Wrapping presents in brown paper

[attheendoftheday]

I have ended up with a lot of brown wrapping paper and I was thinking about using this to wrap christmas presents this year. I still want them to look pretty, though, so was thinking of adding some ribbons or other decorations? I want it to look sort of shabby chic iyswim.

Has anyone done this before, and if so, what looked good? All ribbons the same colour, or different colours? I live in a pine forest, so lots of pine cones, could I attach these somehow? If anyone can guide me towards a tutorial I will be grateful.

Also, where's cheap to get ribbons from? I've seen some beautiful ribbons online but they are £££.

I often wrap in brown paper and add just gold ribbon-looks gorgeous and simple.

I got some gold string and use this to tie round the prezzies - I like to make out its an old fashioned posty parcel, so write the address on with a stamp/ image of stamp etc

You could use potato stencils.

Personally I would probably use some rafia instead of ribbon and possibly some small pine cones either plain or spray painted gold and silver.

I wrap presents in brown paper every year.
My DDs decorate it with hand prints and footprints in gold and silver paint. I then use gold and silver ribbon on them. I also use luggage label for gift tags.

I raided the ribbons at the haberdashers and bought some fringing and lengths that usually go on curtains with bells and glass beads.

Parcels were tied with nirmalcotton string or green garden twine then made a tassle out of thread and tied onafewbits of fringe or bells/beads. Looked vintage shabby, lots of bits of ribbon collected over the years and some feathers too. Paper was plainbrown parcel paper.

This year I have tied string around a wooden block and going to print on the brown paper.

I've used brown paper for the past couple of years. I used some papery ribbon type stuff from Oxfam in red and gold, and made my own tags from luggage tags and ink stamps.
Pine cones would look lovely, I think. Cinnamon sticks would be good too, but not quite as cost effective.

We often do this! It looks lovely. We use nice ribbon and bows etc.

I am wrapping mine in Brown Paper, it's looking gorgeous, i just added some red and green curling ribbon to each of my parcels, and tied on a candy cane, and added a couple of festive stamps :)

Oooh i love lisa's idea about adding a candy cane particularly as i saw a box in the £ shop!!

Thanks for the idea!!

I often wrap in brown paper.

One year I did brown paper with red ribbons and a candy cane, with luggage labels. Another year I did brown paper with gold ribbon and a tiny gold tree bauble. Once did brown paper with white ribbon and hand made snowflake tags.

All looked gorgeous.

Paperchase do v cheap reels of curling ribbon.

DD (9) has used a christmas stamper all over the brown paper, with gold/red/green ribbon.

It was her idea to use brown paper and decorate it for her DBs,GPs,DU/DAs &DCous.
I have to admit, i thought it would look cheap IYSWIM. She's done such a great job that i now wish i never spent a small fortune on wrapping paper!
Oh well, i think i'll get her to do all the paper next year!
It's simple, but makes the presents look more, what's the word, homely??
Oh, and the brown paper is half the price and bloody thicker!

I love the candy cane idea! Thanks!

Thanks, brilliant ideas! Love the fake postie parcel idea. Think I will get some ribbon, some rafia and give it a go. Will do parcel tags as well.

I like brown paper with raffia, and then something to brighten it up - either red berries or similar. Candy cane brilliant.

I also love this - simple yet striking.

Some great ideas here. I use brown paper then newspaper/ left over giftwrap and cut out the shape of the letters of the recipient's name and stick them on then add a nice ribbon-last year I got a really good one in Ikea of all places-cheap, broad and shiny pillar-box red

I've taken to buying huge great spindles of curling ribbon from Hobbycraft and similar places. I think it's sold for florists to use, but it is just the same as the usual stuff and much cheaper. 500m for less than £3.

Red tartan ribbon looks lovely with brown paper.

I did this one year. Wrapped presents in brown paper, tied a couple of colourful feathers together with dressmaking ribbon, and tied the ribbon around the parcel. It looked lovely. The feathers were dyed gaudy colours and had cost a pound or two for a packet from ELC, and the ribbons were all sorts of scrag ends from my box of odds-n-bobs. I matched the colours of the ribbons and the feathers.

I don't think I bought anything for wrapping - everything I used was stuff I had accumulated (magpie ).

I use red felt Christmas decorations (hearts/stars etc) brought from pound shops to tie onto the ribbon which looks nice. Have also used the small raffia decorations from Ikea that come in a big wicker tray - not sure if they have them this year tho?

A friend always uses these little heads from Ikea - but I always think there is something a bit odd about the grey beard which freaks me out!

I wrapped everything in brown paper one year with a pale blue ribbon and a sand dollar. They looked lovely. :)

I saw on pinterest a really nice way of taping parcels. They used very wide tape stuck to a piece of lace. There was enough sticky side still visible through and around the lace to fasten the paper but it looked like it was fixed with just lace.

Thanks :) They are looking delightful, and i've picked up 12 candy canes, in Home Bargains for 69p, and bought a raspberry lot of 12 in Asda for 79p the other day, so they look beautiful :o

Asda had lovely red wired ribbon last night for £1 (3m roll) which I bought, therefore committing myself to trying the brown paper method this year. Their brown paper wasn't brown enough though!

I saw a lovely example at a craft Fair were it was tied with wool rather than riboon and then lots of off cuts of wool tied where the bow would be and sorts of brushed to look big and bushy. It looked gorgeous but I'm blowed if I can find an example on the net to show you

I do this (for adults only - too boring for children). Brown paper, fabric ribbon, parcel tags written in gold pen.