Ideas for Pretty Packages - Coastal Living

Photo: Alison Gootee

Finishing Touches

Think of tags as jewelry for your gifts—they're a simple way to add big style with little effort. Choose cardstock options that feature modern design twists and palettes that riff off traditional red and green (such as pink and mint).

Buy it:
Mixed Messages (top right corner): It's Coal Card, Tutta Lou Press. Winter Berry card, $5; Smudge Ink. Merry Christmas Arrow card, Hammerpress.

Tropical Take (bottom right): Flip-flops and Palm cards, Lobird.

Shape Shifter (left): Greeting and Open Me First cards, Meri Meri. Sand Dollar card, $19.50 for a set of 12; Egg Press. Nautical Compass card, $1.50; Ruff House Art. Cotton ribbon, Angela Liguori.

Photo: Alison Gootee

In the Bag

Make spirits even brighter (and gift wrapping a cinch) when you deliver your hostess' favorite bottle of wine in a festive tote. Or fill it full of trikets and candy as a party favor for little ones.

Buy it: Seas and Greetings Wine Totes, $18 each; obxtradingroup.com.

Photo: Alison Gootee

Close Ties

Use unexpected textiles for embellishing, such as cotton, cording, or rope. For a layered look, try a wide grosgrain beneath sweet baker's twine or a thin cotton ribbon.

Buy it: Gold cord and red satin ribbon, Paper Source. White trim and blue ribbon, Hobby Lobby. Grosgrain ribbon, Midori. Italian cotton spools and blue cotton twine, Angela Liguori. White velvet ribbon and red grosgrain, May Arts. Baker's Twine, Smitten on Paper.

Photo: Alison Gootee

Top It Off

Bows like these never go out of style! Make a statement with metallic versions in unique shapes, like tight curls. Or, cluster multiples of one type of bow for big impact.

Buy it: (from left) Silver Fabric Curl Swirl Bow, $3; target.com for store locations. Satin Gold Ribbon Bow, $2.79; containerstore.com. 2" Bag of Mini Bows, $0.99; shop.hobbylobby.com.

Photo: Alison Gootee

All Dressed Up

Who says wrapping paper has to be, well, paper? A chic (and green) alternative is reusable fabric gift wrap, with the corners knotted together at the top. Another idea: Use a snazzy scarf or tea towel, so the giftee is doubly rewarded.

Buy it: Chewing The Cud Organic Reusable Give Wraps in Give Cheer Starbursts (Persimmon), Give Joy Antelopes (Lime/Cherry), and Give Bliss Chevron (Aqua/Blue), $16; chewingthecud.com for retailers.

Photo: Alison Gootee

Ocean Accents

We're all for anything that helps us coast through the holidays, and this quick gift topper transforms plain presents into beautiful gifts in a flash. For a simple garnish, tie a medium-size starfish decoration (a shell or lightweight glass fishing buoy works, too) around the base of a bow with pretty ribbon.

Buy it: Natural Raffia, $8 (4 oz.); containerstore.com. Knobby Cerithium Slices, $3 for four, and Sand Dollar & Starfish set (sand dollar not pictured), $3 for two; shop.hobbylobby.com.

Photo: Alison Gootee

Stick to It

Tape takes on a new life with eye-catching designs. A whimsical touch for securing paper, it can also double as ribbon—we like it paired with plain paper so as not to compete with patterns. You may never use clear tape again.

Buy it: Ginko Papers FunTape in Lace & Bows Gold Set, Stripes, Blue Arrows, Teal Hexagons, and Red Arrows, from $4; ginkopapers.com.

7 Ideas for Pretty Packages

Finishing Touches

In the Bag

Close Ties

Top It Off

All Dressed Up

Ocean Accents

Stick to It