Paper Daydreams | Uniquely Yours Craft Journal

Wrapping paper organizer

19 Dec 2018 1 Comment

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in Paper Daydreams, Tutorials Tags: gifts, greeting cards, wrapping paper

Dear Fellow Journalers,

Ok, so you’ve organized your cards and your gift ideas now it’s time to take the last step -wrapping paper. Now to some people, wrapping presents is akin to waiting in the dentist office. You know you have to do “it” but you want it to be a painless a procedure as possible. Some of us are better at this than others, some of us know exactly where we left the ribbons and the rest of us have bows in one place, no paper and tape in a desk drawer.

Before we get carried away, I thought a little quiz might alleviate the stress that is beginning to emanate your body

Gift wrap style quiz: What kind of wrapper are you?
By Trish Berrong on December 15, 2017

Extensive and super-scientific Hallmark research indicates that people who wrap presents fall into specific, well-documented categories. Knowing your type can be helpful in your gift-giving experiences. To help you identify your gift wrap style, please keep track of your answers and compare them to the results below.

Note: The research is super-scientific. This quiz is… not.

QUIZ

I like my gift wrap like I like my wardrobe:
A. Fabulous and beautifully accessorized.
B. A perfect expression of creativity and personality.
C. Simple and practical.
D. As long as everything is covered up, we’re good, right?

My favorite place to get gift wrap is…
A. Well-stocked gift-wrap aisles, party and card specialty stores, and adorable boutiques.
B. Craft stores, card and paper shops, and thrift or vintage stores.
C. From people thoughtful enough to open their presents without tearing the paper.
D. Um…in the same place I stop on the way to the party to get the gift.

My favorite presents to wrap are…
A. Wedding and baby shower gifts. I love making sure they stand out on the gift table.
B. Simple gifts with stories behind them. I turn opening the present into part of the experience.
C. The ones that fit in bags. Fluff some tissue paper and done.
D. The ones that come with a bow already on top.

When there are gifts to wrap, you’ll find me…
A. At a dining room table piled high with coordinating paper, ribbons, bows, and attachments.
B. In my craft room, surrounded by stacks of kraft paper and art supplies.
C. Digging through my stash for occasion-appropriate wrap and not-too-wrinkled tissue paper.
D. In the car, peeling the stickers off a just-purchased gift bag.

When wrapping presents, my philosophy is:
A. Presentation is everything: It’s the way you make a great first impression with your gift!
B. Gift wrap is the pre-show. It should be fun and get someone excited about opening their present.
C. Wrapping is a necessary part of the gift—it’s there to protect the present or the surprise.
D. I’m supposed to have a philosophy about gift wrap?

I get inspiration for wrapping gifts from…
A. YouTube videos on “how to tie a fancy bow” and “how to wrap like a pro.”
B. Everywhere. Art is all around us.
C. The size of the gift, the wrap I have handy, and the time I have until the party.
D. An overwhelming sense of urgency and panic.

Scoring & Recommendations
Total the number of answers you had for each letter, and find your gift wrap style below. Please note that many people exhibit traits of more than one style, depending on the occasion, recipient, and other contextual cues. It is not unusual to present with more than one gift wrap style.

PREDOMINANTLY A: Perfect Presenter
For you, finding just the right present is only part of the fun. You get giddy about coordinating your wrap with the bride’s colors, the baby shower theme, the birthday kiddo’s favorite super hero, or the hostess’s kitchen décor. You can do totally tasteful or all the way over the top—or anything in between—depending on the occasion. You may or may not have a selection of different kinds of tape to use on different types of paper.

Recommended for you:

Definitely check out the Hallmark Signature gift wrap collection. From playful to fancy and super-cute to totally luxe, this selection of wrapping paper, gift bags, and accessories was made with you in mind.
Our Giftology series is full of tips and tricks, like how to build a gift tower and add a sash to a gift.

MOSTLY B: Gift Wrap Artist
When it comes to gift giving, you always think outside the box. Maybe you’ll decorate your own paper. Or DIY some tassels or pom poms. Or incorporate a little add-on gift into the wrap. Or you might create a complex, clue-filled quest to build excitement for the lucky recipient. Whether you go trendy and minimalist or decorated to the max, wrapping presents is one big happy creative exercise for you.

Recommended for you:

Collections like Eclectic Kraft and Bright & Modern were created by designers and artists like you. They’re full of complementary colors and textures, so they go together without being matchy-matchy.
Want DIY ideas? See how to make a tassel or flowers from tissue paper to decorate a present.

SERIOUSLY C: Thrifty Gifter
Your gift closet is as well-equipped as any wrapping paper section in a store, and it’s the first place you “shop” when there’s a party. Your senses tingle when there’s a stock-up sale. And there’s no shame in your re-gift-bagging game. But that doesn’t mean you’re less thoughtful—in fact, you’re a very generous gift giver. And your practical approach means you’ve always got the right wrap on hand for any present and every occasion.

Recommended for you:

You are the reason we put cut lines on our paper, make reversible wrap, and created wrapping paper pads.
Check out tips and tricks for organizing your closet gift wrap stash and solutions to 6 common gift-wrapping dilemmas.

PRETTY MUCH ALL D: Rushed Wrapper
You’re a kind, thoughtful friend. You know your mom’s favorite perfume, the artist your sister likes, and your best friend’s preferred adult beverage. But you’ve got a lot going on. This thing about getting a gift and making it fancy? What are you, an elf? It’s not that you’re against wrapping presents—you’ve just got too many thumbs and too little time.

Recommended for you:

When it’s important to make something look like an intentional, pre-planned gift, there are easy solutions. Try sticking on some curly ribbon, or adding a gift tag or tassel.

Well, believe it or not there is a way to organize wrapping paper! Hallmark, “The Card People” have solutions. Here is one that is pretty nifty:

Closet Gift Wrap Storage

So, now that you are all organized you are ready for whatever comes your way in 2019!

~Sallie

P.S. Next week, some ideas about gifting food!

Card Organizer

12 Dec 2018 Comments Off on Card Organizer

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in Paper Daydreams Tags: greeting cards, sentiments

Dear Fellow Journalers,

The biggest “thing” in organizing cards is sorting them. This goes for store-bought or handmade. Now some people may argue that you should sort by month(like you Aunt Mary’s birthday is in June and your Dad’s birthday is in May. What happens if your spouse asks you to buy/make a retirement card for a co-worker who is retiring in August? You buy/make the card and file it in the August slot and forget about it.

I find that it is easier to file cards by categories keeping the everyday events separate from the holidays. So my division of cards looks like this: Anniversary, Baby, Birthday (women, men, children), Friendship, Get Well, Sympathy, Thank You, Thinking of You, and Wedding.

I sort the holidays by theme: Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother+s Day, Father’s Day, Patriotic, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Some tips:

Be sure to place each envelope so that the flap covers the card itself.
You can also address the envelopes ahead of time.
Colorful envelopes add pizzazz!
Decorate the envelope with stickers or make liners. Envelope liners can now be made with a die-cut machine. I used to make them years ago. For more information, see below.
Use a decorative shoe box for sorting.

Sentiments are hard to get “right”. You can spend hours in a Hallmark store trying to get the right picture and then the inside wording is all wrong. If you make your own cards, there are a dozen sites to use. I keep a folder divided by theme for my inside greetings ( see uniquelyyourscards.WordPress.com for more ideas. Sometimes the store-bought card is really perfect, but the inside greeting is all wrong you can take a blank cardstock, write you own message and it on top of the pre-made greeting.

In any case, greeting cards are an important element in gift giving and finding the right one and knowing where it is, can help your recipient enjoy a memorable day.

~Sallie

The Gift Planner

05 Dec 2018 1 Comment

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in Paper Daydreams Tags: Gift Planner

Dear Fellow Journalers,

This month’s journal idea came from a book I found at our local library’s used book sale. I thought at first that it was just an ordinary greeting card organizer but it was so much more! I’ve always tried to give the perfect present to my friends and family on their special day or holiday and yet I sometimes fail in the attempt. This journal will truly help all of us I’m sure!

“Every moment offers us an opportunity to spread laughter, joy and kindness.”

Have you ever sat down and thought about your friends or relatives and what they like or even asked them? Have you ever written your answers in a special journal to refer to it later?

I remember when I announced my intent to retire and was asked what craft store was my favorite? The co-worker in question was trying to be subtle, I’m sure, but I figured out what she was trying to do pretty quickly! Apparently, she solicited advice from other co-workers and as a result mostly all of my gifts were ones I really appreciated.By doing some homework and writing down answers in your journal, your recipient will think you’re a mind-reader and thank you for years to come.

Some tips to consider:

When your recipient least expects it, ask questions about a favorite gift he or she received.
Get details and be specific. Don’t just ask if they like wine. Ask if they have a specific brand and would they recommend it.
Where do they like to shop? What are favorite brands?
Refer to your list and update as needed.
Keep a record of what you give.
Start early. (I buy presents when I see them and store them away.)
NEVER throw a receipt away.

Gift Profile

To construct a Gift Profile fill in the blanks for each person:

NAME. BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY

Clothing sizes

Favorites ( colors, foods, sweets, teams, books

Most memorable gift

Talents, interests

Likes and dislikes

Gift Giving List

Your gift giving list is important for several reasons. The first one is obvious – did I remember and what did I give and two, Don’t send the same thing twice. It should look something like this:

NAME. DATE. OCCASION. GIFT . PURCHASED

Next week, my favorite list cards!

Til next time,

~Sallie

Gratitude

28 Nov 2018 Comments Off on Gratitude

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in gratitude Tags: gratitude

Dear Fellow Journalers,

Another perspective piece from G:

Thanks for reading. ~Sallie

Don’t we all have about a kaqillion things to be grateful for every day? I mean just the fact that your heart beats and you can take a breath is cause for thanks. Think for a minute about the special feeling YOU get when you feel appreciated. Isn’t it a warm, “fuzzy” feeling. To know that whatever effort you put forth, great or small, is appreciated. To know that people know that you’ve helped in some way. And when we are the ones who should be grateful for something, and fail to show that gratitude, don’t you feel guilty? And when you do acknowledge the action or effort of another for you, doesn’t that somehow make you feel relieved that even if reciprocation isn’t possible, at least you’ve acknowledged the other persons act?

I begin every day of my life with a simple prayer, an act of gratitude that also may be an act of Faith: “THANK YOU GOD FOR ANOTHER DAY, AND THE OPPORTUNITIES IT BRINGS!” ANOTHER DAY ! Another chance to DO better, to BE better. That’s something to show gratitude for ! THANK YOU for reading this.