Wrapping gifts

After-Christmas sales are the perfect time to stock up on paper and trimmings for the following year.

Fill a wrappings box with papers, ribbons, and other embellishments you collect all year long; save bits of ribbons, seam binding, and twine, along with decorative fruit and leaves, and tiny ornaments.

Choose a palette to unify the gifts you wrap—then vary the materials; everything you give will have your signature for the season.

Make gift wrapping less hectic by wrapping gifts as you buy them. Use an adhesive note to identify each gift's recipient, then store the gifts until the holidays. Ribbons and tags are easily crushed, so don't add them until you're ready to display or give.

Use simple, inexpensive materials like tissue paper (we used silver) or kraft paper, then transform gifts with special ribbons and items from your wrappings box. Kraft paper also makes an attractive yet sturdy wrapping for oddly shaped packages.

Wrap oversize packages with a patchwork of pretty paper scraps made with a sewing machine, using a long stitch and a 1/4-inch seam allowance.

Assign each family member a different color paper, and you won't even need gift tags. This is a fun way for everyone to identify his or her presents.

Adorn simple stationery-store tags with ribbon and greenery to make gift tags.