If you look at my gift-wrapping inboard you can tell that I love wrapping with humble brown paper. It’s affordable, practical, easily dressed up for any occasion or season and easily recyclable. It’s also very thin – less paper equals less trees cut down. Brown paper wrapping can be very chic and elegant. Let me show you how!

Simplicity is key elegance. Personally I feel that the simpler, fewer steps made and fewer materials used while achieving maximum impact, the more elegant something is. I try to do this when I wrap gifts too.

Materials used

brown paper
double sided tape & scissors
cream grosgrain ribbon
Wax seal & cream coloured sealing wax
All-purpose card with envelope

Elegant brown paper gift wrapping

The photos I will be showing you here are from 2 gifts that I recently wrapped and they are not chronological, but rather I used photos to merely illustrate the specific step it is under.

1. With the gift facedown in the center of appropriately sized brown paper, use one strip of double sided tape to secure the paper around the gift. 

3. Fold sides like so. I only use one strip of double sided tape for each side.

In Berlin we segregate and recycle so if I received a gift with a lot of tape, I would need to cut out the tape and the non-coated paper that is left will go to the paper waste  and the paper with tape portion goes to the black bin for incineration. 

4. Secure the ribbon around gift.

5. Fill up your card and seal with wax.

6. If your gift is large enough, insert card under the ribbon sans tape.

How to tie a gift ribbon bow

I originally found this video from 101 grams of (eye) candy and I’d like to share it with you hear. The perfect way to tie a ribbon so when the person unwraps the gift the ribbon falls off in one quick pull. (eye)candy calls it the considerate ribbon because it makes it so easy for the recipient to open the gift instead of struggling with too-tightly-knotted ribbons.

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/55525909 width=”750″ height=”500″]

Where to get it

All-purpose cards were bespoke from here. I like to use cream-coloured thick card stock with embossed pale gold print. Look for printers in your area that can do gold printing and embossing. This is very special but well worth it.  All-purpose cards are a must for me because I can use it for gifts, invitations, thank yous, and so much more.

J.Herbin Lacquered wax and seal from KaDeWe stationery section. This French brand has been around since the 1600s.

I bought grosgrain ribbons in bulk from here, but it should be available in any craft store.

What do you think of brown paper gift wrapping? I hope you enjoyed this super simple #diplodiy!