Tissue Paper Flowers

I made 100 of these tissue paper flowers for our friends' summer wedding (but not without help - thanks, H!). They're similar to the tissue paper pom-pom on this gift, but even easier - no scalloped edges.

The remnants of this project inspired a bridal shower gift wrapping idea. Does that ever happen to you - that the big project you're working starts to influence other areas? I'll be back Monday to show you. Have a great weekend!

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Moving Forward

I thought I'd share an update on the writer's block I went through a while ago. Encouraged by your feedback and this advice to lower your standards and keep going, I tried just that. I realized I'd made the stakes too high and I needed to relax to move forward with blogging.

What did that look like? Well, I tried to shake my idea of the perfect blog post and attempted to just go for it, writing posts in new and familiar formats. I blogged about:

Something old (ideas I'd been hoarding and just needed to get out of my system).

Something new (the gift wrapping ideas that seemed freshest when I opened up my Wishpot lists).

Something borrowed (I copied a post format from a blog I admire).

Something blue (I try to keep an upbeat tone here, but there was something refreshing about telling you all that I was in the blogging doldrums while it was happening).

It felt great to share some of the gift wrapping ideas I've been sitting on with you - I don't know what I was waiting for! I guess sometimes it's easier to stockpile inspiration than to turn it into blog posts.

Blogging friends, how's it been going? I'd love to hear whether you are on a roll, stuck, etc.!

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{Image via The U.S. National Archives}

It's My Party

Guess what. The Gifted Blog turned two today!

I'm turning 30 in the fall and asked some wise friends for their advice on celebrating. Their two cents? Do what you want. Don't feel pressured to make it look a certain way.

So I'm taking a page from their book now and celebrating this blogoversary quietly. I had a great time doing last year's Thank You Giveaway, but it was a lot of work and fell right when we were on vacation. (At least I learned some good lessons!) N and I are hanging out with family now, so I'm going to take the week off to kick back and enjoy.

But I'll make a shameless call for birthday gifts before I go! My main love language is words of affirmation. I loved hearing about what you most appreciate about the blog last year. Would you do the same for me this birthday? (No pressure - but really, it would make my day!)
Thanks for partying (quietly) with me. Here's to another year of creative gift wrapping ideas!

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{Image by Oh Happy Day via Pintrest}

A Year Ago on The Gifted Blog

2009
A Package for S & W: Gift wrapping knives with a tablecloth, you say? It can be done! My first documented Wrap Story.

2010
Gift Wrapping Around the World: I'd love to hear more traditions that you know of.

1:00am Gift Wrapping Abandon: Still one of the most unusual gifts I've wrapped so far.

Not Quite Enough Gift Wrap: This Reader Question generated lots of great ideas. Don't be shy if you want to add your own advice!

Some of the best gifts don't come wrapped, pt 2

I mentioned earlier that some of the best gifts we've received in the last year have not come wrapped. A perfect example of this is something my sister and brother-in-law did for N's 2nd birthday. On his big day, they emailed us a link to...

a private video! After a brief message, they sang "Happy Birthday" (complete with party hats!) to the birthday kid. N was mesmerized and watched this several times over lunch.

We try to keep things simple at our house, so a gift that was at once so personal and so clutter-free was perfect! And with all the spastic, animated cartoons out there, I loved that this was just the right pace for N.

Oh, what? You came here because you were looking for creative gift wrapping ideas, not stories about gifts that aren't wrapped? Try here, here, or here for gift wrapping ideas for kids.

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Some of the best gifts don't come wrapped

Because I'm such an enthusiast, some people assume that beautiful gift wrapping is a must in my ideal gift. Not so! Some of the best gifts received by our family this year have come - yes - completely unwrapped.

Take this suspicious-looking postcard that came in the mail this spring.

I was ready to chuck it in the recycling when I flipped it over to read this message:

G's Uncle Tom ordered this gift subscription for N! We got such a kick out of this unexpected present (sent to us months after birthday and Christmas time). Now, a new issue of Successful Farming waits for us in the mailbox every few weeks, supplying us with many opportunities to learn about tractors, balers, combines, and how to make the most of your sidedressing rig. N loves it.

(Did you catch the ad on the back cover? MAN VS. WEED.)

I'll be back soon with another favorite un-wrapped gift. But I'd love to hear your stories in the meantime. What's the best non-gift-wrapped gift you've received lately?

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Harry Potter Owl Post Gift Wrapping | Free Printable Friday

Don't know about you, but we've had the release date for the final Harry Potter movie in our calendar for months now. (And no, I wasn't the one who put it there.) For you non-Harry Potter fans, I'm about to share a gift and gift wrapping pairing that will surprise and delight your J.K. Rowling-obsessed loved ones.

The release date for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is one week from now: July 15th. Why not surprise the HP fan in your life with a night out?

Chiara of Celestefrittata is sharing this adorable Owl Post gift wrap as a free printable. It would make excellent gift wrapping for a pair of movie tickets or homemade coupons in a box! Alternately, it would be fun to mail something with this as the wrap. (Can't you see your mail carrier doing a double-take?)

Check out Chiara's Etsy shop, Celestefrittata, for adorable Owl Post stationery and more. Have fun at the movies!

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{Image via Celestefritatta}

Sent by Owl Post

I've been waiting since December to share this one with you. We went up to Seattle to be with family for Christmas. At our first dinner with my parents, sister and brother-in-law, we found this at my husband's place setting.

Inside the scroll was a note in Harry Potter-esque font, telling G that he and a Muggle friend would be treated to admission to Harry Potter: The Exhibition. LOL. If you've somehow managed to avoid the phenomenon that is Harry Potter, the students of Hogwarts get their mail delivered to them by owls.

Predictably, I freaked out. This is the best gift wrapping I've seen since this feat of ingenuity. What an amazing way to wrap a non-material gift!

My sister made this papier-mache hawk for an elementary school unit on birds of prey. Amazingly (or not so amazingly, since items with sentimental value tend to be kept by one of our parents (who shall remain nameless)), she found it in her old room and brought it out for the occasion. I'm giggling just thinking about it. I mean, look at it. It looks like it was written with a wizard's quill. My sister even found a candle and sealed it with red wax. Love is in the details, baby.

I'll be back on Friday with a fabulous free printable for the Harry Potter fan in your life. Until then, I'd welcome your reactions to my sister's gift wrapping idea!

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Garden Gift Wrapping Roundup

With our own little tomatoes ripening on the patio, I thought I'd share some ideas for 'wrapping' gifts from the garden. Whether you have the luxury of your own garden plots or are harvesting from your balcony, these ideas can help you present the fruits of your labor in style!

Surprising seedling starters at Compai
DIY painted pots from Sunset Magazine
All-natural gift wrapping at Martha Stewart
Repurposed cherry tomato tin by The New Domestic
Ceramic gift tags (shown above) by Paper Boat Press (via Soolip)

I'm loving the element of surprise in The New Domestic's cherry tomato tin. Which idea are you digging? (And to my U.S. readers: happy 4th of July!)

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{Image via Paper Boat Press}

Label Giveaway Results

I'm pleased to announce that Anonymous (but I'm guessing from the email address it's a Teresa) is the winner of the UPrinting giveaway!

She writes, "Since redoing our kitchen pantry, I would use them for that and anything else I could think of."

Organize away, Teresa. You have 250 labels to go nuts with!

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Summer Fruit Gift Tags | Free Printable Friday

Ah, summer fruits! I've slowly tuned into the fact that fruit just tastes better when it's in season. We bought a flat of peaches from this farm on our way back from the Bay Area last summer. Knocked our socks off.

Just in time to adorn the season's bounty, Ez of Creature Comforts is sharing these printable summer fruit gift tags with us. Whether you're canning, freezing, or just giving them fresh, these tags are a lovely way to make your fruit gift-worthy!

I'll be back on Monday with more ideas for gift wrapping gifts from the garden. See you then.

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{Image via Creature Comforts}