Gift-wrapping inspiration

December 7, 2010 3:51 AM

What are your favourite ways to gift-wrap lots of small, irregular items into one package?

My mum wants lots of toiletries for Christmas -- hand cream, foot cream, cleanser etc. I can't find a gift box that fits the bill, plus I don't really like the style of a lot of those packs. I could wrap up all the items individually, but it doesn't make for a very attractive present. Is a gift basket my best choice? Is it possible to make gift baskets that don't look twee? What other creative ideas do you have? Bonus points for links to pictures so I can visualise what you mean!

posted by londonmark to home & garden (17 answers total)

How about the Extraordinary Surprise Ball?!
posted by peagood at 3:55 AM on December 7, 2010 [5 favorites]

I personally love lots of little individually-wrapped pressies, but would she like a nice cane basket or a terracotta plant pot or something to re-use after Christmas? In my broke days, I used to bake stuff, wrap a few bits of each in cellophane and then put the cellophane packets in the basket/pot, and then wrap the whole thing in more cellophane with ribbons and whatnot.
posted by malibustacey9999 at 3:57 AM on December 7, 2010

Why not get a suitably-sized washbag to add to the gift, then alternate stuffing in coloured tissue paper with the toiletries themselves? This assumes that you can find a big enough washbag of course. Let some of the more attractive toiletries peek out of the top of the bag.

Then wrap the whole thing up in paper - it should be more managable if you stuff the bag correctly.
posted by citands at 4:02 AM on December 7, 2010 [1 favorite]

Actually, you could do as I suggest above but sub a big Christmas stocking for the washbag (as these are bigger). John Lewis have some really nice ones!
posted by citands at 4:03 AM on December 7, 2010

Or, a grown-up piñata ?!
posted by peagood at 4:07 AM on December 7, 2010 [1 favorite]

I have used a cute Xmas stocking for lots of small gifts. A tall skinny wine bag would be nice too.
posted by francesca too at 4:10 AM on December 7, 2010 [2 favorites]

If the individual items themselves are in attractive packaging of some sort, could you get a big glass container and fill it with the presents layers with colorful tissue or clear beads? You can get big glass or plastic vases and stuff used for flower arrangements at a craft store. Then, wrap it up like a giant wine bottle, paper around and scrunched together at the top with a bow. Arrange the items so their labels are up against the sides so she can see them all when she unwraps it.
posted by Mizu at 4:42 AM on December 7, 2010

My wife suggested maybe some of the collapsible shopping bags, stuff as described above. Some of them are very pretty and I know we get a lot of use of the sets we've been given.
posted by JaredSeth at 4:45 AM on December 7, 2010 [1 favorite]

The Envirosax make particularly nice bags of the type she describes (and aptly enough are featuring some of them used as wrapping on their home page right now).
posted by JaredSeth at 4:48 AM on December 7, 2010 [1 favorite]

Wrap them individually. Hide them. In her stocking give her a christmas day scavenger hunt map.
posted by Nanukthedog at 4:56 AM on December 7, 2010

Not very creative but a holiday gift bag with tissue paper would be fine.

Another idea would be to put the items in matching cosmetics bags and then wrap in holiday bag and tissue.

The other obvious suggestion is a bath caddy. Wrap it in cellophane and a holiday ribbon.

Another idea is to buy a luxurious terry robe, place in a rectangular basket, (or use the basket/box it came in) and tuck the items in the robe. Wrap in cellophane, or just present it open.
posted by Fairchild at 5:16 AM on December 7, 2010 [1 favorite]

The google image gave me another idea -- if she likes baths, place the items in a bathtub caddy.
posted by Fairchild at 5:19 AM on December 7, 2010

Duct tape. Lots of duct tape. I have references if you think I'm joking.
posted by jmd82 at 5:48 AM on December 7, 2010

I like furoshiki.
posted by analog at 6:17 AM on December 7, 2010

Toiletries, eh? Get some posh towels and fold them up into a gift basket!
posted by Metroid Baby at 7:07 AM on December 7, 2010 [1 favorite]

My mom used to give what she called "junk boxes". It was basically a large cardboard box filled with packing peanuts as well as many small gift items- often toiletries, candies, school supplies, small toys...you get the idea. Part of the fun was seeing a big, beautifully wrapped box with my name on it, and part was searching through the box to find each item. It's like a stocking with more work, mystery, and fun! I was 30 when I last received one, and it was just as great as when I was a kid.
posted by pupperduck at 5:39 PM on December 7, 2010

Thanks guys, great ideas. I'll probably skip on the duct tape (sorry jmd82!) but I'm going to try a few of the others and see which looks best with the items I'm getting. I think washbags might give me the most mileage if I can find some nice ones. Plant pots and pinatas are also very cool ideas :)
posted by londonmark at 4:12 AM on December 8, 2010