A Word to the Wise...
Don't wait until it is almost 11 p.m. at Barnes and Noble to realize you have no wrapping paper to wrap the gift you are buying.
Yep, that's what we did last night.
We found the perfect gift for Jesse's Christmas party that they are having at his office, but then realized we didn't have any wrapping paper, gift sacks, or even anything that would remotely work for wrapping at home. (Maybe my zeal to keep unneccessary clutter out of our home is not always a good thing!) We had Kathrynne with us and we had already been out for almost 5 hours and we really needed to get home.
So, we started looking around and found some gift sacks they had there. I checked the price first thing (as I always do -- can't stop myself from doing so!) and found they were $3.75 for a measely little gift sack. Forget that. How about some tissue paper? $2.75! Nevermind! That tiny little package of tissue paper is NOT worth that much.
I started racking my brain for something at home that would work and was coming up empty. I then spied a box of wrapping paper rolls out of the corner of my eye. "Aha! This will work and we'll have enough leftover for a few other gifts we are buying." I ran over and grabbed a roll out and then gasped, "$7.95!" For a tube of wrapping paper that looked like it might wrap three gifts, I don't think so.
Finally, we ended up just getting the tissue paper, even though it was painful to spend $2.75 for something I knew had only cost pennies or less to manufacture and that I could purchase for much less across the street at Hobby Lobby-- if only they were open at this time of night and the party wasn't tomorrow.
We paid for our goods and chalked it up to a lesson learned: Don't even think of buying wrapping paper at Barnes and Noble again.
posted by Crystal Paine at 1:32 PM
19 Comments:
Yes, they have cute scrapbooking things but they are also way overpriced. Have you seen the wrapping paper in the victorian trading co. catalog. Gorgeous!
I know!!!! How about a "holiday" zip lock bag??????? just kidding. :-)
I've seen people wrap gifts in brown paper grocery bags....those actually turn out pretty cute IF you can decorate them a little. :-)
That's pretty funny though Crystal. I can only imagine what you looked like trying to scam something up for gift. HA!!!!!!!!!
I save all my grocery bags until Christmas and then use them to wrap presents :). I scrapbook, so I save all my paper scraps and such to use this time of the year. I do a lot of wrapping using the brown paper lunch sacks :0). The brown paper looks really cute and there are tons of ways to decorate it. We've done the following to it:
1. stamped it with rubber stamps
2. Used pretty ribbons (I get on sale or clearance) to decorate it.
3. Use raffita and that sort of thing to tie it up.
4. decorate with scrap paper from my scrapbooking.
5.Have the kids draw on it to decorate (personalized wrapping paper that Grandparent's LOVE!)
6. dye it with food color or Kool-aid
7. Make cinnamon dough ornaments or salt dough ornmaments to decorate them.
8. I could go on and on...everyone looks forward to how I decorate my grocery bags every year!
Wow Susan, what a great idea! I think wrapping paper is pretty but I can't stand paying money for something that is just going to be torn off in a hurry...I'd rather put more money towards the gift than the paper it's wrapped in! Thanks for the idea!
Yeah one year I wrapped all my presents in plain brown paper with silver or gold gift ribbon around it and it looked really simple but festive. :) Sorry on the $$....OUCH huh?
I get so confused every time the "other" Susan posts. I take a double-take and think, I don't remember posting that :). That's one reason profile pics are a good idea. Two Crystals is even more confusing. . .
Yes. I took the profile pics off because I didn't have any control over who had what for their profile picture and it was just an added protection. Maybe people could put the initial after their name if they share the same username with another commentor on here?
crystal,
i can relate to your overzealous zeal to keep clutter out, and therefore throwing away lots of stuff. i think the people who keep the boxes for everything and every little piece of tissue paper are rather weird :)
I understand why you took them off Crystal, I was just commenting how it makes confusion more probable. Initials are a good idea, although I likely will forget to sign my initials on a regular basis.
SEG
I buy Christmas wrapping paper on sale (often as much as 75% off) between Christmas and New Year's...I have a long red and green storage box designed to hold rolls of wrapping paper and as soon as I load in "next year's" paper the box goes into storage in our garage. I don't see it again until I'm ready to wrap gifts the next December. Relatively clutter-free and a good value too :).
I buy the gift boxes, wrapping papers and tissue papers after Christmas for the next year. Last year I bought really cute wrapping papers at the Dollar tree for $1.00 per tube. Great Buy!!!!
If you want to buy regular white tissue paper but want it to be festive or Christmasy (sorry made up word here) use Christmas stamps with green , red, gold, silver or ?? if do not have stamps maybe stickers??
Just an idea~
Holly
I pick up our bags and stuff at the Dollar Store. They have the cutest bags there! At one they have all these adorable bags from the book Guess How Much I Love You. Those are my favorite bags!!
LOL!! I'll start leaving my initials as well :)
I love thrifty wrapping ideas!!
Susan Godfrey
"i think the people who keep the boxes for everything and every little piece of tissue paper are rather weird :) "
Then we're wierd! ;) We keep all tissue paper, gift bags, and usable boxes from anything during the year, and then we have plenty of stuff for Christmas. We only have to buy a couple rolls of new wrapping paper at Costco and To/From tags every year. We've used the same bags and ribbons over and over the past decade or so. :) It's nice to keep stuff if you have the space...we have boxes full of items in the garage and attic.
My aunt always uses brown craft paper with torn cloth strips for ribbon - everyone loves it!
Dear, what were you doing out at 11 at night with your little one? :) I know that is what my mother would say, but I've been there before. :) Hint for the year: when January rolls around, buy or make birthday cards for the whole year, so you don't get stuck looking for last minute cards.
I was just telling my mom about this post and my comment. She reminded me that she just recently wrapped a baby shower gift in paper that she had saved from my brother's baby shower - he's now 23. ;)
we save useable boxes for wrapping gifts, and i save nice bags that i will use again - i was referring to people who save the boxes from things they buy, like coffeemakers, microwaves, baby toys, etc... so that someday when you want to pack it up, you can get the box that fits just right.
i suppose it could be useful if you have lots of storage space, but i don't want to have a room devoted to boxes! :) when we were packing up to move, my grandma-in-law asked if we had the box for our coffeemaker (she would!).
sadly, when we moved, i had to give up my collection of bags (from our wedding and one baby!) because we don't have room for it now... but my MIL was happy to receive :)
Cheryl, that's hilarious!!
Susan, you are way more creative than me! What an inspiration! I need to take lessons from you, I think.
Laura and Holly, it sounds like you are a lot more organized than me. My mom is like that -- always planning ahead, buying gifts in advance. I need to learn from you all!
Sarah, that was way too funny!!!
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