29 UHeart Organizing: Time to Wrap!

Someone pinch me.  Please.  I am having such a hard time believing it is time to start planning and preparing for the holiday season!

I will admit, I am one that easily gets taken by surprise at how quickly the season comes each year, and by the time I typically get into the holiday swing of things, they are already over!  However, I have vowed that I will NOT procrastinate this year.  Tree will go up earlier, gifts will be purchased earlier, cards will be done earlier... and that means I must get my rear in gear!

Courtney is giving me the kick start I need today, I just went to holiday heaven by reading her post.  Hopefully you will find yourself getting excited to kick off the most wonderful time of the year as well!  Here she is now!

With the holidays peeking out from behind the corner, I am trying to get as organized as possible. I have started collecting items for our advent calendar countdown as well as getting this wrapping box organized for little Christmas gifts. This box is designed to help me quickly put together teacher gifts, neighbor goodies, hostess gifts and any other need for an unexpected gift here and there. The idea behind it is to have everything in one place so that when I go to give out those yearly gifts {teachers, friends, hostess, etc.} I don’t have to scramble for wrapping. 

The box itself is a white box from The Container Store but you could use absolutely anything. And it’s only for a couple of months so feel free to shop your home and “borrow” a basket of box for the season. 

So what is in the box? Here is the breakdown: Bakers String, Crinkle Paper, Tote Bags, Gift Tags, Scissors, a Pen, and small shatter proof ornaments. 

The small ornaments are from both Hobby Lobby and Ikea. They have amazing prices on these little guys and you can easily grab them with a coupon. The package of small white totes is also from Hobby Lobby and only costs $5 for 12. With a 40% off coupon it’s only around $3.00 and there will be enough for me to cover all the little gifts that I give out. 

The gift tags were only $2.00 for a set of 15 from Hobby Lobby. They come as blank cards so that you can do whatever you want with them. I always think a cute gift tag can really make a simple gift look very special.

So with everything I need in just one place, I can easily wrap a gift card or simple gift in a jiffy. Does anyone say “jiffy” anymore?? Each tote bag will be filled with crinkle paper and tied with an ornament and gift tag. I also keep a pen tucked in the box so I can fill out the card as well. 

When I shop this year, I will keep in mind the size of my tote bags. When I give out little gifts to teachers, neighbors, friends or a hostess these are some of the gifts I often give:

• Starbuck’s Gift Cards 
• A Set of Coasters 
• A Pretty Bracelet 
• Personalized Stationary 
• A Small Decorative Bowl

By the way, this bakers string was a steal from Target. They had it in the dollar section and each one comes with ten yards. I only use about 10” per gift so this will be more than enough for the holiday season. Be on the look out if you want to scoop some up.

So that is my wrapping box for those little last minute gifts. Keep in mind this is to wrap teachers’ gifts as well as hostess gifts. The gifts to family are normally wrapped in boxes with some fun additions. You can see how I wrapped all of those last year. I am sort of a sucker for a beautifully wrapped gift. Who isn’t, right?!

Here’s to an organized holiday season! I am excited to implement this box this year and see if I can stay on top of all of the little gifts that seem to pop up out of the blue. What about you? Do you have a fun idea for keeping your holiday gift wrapping close at hand?

"Do you believe in love at first sight? I sure do because when I first stumbled upon I Heart Organizing I immediately fell in love with Jen's mad organizational skills. I think we all long for a calm, organized, well styled life. I am the author of A Thoughtful Place blog where I dish on all things related to decorating, organizing, entertaining, and of course DIY-ing! To be quite honest, working on making my house a home is my happy place. It fulfills my need to be creative and I love sharing ideas {both big and small} with my readers. Along with my blog, I am a contributing writer to House of Fifty and have recently started my own decorating firm, Casey Grace Design, LLC,  with my talented sister.  I call Orange County, California home where I live with amazing husband and two children. At the end of a busy day, I love to enjoy an ice cold beer on the front porch with my hubby while we watch our children ride their bikes or run around. Life is sweet and I am thrilled to be a part of the IHeart Organizing Team."