Creative Giftwraps: Ideas and Inspirations, Tips and Techniques

The finishing touch can embellish the simplest of gifts. Materials range from purchased and handmade papers to fabric, fresh leaves and bamboo placemats to tablecloths and copper mesh. Even make boxes with patterns and templates, and gift tags. Bonus: an "emergency giftwrap" section for those last-minute packages!

One important thing to know about this book is that it contains a collection of projects submitted by indivudal artists and some were more appealing to me than others. If you look at the cover picture, I dislike everything but the fabric and paper wrapped cubes in the lower right corner. In the words of another reviewer, the other items seem "poorly executed and generally bad looking" to me. I'd never execute such projects exactly, but I have used those ideas to create wrappings the gift recipients liked. Two thirds of the book is devoted to adding ribbon, flowers, and other items to a typically wrapped package or substituting other papers for giftwrap. The rest of the book is devoted to bottle wrappings, fabric wrappings, some origami containers and cut paper designs laced up with ribbon or raffia. There's also information on making different bows, giftcards and tags, and envelopes. The directions are easy to follow with many photos and diagrams to guide you along. Tips and other tidbits are spread throughout the book. Some of my favorite projects are:-Asian fabric wrappings for a variety of shapes and sizes-Using tissue or crepe paper and cellophane to wrap items like a piece of hard candy-Using fresh leaves as gift wrap-Pleating paper to create designs in finished wrapping-Rubber stamping metallic papersThis book is on the expensive side, but if you only buy one gift wrapping guide, it's a fine choice for its presentation of so many different ideas.

This is one of the most creative and elegant books I have ever seen on the subject of gift wrapping. As an interior designer and party planner, I have made use of some of the more unique designs for wrapping wedding party favors and benefit gala favors. My team and I have even made use of the bottle wrapping designs for table decorations. So there are many more possibilities within this book than simply gift wrapping.But as wrappings go, the color photos are gorgeous and the diagrams, sketches, and directions make these techniques, even the more complicated Asian designs, a breeze. The author seems to have gone to great pains to provide a balanced book if very different designs from a number of artists. Also helpful and interesting to read are the tidbits about gift wrapping around the world - legends, cultural differences, and quotes. The little hints and tips in the book prod the reader to come up with variations of their own. It's an inspiring, well-photographed book to be sure. But it, in itself, makes an excellent gift, no doubt, wrapped and given in one of the special gift wraps from the pages within!

Creative Giftwraps is a great book, with plenty of tips and techniques that range from basic beginner ideas for the unartistic, to projects worthy of experienced craftspeople. As a librarian, I'd say it would take more than a dozen books to find similar projects to these, and some are totally unique to this book. Very inspiring....for a personal touch...