HOLIDAY: Wrap It Up Mid Mod Style!

 

I'll be honest and say that my favorite 'gift giving' part of Christmas is wrapping the gifts and filling the stockings! I had so much fun over the years finding fun, interesting, maybe educational, and yummy goodies to load up my four kids' stockings each year...

... and yes, I wrapped EVERY item that went into their stockings!

(Truth be told, I did that to slow them down, so Mommy could enjoy a cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll on Christmas morning before the mayhem began!)

Stockings aren't *just* for hanging from the mantel, tho. 

Continue reading to see a few other ways I've used them during the holidays - plus a fun way to embellish them with Mid Mod style. (And in true 'Deb' style, when I can't find what I want, I MAKE it. So I've included a quick tutorial for making your own wrapping paper design!)

I've often used stockings as 'gift bags', tucking a nice bottle of wine or olive oil inside and finishing them off with a pine sprig or a bow. Add a dishtowel rolled up and placed in the toe part to make the stocking look its best. A clip-on rhinestone earring or a crocheted snowflake is a pretty final touch that can be removed and re-used by the recipient.

I've used tiny stockings to hold flatware and a folded napkin at each place setting on a dinner table... on my own tables AND in the setups I have created for retail displays and holiday decorating seminars, and several published articles. The addition of an ornament, candy cane, or sprig of berries to the cuff of the stocking is a perfect finishing touch. Your guests can even take them home as a sweet favor!

This year I found a fun new way to add a detail to stockings, to zhoosh them up a bit: Remember the ornaments I made using shapes cut from vinyl placemats?

I've repurposed a few and added them to some stockings...and they couldn't be easier to add to your own, no matter what you use them for!

 

A small fuzzy stocking got a Mid-Mod spark when I added one of the four-point stars to its cuff. A tiny drop of hot glue holds the shape in place, yet allows it to be removed with a gentle tug. 

This larger stocking is embellished with one of the poinsettia flowers made from 'leaf' print clusters and a pom pom. Again, a little bit of hot glue holds the flowers together AND to the cuff of the stocking. I think they are the perfect compliment to the soft green felt stocking.

(and that stocking stuffer is what every girl wants this year, amiright?! That and a Disney+ subscription to watch The Eras Tour Film ;) )

How many of you went WHAAAAAT?! when I said I made my own wrapping paper?! LOL. I've done it before (linked below this post), and I'll do it again whenever what is offered out in the world just doesn't fit my theme.

This year, I could NOT find a mid-century modern style wrapping paper - so I simply DREW my own design onto white wrapping paper. I used alcohol pens plus a black fine line marker, and it took just a few minutes.

Materials: 

White gift wrapping paper . Black fine line felt pen

Several Colors of Alcohol Ink Pens, Watercolor Pens, or Felt Pens

Method:

(Click on the image to enlarge)

Cut a section of wrapping paper off of the roll OR roll a length out on your work surface - use a book, etc. to weight the end so it doesn't curl back up.

1. Using one color of markers, draw a basic element that compliments your theme... to fit the Mid Mod style, I drew the triangular trees with one of the green markers in several sizes in random placement on the paper. 

Then I switched to another color marker, and added the 3-tier tree elements. 

Another green was used for the four-point star shapes and green circles, and a silver pen was used for the 'clear' circles to replicate ornaments. 

Let the marker ink dry thoroughly before proceeding.

2. Use the black fine line marker to draw a loose outline of each shape - I didn't want perfection, so I did this part quickly. Then I paused to let the black ink dry completely before adding more - you don't want it to smear and ruin the design!

3. I decided that the design needed more elements, so I added trunks to the trees in gold and silver.

4. A few more tiny four-point stars sprinkled all through the pattern gave me the effect I wanted.

The paper I drew on was about 12 X 18 inches, and it perfectly covered a small box:

I grabbed the closest piece of green ribbon and tied it around the box, then used a piece of metallic green pipe cleaner to add a vintage ornament to the bow. There are faded gold and silver lines on the ornament that pick up on the metallic hues in the paper pattern.

Elfie is in charge of stuffing the stockings, but I'm noticing that the candy keeps going missing... poor guy, he doesn't know yet that those pure white candy canes were bought in 2010 and are hard as granite! (If he tries to munch on them, I'll need to find Hermie the Dentist Elf!)

Need more gift wrapping ideas? These past posts might inspire you!

I painted my own ribbon!     AND my own wrapping paper! 

Embellished Vintage Gift Wrap     Wrap It With Vintage Style 

Wrap Gifts in Sweaters!

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