut out or that you have on hand, and arrange them on your cake. Then dry off the sieve and sprinkle the cake and shapes with cocoa powder. Next you need to really carefully pick up the shapes leaving your design clear to see.
And if you missed last week's or the week before's blog then you should definitely check them out! Last week was a little
romantic cards idea and the
week before had the link to a
youtube playlist full of romantic, cheesy and just plain lovely songs with some ideas of how to use them. I've already put the link above but if you don't want to give the classic chocolate and flowers then have a look at my
very first post to get some new ideas to mix it up!
Finally here are some links to previous posts that may help you out...
And some links to posts from other blogs or sites...
Love from lila xx
