I have always loved, for as long as I can remember, finding pretty wrapping papers for my Christmas gifts. If you’ve received a Christmas gift from me, you know this is true.
The above image is my own, from approximately 2011, when cameras weren’t as good as they are now, but I still love it and wanted to share it with you, so you know what I’m about to say is true.
My love for pretty wrapping papers stems from an early Christmas memory.
My Mom’s duplicate bridge partner for many years, Bill Landley, would bring my family the most exquisitely wrapped gifts every Christmas. My teenage anticipation grew by the second as I dug through the layers – bows, ribbons, gift wrap paper, tape, speciality boxes, sparkly tissue paper – the works!
Oh how I loved opening them… I always knew a treasure I truly wanted would be buried inside and I was never disappointed. He was the most generous gift giver.
He’s long been gone, but his kindness will never be forgotten – and neither will the way his gifts were wrapped.
I learned from him the delight that a beautifully wrapped gift could give the recipient and today, I carry on creating that magic for my own family and friends.
This year, I went searching on Etsy for pretty papers for Christmas gift giving, in order to support artists and their small businesses and today, I’d like to share with you some of my favorites.
Please let me know, in the comments, which ones you like best.
READY?
First of all, the Chinoserie themed paper below, which I think my interior designer friends might love, is from Etsy seller, Shann Spishak.
Unfortunately, her shop is closed now, so you can’t get this paper this year, but you can put it on your list for next year if you love it as much as I do.
She has several different versions of it, as you can see below, and her shop is here.
It is SO perfect for #designhappyliving homes!
Can’t you just see this pretty paper under the Christmas tree of my friends, David Ecton and Lance Jackson of Parker Kennedy, who so kindly gave me permission to share their stunning Christmas tree on my Instagram feed – which you can see below, too.
What do you think?
As any friends of mine know, I love hand drawn illustration. The pretty poinsettia gift wrap paper in this image is from the Etsy shop of Jennifer of Sugar Spice Invitation in Atlanta. I just love the natural charm of it, and how she’s brightened the traditional colors a bit.
This pretty gift wrapping paper has that same natural charm and is from the Etsy shop of UK based, Where The Wildlings Roam. Her shop is here and is full of gorgeous hand drawn illustrated gift wrapping papers. It’s not to be missed!
Now for something bright and fun, for your children. The next three papers touched my heart and made me smile. I hope one of them will do the same for you.
First, we have two adorable papers [ I love her gift tags!] from UK illustrator and Mom, Laura of Clara and Macy. Find this paper, here.
Also from Clara and Macy is this precious paper doll Christmas gift wrap paper. How cute is this? Can’t you just imagine your daughter or niece or granddaughter having fun with this after she unwraps her gift?
Two gifts in one is my idea of a total win from Santa! Find this paper, here.
And from Las Vegas, Nevada based illustrator, Abbie Renzema, of Abbie Ren Illustration, I found this paper that gave me a huge smile!
I remember, so well, my parents telling me “Do Not Shake” when I was four, five and six years old and couldn’t resist doing exactly that! Do you?
Find this paper, and the rest of Abbie’s adorable, and funny, collection of pretty Christmas gift wrap papers, here.
Lastly today, I found two colorful and pretty Christmas gift wrapping papers from the Etsy shop of Chicago based, Erisha of Ruby Stripe.
Erisha is also the well known Etsy seller, All Things Created. She started Ruby Stripe as a side business, and I think her colorful papers are so perfect for your #designhappyliving homes.
You can find this paper, here.
This is the other one I loved from her – the Christmas cakes. You can find it, here.
Which one do you like best? Let me know in the comments!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at some of my favorite pretty papers for Christmas gift wrapping. Please PIN the ones you love best. I sure would appreciate that!
And… I’d love to know what your favorite sources are for pretty wrapping papers, too. I’m always on the hunt for the unique and unusual!
Please let me know in the comments.
Thank you so much for reading, I know you are all busy and have so much to do over the next week and a half as you prepare for Christmas.
I invite you to follow Design Happy Living on –>
Instagram and I’d love you to welcome you as a new subscriber. You can find the subscribe button on the sidebar. That would be a true Christmas gift for me, but subscribe or not, I’m happy you’re here and appreciate you!
I am wishing each of you, my friends and readers, a blessed, safe, fun, relaxing and very Merry Christmas!
Leslie
These are ALL so pretty! Thanks for curating such a beautiful selection! I adore wrapping beautiful and special gifts too…that doll paper one is absolutely delightful, and of course I love the decorated cakes one – how fun would that be for a kitchen-related gift?!
Hi Janet!
You’re welcome. There are some truly talented illustrators out there in the world of Etsy…and it was so much fun to go down the rabbit hole to find these papers to share with all of you. I ordered one of them for myself, which arrived yesterday, and you will soon see a few pics – online – wrapped with it!
And yes, you are so right — the one with the decorated cakes would be perfect for a kitchen related gift..especially if it was being given to the wonderful baker that is YOU!
Merry Christmas, my friend!
Oooh! I love all the treasures you’ve curated here, Leslie! If I had to pick a favorite it would be the paper dolls, only because I can imagine the hours of entertainment they would have given me as a child. But they are all fabulous and I’m so grateful you featured them! Until now, I didn’t even know one could find such gift wrap on Etsy.
I also LOVE the story you shared from your own childhood, of the beautiful gifts so exquisitely wrapped that they etched themselves indelibly on your memory as a tribute to the giver.
Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!
Hi Crystal ~
Thank you so much for the lovely comment. I appreciate it. I’m so glad you now know you can find this kind of beautiful gift wrap on Etsy. It’s a great way to support small business and to get something truly unique. And thanks for sharing your favorite – the paper dolls, I,too,really, really loved that paper because I used to play with paper dolls for hours on end when I was little. It brought back a lot of memories to see that paper.
And thank you for the love on my childhood memory. Bill Landley was a constant presence in my life until he passed away, as he and my Mom were *tied at the hip* duplicate bridge partners for so many years. He was, in truth, an *odd duck* but he loved giving us these incredibly wrapped Christmas gifts…and the gifts inside were always EXACTLY perfect. I will never forget his thoughtfulness in that regard.
One thing I didn’t mention in my post is that most Etsy sellers let you filter by color, so if you have a particular color scheme in mind for your Christmas decor, you can find papers that will work with that.
Merry Christmas to you and your family, too, Crystal.
Leslie
I love the idea of shopping for unique wrapping papers, it is something I have not done in the past but will certainly do from now on! What a great post, and I loved every photo!
Hi Amy ~
I’m so glad this post gave you the idea that you can use Etsy for unique wrapping papers – and, as you saw – not only for Christmas, but all year around. It’s such a nice thing to find such beautiful papers and to know that you are directly supporting that makers small business.
Thanks for stopping in!
Leslie
What a feast for the eyes! Such a fabulous collection of papers. I’m somewhat partial to the snowman wrapping paper but every single one you chose is amazing. Thank you so much for sharing these finds with us. I need to seriously up my wrapping game!
Hi Linda ~
Thanks so much for stopping in to comment. I appreciate it and love knowing your fav is the snowman. Don’t you just love that cute little gift tag, too?
It was so much fun to go down the rabbit hole of Etsy to find these makers. There are so many talented illustrators there, and they make papers for all occassions, not just the holidays. This is one easy way for all of us to support small businesses and makers, all year long.
Merry Christmas to you and your family, Linda!
Hi Leslie,
These are all so beautiful and lovely that they are hand made from a maker. I also love that you are supporting small business. I am sure these papers feel just as wonderful as they look. Thank you for sharing these collections.
Sharon
Hi Sharon ~
Thanks so much for stopping in to comment. I appreciate it. And, yes, my intention was to do exactly what you’ve mentioned: support small makers doing unique hand illustrated papers, because I personally love them SO much! And re: their feel? I can’t speak to that for all of them, but I did purchase the one from Sugar and Spice Invitations for myself, the one with the pointsetta on it, and it came yesterday and feels delicious to the touch. The paper is thick and not shiny…which I like. I will share a gift I am going to wrap with it – online.
Have a very Merry Christmas, my friend, and thanks for your own fun post on your family’s holiday traditions. I enjoyed that one and seeing you all look so happy together as you enJOYEd the sites of New York City at Christmas.