Gift Box Wreath

I love wrapping presents.
It’s kind of therapeutic.
(And justifies those 5 rolls of IKEA wrapping paper I just had to buy?  Totally.)

But I gotta admit, I’m slightly bummed when a really darling wrap-job is opened cause then the cuteness is gone.  And replaced with a fun gift, I know.  I guess we always have photos to capture the moment.
But….
Why not let it last all month?
On your door.
Or wall.
Or closet.
Wherever.

I saw this in magazine years ago (before pinterest)….probably in Martha Stewart Living?  And I always meant to figure it out.
Today I did!  I love how 3-D it looks on our front door:

There are so many ways you can go with this.  All-red gifts with white bows, all white gifts with blue bows.  Yada, yada. I actually think my wreath is too “busy” and was moments away from re-wrapping the boxes with solid colored papers till a friend knocked on the door and said, “I like your wreath! I may have to try that…”
So we’ll stick with it for this year.

Now grab your favorite papers and let’s get wreath-wrapping.
(all papers below are from IKEA, except for the gray with trees…that’s from Target 2 years ago)

First you need a wreath base.  Use whatever you like for this.  Buy one, make one, it doesn’t matter.
You really want something flat though so the boxes aren’t sticking out too far.  I made mine from a cardboard box lid….Pizza boxes would be be perfect.
• Trace a large circle
• Trace or draw another smaller circle inside, like a donuthole
• Carefully cut out both circles, trying not to bend the cardboard.

You can leave the cardboard as-is but the edges are kind of jagged and un-lady like.
So I dressed mine up with felt fabric.
• Cut long strips of white felt
• Glue the first strip to the back of the wreath with a hot glue gun, wrap, and continue till the whole wreath is covered.

Ta-da.
You could use this base for so many wreaths.  Add jingle bells, pom poms, bows, ornaments, etc.

Okay. Boxes.
You can buy little jewelry ones but you might actually have some lying around your house.  I didn’t realize it till I scrounged my cupboards.  Jello boxes, bandaids, etc…gather little (empty) boxes like that.  Arrange them on the wreath till you have enough boxes and you like how it looks.

Then start wrapping!  Remove one box at a time so you keep them in their proper place.  Wrap, tie with ribbons, re-arrange if needed.

Use a hot glue gun to attach each box to the wreath.
Then tie a bow or string to the top of the wreath for haning (I used braided twine) and you’re done!

(Quality control Inspection)

Passed!
Merry Christmas.

  1. So cute! I can’t believe all that wrapping paper is from Ikea.

  2. I like the different, colorful papers! It doesn’t look to busy to me…it looks like you!

  3. I love wrapping, too! I even worked part-time after my full-time job at a toy store wrapping presents for the customers. Very cute wreath 🙂

  4. I saw your picture on Instagram and I had to come check it out. I’m not usually a fan of wreaths, but this is really sweet! I love wrapping too. My brothers used to make fun of me because my gifts always looked perfect.

  5. So fun and frugal. I love it! Thank you for sharing another splendid idea to make a little something festive! You are fantabulous!

  6. 8) christy

    Just so you know, hot glue doesn’t do well with temperature fluctuations. I made one of those ornament wreaths last year and hilt the time we got to after Christmas all the ornaments started coming unstuck (they were strung on a hanger but the hot glue held them in place). And I live in Dallas so it wasn’t like it was cold. I read about not using hot four after it was all put together.

  7. 9) Nicole

    Too cute!
    I also find wrapping therapeutic. My mom used to let me wrap all the presents (even my own in disguise). Of course one year they all had my name on them too. I love unwrapping (and my sister is a slow unwrapper) so she put my name in every present so I’d just rip thru them 🙂

  8. 10) Colette

    I also love wrapping gifts, just to admire my excellent work.

    The wreath is soo cute! I’m definitely making one this weekend for my work cubicle

  9. 12) Kristi

    I like the different papers because the overall effect puts me in mind of presents coming from all different people. It looks more like real life than having it all one color would. Thanks for the great idea!

  10. 13) Stephanie

    I love this idea! Thanks Dana.

  11. 14) British American

    Oooh, this is cute! I’m not big into wreaths either, but I’m feeling the need to make this. Especially as I think I have all the supplies on hand.

    Our youngest is 1 – so we don’t have a lot of decorations out. Hanging this on the wall would be a way to decorate that is out of his reach. I just bought two rolls of paper at ALDI today. 🙂

  12. 15) Sydney

    Love it! Very cute.

  13. Great idea, Dana! And great effect!

  14. It’s so cute… 🙂

    I’m saving you tutorial in my “to do list”!!! 😉

    Thank you and ciao
    Chiara

  15. I love it when you post a craft that doesn’t require a sewing machine since I don’t have one. Ha! Your blog makes me want to own one! I really like this wreath craft. You did a great job making it.

  16. 20) Melissa G

    That is the smallest box of Hamburger Helper I have ever seen. Love the wreath – it may actually be something an uncrafty lady like myself could do, unlike the Peeps wreath I tried last Easter. Disaster.

  17. Dana, this is so pretty… I’m thinking it would be sweet on my girl’s bedroom door with little tags with their and their cousins names – all 4 girls who will be sleeping in the room over Christmas. Oh, I”m so excited for the holidays this year!

  18. 23) evelyn

    Do you now have several items in your cupboards sans their boxes? 😉

  19. 24) Suzanne

    Your awesome ! The second I saw you used band-aide boxes, I had to share the love!

  20. also love love love wrapping presents! and i have that target paper still in my stash. such a cute idea….i might need to make this! thanks, dana! happy holidays.

  21. I love this SO much! It looks fancy, but I love that you used stuff around your house.

  22. 27) Sarah K.

    Hehehe! I’m just imagining a curious little “elf” opening a present secretly in the back of a closet one day only to find an empty Jello box! Super cute idea – I’d just have to make sure the kids watched me wrap EMPTY boxes. 😉

  23. 28) Kim d.

    So cute, thanks. I absolutely love that I can make this without having to buy anything! Thanks for the tips on using things we already have around the house!

  24. 29) sarah

    That’s really cute!! Great idea!

  25. Love the colors! I wrapped a few jello boxes last year for decor, and my then 2-year-old was sorely disappointed when she broke into them… ha ha! I was grumpy she messed them up, but I’m a fan of wrapping gifts so it wasnt’ that big of a downer 😉

  26. 31) evie1203

    ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!! I LOVE IT!! simple but sooo cute!!

  27. 32) Emra

    This is too cute and super thrifty; absolutely loving it for any door…especially an indoor setting like a classroom or hospital door…thanks for the inspiration. BTW, pumpkin chocolate ribbon bread looks amazing…

  28. This is soooooo cooool!!! I love it! What a perfect way to use some of my favorite wrapping paper and not have it torn and thrown away right away. 🙂 I will definitely be making one of these for next year. You are so smart. Have I told you lately how much I love your blog?

  29. BRILLIANT!! I love wrapping presents! This is a fantastic idea, thanks!

  30. this is adorable Dana! I love the simplicity of it and that it repurposes stuff you already have in your house. Great idea!

  31. 37) kitty

    Great idea!! Love it!! Thank you!!

  32. Oh darn it. You just added another wreath to my list. But I’m secretly happy. One is never supposed to finish all of the Christmas projects, are they? The list just keeps getting added onto until the holiday rolls around. 🙂

    Ps-Made a pair of flannel pjs for my little girl this week with your pattern, and love them! I used your kids pants tutorial for her Halloween costume as well (chef pants, if you must know.) Here’s the link if you’d like to see some chef cuteness. 🙂
    http://www.chrisanderinkeith.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/she-chef.html

  33. I love this so much. I’m about 15 seconds from emptying every box in the house just to make it – thanks for the inspiration!

  34. What a sweet idea! I love that you didn’t really have to spend anything to create this – and it looks so polished and fun!

  35. 42) des

    very creative…..thanks

  36. 44) Paula Ramkhelawan

    Beautiful project I will definitely do this craft with my Sunday school kids

  37. 45) Mare

    Thank you so very much for showing such a great departure from decomesh, garland, ribbons, ornaments, etc.

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