The Gift Wrapping Ideas You're Definitely Going To Want To Try This Year

Bustle and Coveteur are working together to bring you the best mix of the season's hottest releases, shopping tips, and gifting ideas in ways that are both inspirational, and attainable. Check The Holiday Edit channel weekly to see what we're up to.

Sometimes it’s what’s on the outside that counts. Just like getting dressed, the outerwear of a gift can speak volumes about the gift inside and how highly you think of your recipient. With that in mind we asked Sarah Brown, editor, judge on American Beauty Star, former Vogue beauty director, Coveteur alum, and self proclaimed gift wrapping-lover if she might drop into the office and give us her words of wisdom. Watch her how-to and this might be the first year you look forward to wrapping present for the holidays.

Find a Color Theme for Your Chic Stack of Books

Contrary to popular belief, books are never boring! For your bookworm friends or those with a huge coffee table begging for books (for example, the Coveteur coffee table book, hint hint), a stack of a few pretty new tomes is like hitting the jackpot. It will feel particularly special when you wrap each in a complimenting assortment of patterned papers. Brown has her secrets as to where she acquires her amazing wrapping supplies, but her public shopping grounds include New York City’s Paper Source, which stocks the kind of papers you immediately want to dress your apartment or body with. Brown says to look for a color theme, like gold and blue for example, and create a tower of eye-catching motifs.

Take Things Out Of The Box

Add a little extra mystery to your gift by taking it out of its box and wrapping the odd shape. Brown did it with the tall cylindrical Amazon Echo Plus, making it look like a giant piece of candy. Instead, it’s basically the most coveted gift of the season, but no one would know until they open it! Wrap the box with the necessary accoutrements to match and go with.

Mix Really Unexpected Patterns

Even when it’s the holidays, a bright summer pattern can be a welcome pop of happy color. Brown found India-inspired block-printed papers in pink and coral to wrap a set of two boxes and topped them off with a super contrasting black and white striped ribbon. The trick? Take all your saved ribbons (you save your ribbons, too, right?) and hold each one up next to your papers. You’ll be surprised which one ends up being the perfect accessory. For another stack, brown found three completely different patterns—a turquoise and white floral, graphic black and white brushstroke pattern, and a small coral botanical print—and strung them together with a delicate gold ribbon. You’ll feel amazing handing it over before they’ve even tugged apart a single piece of tape.