Hello all you Crate Paper fans! It's Tara here today to share our third installment of It's a Wrap ~ where we wrap up the end of each month by playing with a different gift-wrap theme! The theme this month wasn't one that took alot of deciding upon. We've been celebrating many birthdays this month and May is looking to be just as full with festive birthday celebrations!
I also thought a Birthday theme would be a wonderful reason to share a gift that I just wrapped up for my good friend Erica! Erica has reached a milestone birthday and we are ready to celebrate in grand style next weekend which meant that her gift could be a little over the top... I like to call it fanciful!
Erica's gift ended up being on the larger side, so in order to bring balance to a large square gift, the gift topper had to be circular and colorful, as I had wrapped her gift with simple white wrapping paper. I decided on making a very full pom-pom for the top, it's very bright and very whimsical - just like my friend Erica! I will admit that it was much larger when I first created it but after a few snips here and there with my trust scissors, I was able to create a better proportioned pom-pom. It's attached to the gift by using a few foam pop-dots reinforced with a little tacky glue.
By now you may have noticed that I'm a huge fan of tags in place of cards when it comes to gifts. I love taking a small group of tags and arranging them into pretty layers. Mix in a few textured elements, like a flower and maybe a few clothe-pins and the bundle of tags are complete!
As an extra layer I created a couple of frayed fabric tassels in coordinating colors to match my gift wrap. I chose to attach this very soft dove-grey tassel to the back of my little tag bundle.
Now for my gift tags! If you can keep a secret, I'll let you know what I got Erica for her birthday ~ one of the tags will make more sense knowing what the gift is! I purchased a new record player for my friend and to carry the music theme into the gift wrap, I used a music-note flashcard and typed a little note about shopping for vintage records.
Since I tend to save all of my scrap paper, even the tiniest of pieces, I'll often use a paper punch to punch out shapes and then I can create petite sewn garlands like the one I used on Erica's Happy Birthday tag. It's a great way to recycle and reuse pretty paper!
Another fun idea for reusing tiny paper pieces? Use a hole punch to create your own confetti and pour into a small glassine envelope. To attach the envelope to the gift tags, I used a mini clothespin, from the Story Teller Collection, to clip into place. I think fussy, sometimes simple details, like confetti, are a cute extra to add especially since Birthdays are a day to celebrate and what's better than sprinkling a little confetti around?
To make this edition of It's a Wrap even more special, we're giving away a Pretty Party Collection prize pack to one of our lovely readers.
We'd love to know what the best, or just the most creative, gift you've received as a birthday present!
Leave us your comment in the comment section of this post and I'll be back this Friday to choose a lucky winner. Make sure to have your comment submitted by Thursday, 8:00pm Central Time - Good Luck & Happy Monday!
~ Tara
Oh goodness am I first to post? OH the pressure? Well for me a very sweet birthday gift that I still cherish is from my youngest son who made me a little booklet w/why he loves me in Kindergarten. He had gotten his teacher to help him. He's in 3rd grade now but I love to look at this sweet expression of love. The most wonderful sweet gift ever!
Posted by: Ellie A. | April 30, 2012 at 05:22 AM
SOOOOO excited!!! My fav gift...I was stationed over seas one year and I fleew hom to suprise my mom on her birthday!! That was the best gift for she and I!
Posted by: Stephanie | April 30, 2012 at 05:30 AM
My favorite gift ever...My husband took a tree branch and put it in a flower pot. On the branches he tied little cards that he made himself and each card had something different written on it. Each week I could open an envelope and we would do that thing that week. Several of them were eating out at specific places but there were movies, minature golf, a weekend trip...just things that he thought up to do that we could do together. This was done for my 50th birthday so he had been busy thinking up 50 different things to do and making all those cards. The best part of this gift...I had no idea what he was doing and I still wonder how he did all this without me getting wind of it.
Posted by: Pam Spradlin | April 30, 2012 at 05:33 AM
Your layered gift tag is AMAZING Tara! So BEAUTIFUL!! My fave gift was a book from my kids -- it was a book that I had been wanting for a long time!! So happy when they got it for me!!
Posted by: Julie Tucker-Wolek | April 30, 2012 at 05:45 AM
My favorite gifts were little coupon book from my kids. They would have coupons inside that I could redeem for things like; breakfast in bed, or a bedtime story, etc ...
Posted by: Marcia Dehn-Nix | April 30, 2012 at 05:58 AM
I had been wanting a Cricut but it was too expensive. My husband surprised me on my birthday with a Cricut -- it was so shocking because I never even mentioned it to him, I didn't even know he knew what a Cricut was! That was definitely a great gift.
Posted by: Ann Marie | April 30, 2012 at 06:16 AM
One of my favourite gifts was a day with my girlfriend. She planned the whole thing and just pampered me all day. it was simple, loving and wonderful!
Posted by: Denise | April 30, 2012 at 06:29 AM
anything my husband "surprises" me with that he has made on the lathe; he has come up with some really cool things... :-) Thanks!
Posted by: Kelly Massman | April 30, 2012 at 06:53 AM
My husband and son made me a wooden clipboard with multiple wood types..so special and beautiful!
Posted by: Candace Bunch | April 30, 2012 at 07:09 AM
I adore when my children make me jewelry! Whether it's a macaroni necklace or a pin made out of puzzle pieces, I cherish very one! :)
Posted by: Ann | April 30, 2012 at 07:45 AM
The best gift I ever got on my birthday. That's a tough one! I think my Husqvarna sewing machine. It was the year I turned 30, and my dad was retiring, so it was a "this is the last great, big, birthday present you're getting from us so we're making it a good one."
Posted by: Miriam Prantner | April 30, 2012 at 08:00 AM
The best gift I ever received was my daughter! She was born 2 days after my birthday, a month earlier than expected!
Posted by: Cyndee K. | April 30, 2012 at 08:17 AM
My favorite craft gigt was from my daufhter. She gave me a painting with her mum!!!
Posted by: Lefki | April 30, 2012 at 08:18 AM
my favourite gift would be a big cardboard with lots of wishes :)
Posted by: Cheryl Leong | April 30, 2012 at 08:38 AM
My husband proposed to me on my 21st birthday! Best present ever!! Our 24th wedding anniversary is next week :)
Posted by: Lisa C. | April 30, 2012 at 08:53 AM
It wasn't for my birthday (it was for Christmas)-- my husband made me a couple colored pencil pendants (and some for his mom, his sister, and my mom, too). They are just gorgeous! (and I have a post about them on my blog: http://vegetablog.wordpress.com/2010/01/11/a-little-bragging-husbands-pencil-pendants/)
Posted by: Natalie (QSOgirl) | April 30, 2012 at 08:57 AM
Absolutely amazing tag details! So beautiful.
My most surprising gift... a Canon Rebel T3i from my DH this year.
Posted by: Ashley | April 30, 2012 at 10:23 AM
my greatest gift was a wellness weekend with my husband.
Posted by: Caro | April 30, 2012 at 10:28 AM
"It wasnt the gift itself, but the way he gave it to her.." a cute little gift box i have!! My very favorite gift ever, as when my husband for a whole month, had been planning on making my birthday special..told me to pack a weekend bag...and surprise me with a 5 hr. trip to Utah, "Lagoon" an amusement park, and re-Created our very first date!! including the photo booth!! I loved every minute of it!! It was so romantic and thoughtful!!♥
Posted by: Cherry Moss | April 30, 2012 at 10:36 AM
The most creative gift i have ever recieved was a colorful paper clip necklace my pupils made for me last year.
Posted by: Elena | April 30, 2012 at 10:37 AM