HO, HO Happy Free Printable Christmas Gift Tags

November 27, 2018

Don’t you just love the Christmas season? I sure do. As I was driving today, listening to Christmas music, I noticed the tension I’ve been feeling this year was lifted. I pondered why and it dawned on me that instead of watching the news, I’ve been watching Christmas movies. They have been a great distraction to all the strife and turmoil that’s going on across the world and they’ve lifted my spirits. I just might have to make Christmas movies a part of my normal routine?

Anyway, back to our regular scheduled programming.

Over the next week, I’ll be sharing my gift wrap theme and lots of gift wrap inspiration with you. But today, I’m sharing some fun and FREE printable gift tags that I made just for you. I designed these tags with a sense of whimsy and personality in mind, kinda of how my spirits are these days. Once you print your gift tags (on 8 1/2″ X 11″ paper), just punch a hole in the top and tie them onto a gift with ribbon.

Tip: for best results, print the tags on mid-weight cardstock or photo paper.

For those of you that want more colorful tags, you can download my Merry & Bright tags here.

Click Here To Download Your Christmas Gift Tags

If you use these gift tags on any of your holiday gifts, please share a photo on Instagram and use the hashtag #confettistylegiftwrap

Happy Wrapping!

My Essentials For Christmas Decorating

November 17, 2018

Hi friends. I hope everyone had an amazing week. I was running in overdrive all week and still didn’t get everything checked off my to-do list. Needless to say, I’m so happy the weekend is here. Other than decorating for a client on Sunday, I’m hoping of a low-key weekend at home.

If you follow me on Instagram you know that I’ve already started decorating my home for Christmas. I’ve got a few more things to do and then I’m calling it done. I’ll be sharing sneak peeks of my decor next week and then the big reveal will be on November 28th as part of the Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour.

As I’ve been decking the halls, I’ve gotten a few questions about what elements I think are key when decorating for Christmas. In today’s post I’m sharing my decorating essentials plus giving you a look at some of my holiday decor from past years. I hope my tips help make your home extra festive this year!

Christmas 2016

If you ask me, the most important element when decorating for Christmas is CREATING A THEME FOR YOUR DECOR. The theme can be based on anything–colors, a pattern or a specific design element. In 2016 my theme was A Bright & Bold Christmas and I used a mixed of colorful ornaments as the foundation to my decor. And last year I used my favorite colors, red and hot pink as my theme. Whatever inspires you, use that as your theme.

Christmas 2017–Pink Satin Ribbon // Red Stripe Ribbon (similar here)

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The second most important element when decorating for Christmas is beautiful RIBBON. Ribbon is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to add color, pattern and texture in your holiday decor. And there are so many ways you can decorate with ribbon. I typically use ribbon on my tree and love adding it to my mantel decor as well. And beautiful ribbon is always part of my Christmas gift wrap.

2017– Gold Ribbon // Holly Leaf Ribbon // Wrapping Paper from HomeGoods

Tips For Decorating With Ribbon

Wired ribbon is best on Christmas trees because it’s easier to control the movement and positioning between the branches.
Non-wired, satin ribbon is great for making soft, single loop bows to hang on garland or a wreath. If you want a full, multi-loop bow, use a 1 1/2″ to 3″ wide wired-edge ribbon.
For added dimension combine two different styles of ribbon and tie a double bow or hang them together on your tree. To create visual impact, combine two different patterned ribbons together like a plaid and geometric.

Christmas 2017 // Pink Ornaments–Amara Living

2016

Christmas 2014–Harlequin Ribbon // Tartan Ribbon–Hobby Lobby

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Next on my essential holiday decor list is ornaments and not just one specific type of ornament but a VARIETY OF ORNAMENTS. If you look at Christmas tree decor on Pinterest, you’ll see that the most beautiful trees all have one thing in common, variety. Decorate your tree with ornaments in different sizes, shape, material and finishes to create a dynamic tree.

Christmas 2011

I also like to decorate with ornaments around my house, placing them in bowls or under glass cloches. It’s a simple decorative touch that’s perfect for a coffee or console table.

Christmas 2016

Christmas 2017

Tips For Decorating With Ornaments:

Your Christmas tree will really sparkle if you incorporate shiny gold, silver or glass ornaments that reflect the lights on the tree.
Wire small ornaments together in clusters of three so they stand out on your tree.
Incorporate ornaments into your bookshelf displays as a fun holiday touch.
Anything that can hang securely on your tree can be considered an ornament. In 2015 I hung framed photos and decorative cardboard coasters on our tree as ornaments.

***

Whether real or faux, GARLAND is definitely an essential decorative element that you want to use when decorating for Christmas. In addition to hanging garland on the mantle and stair banisters, I like to drape it around mirrors, on the sideboard and over the headboard in our bedroom.

Christmas 2015

2017–Red/White Pillows–Ikea // Wreath Pillow-HomeGoods

2017

Tips For Decorating With Garland:

If you use faux garland but want the scent of real, add a few fresh greenery pieces into your garland. Fresh sprigs will also add texture.
Add embellishments like ornaments, decorative pics or magnolia leaves to enhance your garland.
Instead of running garland straight along the mantle, swag it to create visual movement and softness. Place ribbon or bows at the scallop points to highlight the lines of the garland.
When using fresh garland on a tabletop, always place a tablecloth, runner or piece of fabric underneath to protect the table surface.

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Another element that I like to add to my holiday decor are UNEXPECTED TOUCHES like framed holiday prints and holiday decor in the kitchen. Small touches here and there will make your entire home feel festive.

Christmas 2016

2017

Christmas 2014

Christmas 2017

Tips For Adding Unexpected Touches In Your Christmas Decor:

Decorate the areas that have the most visibility in your house. If you have family or company coming for the holidays, add festive touches to the guest bedroom.
UpStyle pillar or jar candles by wrapping them in holiday themed craft paper.
Tie a simple bow to the lid of ginger jars, on lanterns or tall candle holders.
Replace a few pieces of artwork around your home with a Christmas printable or holiday patterned gift wrap.

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The last item on my decorating essentials list is PRETTY WRAPPING PAPER. I like to coordinate my paper and ribbon with my theme so the gifts look extra pretty under the tree. I use a variety of paper designs and ribbon styles that tie back to the colors and patterns on my tree. And I add embellishments like a small ornaments, vintage jewelry or craft supplies to make each gift unique.

2017

2017

Christmas 2016

Christmas 2014

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For creative gift wrap ideas and tips, check out my Gift Wrap 101 Guide. And if you’re in Atlanta, join me on Dec. 1st for my Gift Wrap Workshop with Steve McKenzie’s and Verde Home. You’ll find all the details below.

‘Tis the season and happy decorating!

How I Develop My Christmas Theme {and my theme for 2017}

November 2, 2017

I suspect that I am not the average person when it comes to decorating for Christmas. There are people who decorate the same way year after year because of tradition or they have their look down pat. And then there are people like me who like to change their decor every year which requires some thoughtful planning.

Before I tell you about my process for planning my Christmas decor, let me share one thing. Changing my decor every year doesn’t mean that I go out and buy all new stuff. It means that I decorate with items I already own but use them in a different way.

For instance, last year I combined solid colored ornaments with ribbons to create a simple and colorful Christmas tree. The only new item I purchased for the tree was the ribbon.

plaid ribbon // red & green ribbon from Costco

In 2015 I used only my red ornaments, some handmade garland and framed photos to decorate the tree. The only new items on this tree were some monogrammed ornaments I purchased at an after-Christmas sale.

harlequin ribbon // black and white ribbon

Planning my Christmas theme starts early every year. It actually helps to flush out ideas for the coming year when I take down my decorations and store them away after Christmas.

Here are a few things I think about when developing my Christmas theme:

What will my color statement be? I love traditional Christmas colors but I’m also a fan of non-traditional holiday decor. It’s fun to mix classic colors like red and green with modern colors like royal blue or pink.
What items do I already own? I take stock of what I already own and use that to guide my decor plan and create a shopping list for of any new items I want to purchase. Every year I buy a few new things like ornaments, ribbon or tabletop items like plates or linens. When I’m purchasing ornaments, I like to buy solid colors because they give me the most flexibility year after year.
What areas of my home will I be decorating? I like to have a touch of Christmas in every room so I think about each space and how I can add Christmas decor to make it festive.
What impact statements do I want to make? In addition to my tree, I want a few spots around the house to stand out. It could be the fireplace, stairs or a special touch in the kitchen. Identifying these statement areas helps me create my overall decorating plan.
What will my gift wrapping look like? I love wrapping gifts and always coordinate my gift wrap with my Christmas decor. In some cases a special wrapping paper might even inspire my theme like it did last year.
And finally, I think about how my decorating theme will work with the other decor in my house. I want my Christmas decor to reflect the same style and spirit as my everyday decor.

Now that you know my process for developing my Christmas theme, here’s what I have planned for 2017.

Christmas 2017 is going to be bright and bold!

This year I’m using three of my favorite colors as the theme for my Christmas decor–red, hot pink and bright emerald green. The tree will be decorated with red and hot pink ornaments plus a few white and light pink pieces thrown into the mix.

I have some fun embellishments planned for the garland that will be draped along the stairs and fireplace.

And I’m keeping my gift wrap pretty simple this year with solid colored paper, satin ribbons and fun package toppers and tags.

And of course I’ll be creating a pretty holiday tablescape to share with you!

As we count down to Christmas, I have lots of holiday posts to share with you, including my first gift guide next week.

And don’t forget to mark your calendars for the 2017 Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour. Like last year, all of the participating bloggers will be sharing their holiday home tours over a 3 week period starting November 29th.

For more holiday decor inspiration, check out these holiday decor posts:

Merry & Bright Holiday Home–2016

Merry & Bright Holiday Home-2015

Seven Last Minute Christmas Decor Ideas

Christmas Decor 2012

My Christmas Gift Wrap–It’s All In The Details

December 8, 2016

Can we talk Christmas gift wrap for a minute?

If you’ve been reading the blog for a while you all know that I am a bit of a snob when it comes to gift wrap and ribbon. I don’t have anything against gift bags but when it comes to wrapping gifts, I whole-heartedly believe that the presentation of a gift adds to the entire gift giving experience.

When it came time to come up with a gift wrap plan for Christmas, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Paper Mart. Paper Mart is a proud sponsor of the 2016 Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour and they had everything I needed to make my gift wrap dreams come true.

Last year I created this mobile gift wrap cart to hold my holiday paper and ribbons. I pulled it out again this year and stocked it with all my supplies. You can read all about how I created the cart here.

There are lots of things I love about Paper Mart including their vast range of wrapping paper, ribbon, embellishments, boxes and tissue paper. They have wrapping paper for every gift occasion and a great offering of party supplies.

The foundation of my gift wrap plan was this beautiful Pinecones & Poinsettia gift wrap. There are lots of colors in this paper so I knew I could mix and match it with other wrapping paper and ribbons.

I’m a fan of two-sided ribbon and used the red and gold satin ribbon above to create a layered bow. I tucked my favorite holly leaf embellishments under each corner of the bow.

For this box, I layered the poinsettia paper over a small black and white plaid paper.

I used this gold metallic ribbon around a few solid colored boxes that I had. The gold has a shimmer to it and is pretty when tied in a multi loop bow.

The pretty package embellishment is a vintage brooch I pulled out of my jewelry stash.

I paired the poinsettia paper with a black and white striped paper and love this look. The embellishments on top are honeycomb tissue paper balls that I taped to the top of the belly band. Belly band is a fancy name for a piece of paper that wraps around something. #ribbonlingo

This natural holly leaf ribbon is so pretty and you can see the beautiful bows you can make with it. I added some small gold ornaments in the center for a little sparkle.

I shared my Christmas tree in part 1 of the Merry & Bright Home Tour and matched some of the colors on the tree with the colors in the poinsettia paper. And I used the black and white plaid ribbon on the tree and for my Christmas gift wrap.

Did you notice the gift tags I used on several of the boxes? I’ve included the free download link below so you can use them too!

Download Merry & Bright Printable Gift Tags

I still have boxes to wrap so look for them in next weeks finale’ of the Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour~

disclaimer: I received free paper and ribbon from Paper Mart as part of the Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour. Paper Mart is a company that I love and am happy to share their products with you. All opinions and images are my own.

Visit Paper Mart on Social Media: Paper Mart // Twitter // Facebook // Pinterest // Instagram // Google + // You Tube

Gift Wrap Inspiration: Floral Paper Wrapped Boxes

October 24, 2016

I’m back with another Gift Wrap Inspiration post and this one is sure to go down as one of the easiest gift wrap ideas ever.

The idea was inspired by a box I spotted at HomeGoods. It was a simple idea–a paper mache’ kraft box wrapped with pretty paper. The minute I saw it, I recognized what a great concept it was for people who don’t like to wrap gifts, have a ton of gifts to wrap or need to wrap a gift in a hurry. Or in other words, it’s a wrapping project that anyone can do.

Here’s what you’ll need to recreate these pretty floral wrapped boxes…

Paper Mache Kraft Boxes come in a wide range of shapes and sizes and can be purchased at any of the big craft stores. You’ll find the widest range of shapes from Amazon and they offer the best pricing is you are buying in bulk. I’ve also spotted these boxes at Goodwill from time to time so be on the look out there too!

Next you’ll need wrapping paper. Since I have somewhat of a paper obsession, I’m always looking for pretty paper when out shopping. The animal print floral and the black and white stripe paper came from Hobby Lobby (currently on sale for $2.00/pk of 6). This paper is actually decoupage paper but the weight makes it suitable for wrapping gifts. The other two floral papers are from Papyrus (similar here and here).

tip: this is a great project to use those wrapping paper scraps you might have lying around

(black and white chevron // fuchsia two-tone // green textured lines)

And of course a beautifully wrapped gift wouldn’t be complete without pretty ribbon. If you’ve read my blog for a while, you know that MayArts is one of my go-to sources for ribbon. They have hundreds of styles, patterns and materials to choose from so you’ll easily find the perfect ribbon for your gift wrapping projects.

fyi: MayArts used to be a wholesale supplier only but now anyone can purchase from their site

Now comes the easy part…measure, cut and wrap the bottom of each box with wrapping paper, using double-sided tape to secure the ends and edges. To create the ribbon ties, tape two pieces of ribbon on opposite sides inside the lid of the box. Place the lid on the box and tie a bow.

note: You can also cover the lids of the boxes like I did with one of my boxes.

Just think of all the paper and ribbon possibilities you have with this wrapping idea. And with the busy holiday season fast approaching, you’ll want to stock up on paper, ribbon and boxes now so you’ll have everything you’ll need for holiday gift giving.

♦♦♦

Want more creative gift wrapping tips and inspiration, join me for The Art of Gifting gift wrap workshop which I’m conducting at Steve McKenzie’s, a beautiful decor and gift store here in Atlanta. The event takes place Saturday, Nov. 12th from 9:30-11:00 am. You can learn more about the event and purchase tickets here.

Happy wrapping!

Best of ConfettiStyle–Creative Gift Wrap Ideas

September 6, 2016

Hello friends. I wish you could be with me as we are sailing our way to Aruba. As promised, it’s Best of ConfettiStyle week here on the blog. Today I’m sharing my passion for gift wrapping and five of the most popular gift wrap posts.

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Ribbon Tie Boxes

Paper is not always a requirement when it comes to wrapping gifts. I created these Ribbon Tie Boxes in a flash and boy have they gotten lots of love on Pinterest. You can find the set of nesting boxes at the Container Store and all of the ribbon came from my favorite ribbon source, May Arts.

Full tutorial here.

Flower Band Gift Wrap

This Flower Band giftwrap project was inspired by a cake design I spotted on Pinterest. I use a variety of faux flowers and made a beautiful flower wrap for a plain white gift box. If you’re looking for a creative way to wrap a gift for a wedding or baby shower, this idea is great.

Full tutorial here.

Signature Colors

Way back in 2012 I wrote a blog post about wrapping gifts in my signature colors. Much like Tiffany & Co. I have a signature wrap. My go-to colors are red and hot pink and I’m always looking for wrapping paper and ribbon in that color combo. If you spot any, let me know.

Read the post here.

Paper Lace Bands

If you’re not a ribbon ~~hoarder~~ collector like I am, my Paper Lace Band project shows you how to make a paper wrap for gifts. I used the Fiskars Advantedge Paper Punch System and scrapbook paper to make these pretty gold paper bands.

Full tutorial here.

DIY Holiday Wrapping Crate

Last Christmas I made this DIY Holiday Wrapping Crate to hold the papers, ribbons and tags that I used to wrap our gifts. I embellished the crate with a Merry & Bright decal and added wheels so I could easily move it from room to room. The crate will get a refresh this Christmas and I’ll share it during the 2nd annual Merry & Bright Holiday Home Blog Tour I’m hosting with Kellie from Design Asylum.

Full tutorial here.

I’ll have a new gift wrap post for you later this month so stay tuned.

Anyone else share in my love of wrapping gifts?