Giveaway: Win 250 Free Labels

A partner of UPrinting.com just reached out to offer me and one reader a set of 250 custom-printed labels. Thanks, guys! UPrinting offers roll labels and standard label templates on their site, but this particular giveaway is for 250 2"x3.5" labels printed on matte paper.

I haven't hosted a giveaway in a while, but I got kind of excited about one of you winning these for gift-giving, mailing, or small business purposes! (After starting work at Common Thread Studio I have been rooting for small businesses a lot more often.)

The details:
-You must be a U.S. resident & 18 years or older to enter.
-One entry per person.

To enter, comment with: 1) your email address (unless you're sure I know it!) and 2) what you would use these labels for. I'm thinking of making return address labels but I'd actually love more ideas! Giveaway closes 9pm (PST) on Wednesday the 29th.

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{Image via UPrinting.com}

Thanks a Mint | Gift Wrap Story

One of the beautiful things about this blog is that it documents some of our dearest relationships. If you've been reading along for a while, you know that our apartment neighbors are friends we've received gifts from and given gifts to. It's a joy to have the various neighbors we do.

I asked our upstairs neighbor if she could water our plants while we were on vacation. I've added some new plants to the patio and wanted to make sure our parsley, mint, tomatoes and shiso survived our absence.

It is so nice to entrust your housekey to a neighbor and know your plants are in good hands!

When we came back I picked a little bunch of mint for her and tied it with baker's twine. Just a very small way to say thanks. (Thank you again, S!) I'm working on gathering more ideas for 'wrapping' gifts from the garden...will share soon.

This Wrap Story is part of a mini-series, documenting every present I’ve wrapped since the launch of The Gifted Blog. Click here for the whole series!

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How to Store Gift Wrap | Reader Question

"My question is not directly about wrapping, but any ideas you might have on storing paper, large sheets and differently sized scraps, and also...other wrapping materials like ribbons and cloth so that we can locate them quickly when required at short notice."   --Namitha

Namitha, always nice to hear from you! As someone with a penchant for gift wrapping with trash, I count myself lucky that our apartment has lots of cupboard space for hoarding collecting. It's not as pretty as the system above, but I use small, sturdy shopping bags to hold gift wrapping supplies. I also have a box for ribbons, sorted into a few resealable plastic bags.

My favorite blog post on this topic is: Simplifying & Organizing Gift Wrap, my 7 tips by AmberLee of Giver's Log. The pretty picture above is hers.

Readers, how do you store your gift wrapping supplies? Namitha and I would love to hear how you wrangle your wrapping paper and corral your ribbon!

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{Images by Marco Bellucci and Giver's Log}

Washi Tape Pennant Gift Wrapping | Gift Wrap Story

I wrapped my first gift at work!

We have kraft bags for any Common Thread purchase, but this customer was giving a birthday gift. I used silver and light blue tissue paper inside and made a trio of washi tape pennants for the handle.

The woman who bought this stepped out so I had a little extra time to make these. Good thing...I don't like gift wrapping under pressure! (Have you heard of this contest sponsored by Scotch? Imagining myself there, I can see why Project Runway contestants always lament the lack of time!)

P.S. We sell 2-packs of this pretty washi tape at my work. Don't forget to say hi if you drop by!

This Wrap Story is part of a series documenting every present I’ve wrapped since the launch of The Gifted Blog. Click here to see them all! 


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Gussied Up Card | 5 Minute Upgrade

The this series was born when a friend requested quick ways to make a gift look nice before running out the door. Find more fast gift wrapping ideas here. 

Want to give a little more than a card?

I saw this on Cassie's blog {rad} and thought it was a fun, unfussy way to dress up a card. Cassie took a fancy chocolate bar and 1" pin and affixed them to this card for her mom using Japanese washi tape. Maybe something to consider for dad or a recently graduated friend?

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{Image via {rad}}

A Year Ago on The Gifted Blog

Have Gift, Will Travel: Awesome reader tips on traveling with a gift. Should you gift wrap before or after arrival? Check the comments to find out!

Pretty Japanese Packaging: Our trip to Japan turns up - what else? - pretty packages.

Free Printable Handmade With Love Gift Tags: Stitching, baking, or making any gifts this month? Top them off with these free printable gift tags.

Simply String: Photo essay of an easy gift wrapping idea.

Manly Gift Wrapping Roundup

The topic of "manly" gift wrapping is one I've mulled over for a long time but only shared a few thoughts on. It's easy to go overboard or cliche (camo gift wrap! mustache gift wrap! bait and tackle gift wrap!). So, I've been patiently collecting these links to share with you.With Father's Day around the corner, it's time to unleash them!

How to gift wrap the manly way at Bonobos
Aluminum gift tags from Paper Valise (found via Creature Comforts)
Universal wrapping paper by David Airey (for the utilitarian man in your life)
Name gift topper by NotMartha
Paper tuxedo gift wrapping (shown above) at The Etsy Blog

I love that the aluminum gift tags must be written on with "a pointed object". Sounds mildly dangerous. And I've mentioned this idea in a previous roundup, but Design*Dump's shirt and tie gift wrapping is too good to not mention again.

Which is your favorite?

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{Image via The Etsy Blog}

DIY Father's Day Gift Boxes | Free Printable Friday

I've been saving this one for almost a year! Kristen Magee of PaperCrave put together these tie-and-shirt boxes for Father's Day to hold gift cards, cufflinks, tech gadgets or other small presents for Dad. Find the printable gift box template and the instructions here!

It was only in re-reading Kristen's post that I realized that these boxes are a riff on these free printable favor boxes she made for Nonpareil Magazine. Just goes to show what can come from creative play!

I'll be sharing more manly gift wrapping ideas next week. See you then. (And in the meantime, we could still use some help with Wednesday's reader question. Care to chime in?)

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{Image via PaperCrave}

Shopping Bags as Gift Bags? | Reader Question

"I have many boxes or bags from retail stores that I save for potential gift wrapping, but many of them have huge and tacky retail logos. Do you have any good examples of how to cover them up? Thanks!"   --Sam

I'm sure so many people can relate, Sam! I know I have a small stash of paper bags that are too nice to toss but not exactly ready to give a gift in. Readers, how would you cover the logo on a shopping bag? Sam and I are all ears for your creative gift wrapping ideas!

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{Images by Marco Bellucci and Andy Hay}

Graffiti Wine Bottle | 5 Minute Upgrade

This series was born when a friend requested quick ways to make a gift look nice before running out the door. Find more fast gift wrapping ideas here.

You're heading to a party with a bottle of wine. It'd be overkill to break out the wrapping paper. Borrow this simple idea from Family Chic and write right on the bottle with a paint pen (an affordable $2 at the craft store). Brilliant!

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Majoring in Gift Wrapping

I'd like you to meet Ellen.

Ellen Culpepper is studying at the Maryland Institute College of Art. In her undergraduate thesis project, Gifts for Others, she is making three gift wrapping suites for three very different people in her life.

Inspired by her husband, mother, and brother, Ellen has sourced inspiration from around the web, sketched out design ideas, and is in the final stages of putting together her thesis presentation (translation: wrapping lots of gifts!). Her goals are to:

- Investigate how systems of envelopment instill meaning in the gifts we give to others.
- Show how wrapping paper, ribbon, tapes, and tags become tangible artifacts of embodied hospitality and acts of compassion.- Use methods of gift-giving and presentation as a framing device for interpersonal relationships.
- Develop a series of gift-giving vignettes—suites of color, pattern, texture, designed wrapping paper, ribbon, packaging elements, cards, tags, confetti, etc.—to present to a recipient.

I am so digging her academic and design-conscious approach to gift wrapping. Her goals above help put words to why gift wrapping is such a satisfying practice for me. It's not superficial, it's conveys something about our relationships with one another. After swapping a few e-mails it's clear Ellen is a fellow gift wrapping aficionado (and also just a super nice gal)!

Take a ramble through her Tumblr to see her work, her sketches, and her inspiration! Check it out: Gifts for Others.

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{Images by Ellen Culpepper}

Journey of Courage | Why We Make

I write The Gifted Blog because I love to create. I've been reflecting on what it means to be a Christian and to love making things. I hope this series will be a jumping-off point for thoughtful discussion among us, no matter your spiritual background. For the whole series, click here.

"There's always so much anxiety before I make a piece..."

I met Maria through a Christian fellowship when she was a freshman in college, a dedicated Latina student headed for a major in the sciences. She loved physics, and as she plunged into college life, she envisioned her major and degree as something that would eventually provide her and her family a stable future.

God used an internship at an arts camp to completely change her direction. I drove her up into the mountains for that camp, then moved away and we lost touch. She realized she wanted to make art. She ended up going for a studio art major, then on to grad school to study arts administration. We reunited recently and talked about her work as an artist.

It was then that she commented, "There's always so much anxiety before I make a piece." Then, thinking it over, she concluded, "It's a journey of courage."

Writing about Maria today, I'm struck by the many ways that she has been on a journey of courage:

-following her heart to make a less "practical" choice.

-trusting that God will provide for her and her family.

-making art inspired by her Christian beliefs at an academically rigorous, secular university.

-delving into the museum world as a woman of color.

It seemed like some of you could resonate with my recent bout of writer's block. Whether we're painting or drawing or writing, how many of can relate to the act of making as "a journey of courage"? It takes courage to find out what we can create. It takes courage to face our fear of failure, or even just our fear of looking dumb.

What about you? What takes courage for you to make?

See more of Maria's work and read about her inspiration here.

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