DECEMBER 16TH: IT'S A WRAP!

Now, I know you are going to think I'm as nutty as a fruitcake (Christmas reference there) but I love to wrap  Christmas presents.  When I was a youngster, I used to beg my mother to let me wrap them, which she gladly allowed.  When I got older, I dreamed of getting a job at the big department store, J.L. Hudsons, in the wrapping department.  I love picking out just the right paper  to fit the receiver's personality and the ribbon to go with it.  I like folding the corners into crisp little folds.  I love it!

I'm a firm believer that given the right wrapping paper and ribbons, you can make even an old shoe look like a treasure.  Confession is good for the soul and I must confess, that I'm guilty of buying less expensive gifts at Wal-Mart and Target and putting them in boxes from swankier stores and giving them to some of my harder-to-please  family members.  They never know the difference.  Appearances are everything to some people!  Here's how to fool fussbudgets:

Use a good box.  You can buy plain white boxes next to the wrapping paper.  Do not use just any old box.  Erma Bombeck used to do a skit about getting gifts from her mother in a rectal thermometer boxes.  DO NOT DO THAT!

Cushion the inside of the box with lots of tissue paper and do a proper job of folding the clothes before placing them in the box.

Don't skimp on the wrapping paper.  It's better to cut away extra than have it not go completely around the box.

Use real ribbon for the bows.  I collect interesting spools of ribbons at thrift stores throughout the year. They usually cost around a quarter and some are very nice cotton velvets and real silk.

Take time folding your corners and fold under the paper on the backside, so no cut edges show.

Clear the table and allow yourself a lot of room for cutting and wrapping.  Don't do it on a soft bed.

If wrapping Christmas presents annoys you, I think you might find this amusing. I hope you don't have this hard of a time with it!

Here's a picture of my $2.99 Nativity set I found yesterday:

It's cast metal and marked Italy.  Looks like it was used in one of those Putzes. And Baby Jesus' eyes are where they should be! I love to place Nativity scenes all over my house this time of year to remind me what the season is really about.

Some of my ninety-cent treasures from the Re-Use-It Center:

This teacup reminded me of a Scandinavian design  and the saucer underneath it will be used under one of my plants.  I purchased the vintage bottle brush tree (the vintage ones have wooden bases) from the same place early this year for five-cents (it was half-priced 😄)

I'm sorry, I'm a grandma, having silly little things like this snowman decorating my kitchen shelves is required! He's an incense burner.  He's missing his pipe, I'll have to fashion him another one, it would be quite comical to see smoke coming out of it.

The little snowman was part of the "haul" yesterday.  He's an old perfume bottle.  The bigger guy was from a past thrifting adventure (fifty-cents).

And this small three-inch pitcher that has the date 1901 etched into it.  I like these little ones for bud vases, because in spite of growing thousands of blooms, I never can bear to cut an entire bouquet. I also purchased a Fiesta ware teacup that I'll put some sort of goodie into for my son who has a collection of that china. And a vintage sewing book from the 1940s.  I love old sewing books and have quite a collection.  I  love to read them like others read novels. All in all, I think it was ninety-cents well spent and the money goes to a good cause.

Before I go, just wanted to let you know Blogger ate more comments. :(  I just want you to know that I read them and appreciated them immensely!