The holidays are ramping up, and we are out and about this year. This means we need to think about gifts for the Hostess with the Mostess. If someone takes the time and effort to throw a shindig, whether it’s a large feté or an intimate gathering, it’s good manners to show up with a little something in your hand to say thank you. Today, it’s all about the Gift Guide for the Hostess.
Since we’re talking about gifts, there’s never a better time than early November to man your gift wrap station. There’s nothing worse than leaving your gifts unwrapped until the very last minute. That’s when it turns into a chore… Been there, done that! No bueño. Maybe that’s why gift wrap gets a bum rap. Ha! I don’t know about you, but I LOVE a beautifully wrapped present. So if you have your wrapping paper, ribbon, nametags, tape, and scissors purchased beforehand, it will make gift wrapping a joy. I promise!
Gift Guide for The Hostess
Of course, it’s always a good idea to keep wine or boxed candy on hand for last-minute gifts for the Hostess. But with a little planning, we can be more inventive. Today, I rounded up a few of my favorites for any budget.
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Gift Wrap Station
There’s nothing more gorgeous than a stack of beautifully wrapped presents under the tree. Whether the gift recipient loves to rip off the paper or take their time peeling off the tape then neatly folding the paper, it’s a joy to watch the unwrapping. In America, we can thank the Hall brothers for modern gift wrapping (yes, that would be the Hall’s of Hallmark) who ran out of red, white, and green tissue paper in 1917. Being resourceful entrepreneurs they sold French decorative paper typically used to line the envelopes of their greeting cards. By 1919 the paper was so popular they began producing wrapping paper along with cards. Genius!
Years ago, I developed a love of wrapping paper due to a job as a gift wrapper during the holiday rush. Freshman year of college, when I came home for Christmas, my dad informed me that I had gone waaayyy over my monthly allowance and was cut off from funds until January. What?! How will I buy presents for the family? For you, dearest Father? How will I go to the movies with friends? All of which fell on deaf ears as my dad was on a mission to teach this girl a valuable lesson. When the going gets tough, the tough find a job! Thankfully, the local department store was hiring for the Christmas season. “Can you gift wrap,” they asked? “Of course,” I replied, which was an overstatement. Technically, I could wrap a gift. I’d watched my mother a thousand times and helped now and again. What was the big deal especially for a college student? Let me be the first to tell you I was woefully unskilled with the art of gift wrapping. It was a baptism by fire, as I learned in a hurry. Harried shoppers lined up ten to twenty deep to have their gifts wrapped by a professional. The pressure was on! But I upped my skillset and was cutting and taping like a pro in no time. Can you believe people were so thankful for their beautifully wrapped gift they tipped their gift wrappers! Who knew? Thanks, Dad, for a lesson learned and a lifelong love of gift wrap. I have to say I’m a terrific gift wrapper to this very day. Here are a few tips:
- Prep your workspace
- Have the right tools
- Scissors (2, one for paper, one for ribbon)
- Scotch Tape
- Paper
- Ribbon
- Gift Tags
- Keep Gift Bags in Stock
- Pick a theme
- Kraft paper or plain white paper always works
similar pants | similar blouse | sequin duster | shoes | similar earrings
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Bet – you look gorgeous in that sparky black duster!
Wonderful ideas! I would like to know about your outfit with the sequin duster. The links do not appear to be working. Thank you!
The links were just updated!
Hard to believe, we are await our first snow fall this week and Christmas is only a stone’s throw away. Thanks for bringing some much needed joy and light, Beth, with this excellent and timely post. I too, have a love of wrapping. I think a thoughtfully wrapped gift, even in craft paper, tells the recipient they are special to you. Often times, that can actually mean as much as the gift itself . Well, at least pour moi 🌷
Love your holiday outfit especially those black pants!
Thanks for the cute story about gift wrapping.
Beth,
Is your home already decorated for Christmas?
One of your recent posts shows your kitchen and/or dining area decorated for Thanksgiving!
Great post to get us in the mood for the onslaught of wrapping. Too many years I’ve put it off until sometimes, Christmas Eve! It definitely becomes an unenjoyable chore when you do that! Never again!
Stunning outfit! I seriously love the shoes. Xmas is in the middle of summer here in NZ so the attire seems to be shorts and tee shirts or sometimes a dress as the meal is often a bbq. Plus we are still in lockdown (3 months and counting) so most presents will be bought online and dispatched from the retailer as the post office isn’t even open and most of my family are in other countries.
Some lovely ideas – pity I live in Australia. But I shall take those ideas on board and find some similar things. Apart from quick gifts for that odd moment for which you’ve now given me the ideas, I’ve finished my Christmas shopping and I began the wrapping over the weekend. It’s a huge relief.
Beth, your sparkly duster is absolutely gorgeous and you look beautiful as always, wearing it! Thank you for the gift-wrap inspiration! We will have all 4 of our kids and their families home for the first time since Christmas 2019…so Christmas is no-holds-barred this year! (Our youngest works in Japan…so no travel since the Pandemic began.) Thank you! I’m mentally setting up my station now!
I bet you can’t wait for the crew to arrive! Enjoy!