Bows on your Christmas gifts?

[MsLeFever]

bows and curling ribbon! (Except for the Santa gifts - he doesn't do bows)

 

[TheBigBadWolf]

I buy a bag of bows and stick them on everything. I wish I could make pretty bows by myself with pretty ribbons but I have no talent in that area.

YouTube has many videos on how to make assorted bows. It's easy when you can watch step by step directions!

Bows, ribbons, different methods of tying, little ornaments or such......I like to mix it up and make every package look wonderful.

This is what I do. The presentation is part of the gift! I love using ornaments as the tag. I never wrap more than two gifts in the same wrapping paper, as I love for each gift to be unique. I enjoy looking at the beautifully wrapped gifts under my tree. Can you tell I am slightly OCD??

 

[Tinijocaro]

No gifts under the tree until Christmas eve. Once all the gifts are under the tree, I strategically place bows on the visible layer of gifts, so when the kids see it it looks pretty. Most gifts have no bow.

 

[si-am]

I put bows on most of my gifts. The cats would be disappointed if I didn't.

 

[walden]

I answered this on the wrapping paper thread but fluffy hand tied bows on everything. Supplemented with ornaments, gold painted leaves, silk ribbon flowers, cookie cutters, doodads . . . over-the-top decorative stuff.

No cats here, so I can get away with it.

 

[4nana]

Always ! I love to do fancy bows, wide wire ribbon, shiny cord, tulle, and cute asst. c'massy trinkets on packages....even on gift bags . No present gets a bow till our C'mas eve party ~ with everyone home this year we'll host for 20-25 people, so by the time the kids, IL's, and grands, bring their gifts, it's a sight to behold and truly present w/bow heaven!!!

 

[ilovejack02]

This year I am on a theme kick. Bright candy apple red metallic paper, with lime green sparkly wire ribbon bows. I spent a FORTUNE on ribbon this year, but I will be prepared next year. My after Christmas shopping goal for this year is to buy ribbon for next year.
Also bought a big box of Hallmark fancy tags. THey are gorgeous, hope to snag a cpl more boxes of them for next year.
Years past we were lucky if anything got a ribbon and most was in bags. I am wrapping everything, I am so done with gift bags this year.

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

I buy the bags of bows and every gift gets one, even the money/gift card envelopes. I wish I knew how to make the home made ribbons. I'm cheap so if gifts get opened in my house and the receiver doesn't take the bow, I take them and re bag them for next time.

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

C. Ann, I just have to say I love your Christmas questions.

 

[southern_redhead]

Absolutely, bows on everything! I spent 10 years gift wrapping professionally and our motto was "It's not a gift until it's wrapped!" and I mean hand made bows, not peel and stick!

For the packages not leaving the house, I try to use the same size boxes every year so I can re-use the bows next year. (Nice ribbon can be expensive!)

I worked retail, too, and learned to make the pretty bows. I used to do that when the kids were younger but now I don't bother. I get cute paper and call it done.

I buy a bag of bows and stick them on everything. I wish I could make pretty bows by myself with pretty ribbons but I have no talent in that area.

They are soooo easy to make. Really. I haven't seen the youtube video mentioned but I just make a large-ish "loop" of ribbon - like when you are winding lights - going around at least 4 times, then tie it off in the center. If you are using the wide ribbon make a triangle like cut on each side of the center of the loop then tie it off putting your ribbon in the divets. Next pull each loop up and puff it out. Voila - fancy bow!

 

[Mr.MouseFan]

I must have a cat that could care less about Christmas. Other than the initial exploration of the tree, she hasn't bothered it and it's been up for a month now. Not a single ornament has been knocked off, nor a branch climbed on. The only thing she uses it for is to take naps on the tree skirt. Same with bows, there have been gifts under the tree for the last few days and not a single bow has been messed with. I must have a scrooge kitty..LOL

To answer the question, yes, there must be a bow on everything. I tried my hand at a handmade bow the other day. Loved the result, but too many presents, too little time. Sticky bows for the rest.

 

[Carina]

No gifts under the tree until Christmas eve. Once all the gifts are under the tree, I strategically place bows on the visible layer of gifts, so when the kids see it it looks pretty. Most gifts have no bow.

lol us too..... Hubby told me to do that years ago because bowed gifts can't store (stack) as nice between wrapping and putting out.

Also I use strips of tulle to hold my gift boxes closed, as it dosent get easily smushed, and it means I dont need to tape the box closed. Some of my gift boxes have been used 5-6 times and they look brand new ( the tag gets attached to the tulle or ribbon holding the box closed, no tape or adhesive touches the box- thats what would make a used gift box look used.
On gift bags I either attach the tag to the tissue poufing out the top or I sandwich the handle between the tag and a piece of tape ( it comes right off the handle no problem)

Re-Using gift boxes and bags is good for the environment and good for the pocket book and if done right dosent look grubby and cheap.

Most of my family can't be bothered saving them, so I take all the ones I gave their gifts in back, and steal any that they got from other people.

This year my wrapping supplies cost me under $5 ( not counting scotch tape) and I wrap a TON of presents.

I still have another year or 2 worth of paper from my score of dozens of jumbo rolls of paper for 15 cents each ( bought a few years ago during post Xmas sales) plus all my re-used over and over boxes and bags that will hopefully last many many more years.
It's really saved me a lot.
But I saw the coolest electric guitar paper I knew hubby and kids would love so I splurged $3 on that and Santa's paper cost 73cents.

 

[DisneyScraps]

Every preset that leave the house is a work of art. Carefully wrapped, hand made bows and acessories. I would never use a stick on bow.

I don't put bows on the presents at home because it makes them impossible to stack so nothing fancy on most except one preset for each person gets the full treatment.

Lisa

 

[PollyannaMom]

It's a mix here. In packages that get mailed away, the bottom presents don't have bows, because they would get squashed, but the top ones that will be surrounded by packing peanuts (reused!) or those air-pouf things do. - Some are fancy ribbon ties around the whole package, and some are the regular sticky bows.

At home is a mix as well. Not all the presents get one, but I do special ones on a few things (well-protected from the cats) and some stickies on more that will "show" in the photo of the tree Christmas morning, but that aren't a great loss if they get pulled off as kitty toys.

 

[Rora]

Bows go on all of my presents!

 

[dollydell]

bows and ribbons always, the cat doesn't mess with the presents or tree, the dog would rip the paper off the presents and loves to try and tear apart the tree skirt, so the presents don't go under the tree till after he goes to bed Christmas Eve

 

[jen0610]

Bows completly ruin your ability to stack the gifts in orderly and neat piles. Unless of course, you actually like smashed bows. DH was very much a bow on the gift guy, until he got to know my family. Now he fully embraces the no bow life style.

 

[design_mom]

We do bows or ribbons on most gifts, but not till the last minute. Right now there are a lot of wrapped boxes (no ribbons/bows) under the tree. We found when we did them early, they'd get squashed.

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

bows, ribbons, decorations - the works! My mom always does it up big, and
I am the sane way!

 

[cheermom1]

I have always done the fancy wrapping and bows on all my packages. So much so that every year my family gives me their left over bows and boxes and paper. I love it! I have cats but they stay out side, they hate it inside. Anyway, My hubby knows how I am so he will wrap my present and then send it to me for a ribbon bow. I do not do the stick on bows. I save all my ribbon for the next year too.