That wasn’t an entry closet, it was a damn Pandora’s Box. Seeing those rolls of wrapping paper and bags of cheap bows at the bottom of my closet forced me to assess the wrapping paper situation. So I went to the garage and pulled out all those rolls of wrapping paper I talked about in August. The ones that reflect my pre-paper buying technique.
What a mess.
I took everything out and laid it out to take inventory and start purging. Then it hit me.
I forgot all the bags in the laundry room.
Here is my problem with gift bags. My mom thinks wrapping presents is a waste of time. She likes to use bags. I think gift bags are a waste of money. I can’t toss out the bags. The combination of her bag-buying and my bag-keeping has resulted in a perfect storm of clutter where the only winner is Hallmark.
I have great plans for the closet in Nicholas’s room. It huge, and Mikey’s is twice as large. We’ve tossed about the idea of putting the boys in the same room. They would love it, and it would free up Nicholas’s room for guests. His closet would be perfect to store suitcases, wrapping paper, the sewing machine, and who knows what else. Really, their closets are enormous. Enormous and cluttered. Once I clear those out, I can create a wrapping station. Until then, everything goes into the entry closet.
I purged 50% of the paper and ribbons. Most were crushed or damaged beyond repair. Then I washed out the wrapping paper bin, put the paper inside, and tucked it into the corner of the closet. I haven’t decided how I will store the paper long term, but I know it won’t be in this bin. I find it to be a cumbersome dust collector that commandeers far too much floorspace. Its days are numbered.
The ribbons, bows, tape, stamps, scissors, tags, and everything else I use to wrap presents went into a basket and at the top of the closet.
The bags I hung on the closet door interior, but you can bet most of them are going back to my mom. She won’t mind. Years ago, maybe in the late 80s, she bought a large gift bag that looked like a man’s tuxedo coat and shirt. She never tossed out the bag, it being so fantastic and all. Instead, she reuses it every birthday for our “big” present. It has become a tradition. Small presents come wrapped or in bags. The grand finale gift: tuxedo bag. If you ask my mom why, she’ll look at you like you’re an idiot, hand you your tattered, faded tuxedo bag and say, “It’s a bag that looks like a tuxedo. It’s fancy.”
New here? For the next 31 days Im living according to the famous William Morris quote. You can learn more about the project here.
I am going to start sounding like somebody with Tourette’s, but I love these posts.
I went through my wrapping supplies earlier this year and got rid of all gift bags that I had been hoarding from gifts received. The “nice” ones I gave back to my mom and the rest I threw out. Only way to be sure that I wouldn’t get them back.
HA! “I am going to start sounding like somebody with Tourette’s” … my thoughts exactly!
Speaking of love and the posts … I love the tuxedo bag story. Good times …
Aren’t those wrapping paper containers a joke – I have never been able to put the lid back on after I put a roll of paper in b/c the roll is too tall! I’ve been slowly purging my paper and bag supply. I have the same issue with the bags but I’m down to about five rolls of paper. One day I’ll be down to my goal of just two types of paper: craft paper and special Santa paper.
It’s lookin’ good!
A total joke! Note that I don’t even bother with the lid anymore.
I’ve done a few posts on my love of kraft paper for wrapping presents. I think it’s the best! (And it’s my “signature” wrapping.) After this Christmas I am getting rid of everything I have left over and stick to kraft + one roll of specialty paper just like you.
Jill – I like your idea of just craft paper around! That’s great.
And honestly it would work for me – I don’t have any gift wrapping stuff right now.
I am a horrible person. Every year after Christmas I either throw away or donate all my leftover Christmas paper. The size of it drives me insane and we don’t have attic access or I’d keep it in there. I usually only buy 3 or so rolls of solid color paper and use ribbon to dress it up. But it’s been so liberating to get rid of it and not have to keep track of it all year. I have one short roll I can keep in a dresser for during the year. I, like you give most of the bags back to my mom or MIL within 5 minutes of opening gifts. They LOVE it and so do I.
I’m also a wrapping snob–I hate to “wrap” something in a bag if it’s for an adult. And I also hate to use bags for kids because they don’t get the pleasure of really unwrapping a gift. That being said, I still use bags from time to timd, and keep plain ones around. I might be a snob, but I admit, bags are a lightening fast way to wrap a last minute birthday party gift.
Oh mercy, why am I talking so much about giftwrap?
I’m going to use the paper I have this Christmas, but after that it’s going in the trash–hopefully I can donate it if it’s unopened.
I feel the same way about wrapping presents up in a bag! My mom just rolls her eyes at me and hands me her bag. I never did tell her about the time I used one of her leftover bags to wrap a present seconds before a party we had to go to that I completely forgot about.
I think kids who have grown up receiving as many gifts in gift bags as are wrapped in fancy paper don’t really care about the fun of ripping the paper off. They just know there’s a present in there. I always stick several sheets of tissue paper on top of the gift in a bag anyway, so it will look festive and to give the gift-opener something to enthusiastically tear out of the bag.
“The combination of her bag-buying and my bag-keeping has resulted in a perfect storm of clutter where the only winner is Hallmark.”
So true.
Umm…I think we need photographic evidence of that tuxedo bag!
Oh, it’s coming.
I also have a million gift bags in a cluttered heap in a cupboard, and the need for a way to organize rolls of wrapping paper. I end up stashing rolls of wrapping paper in weird places all over the house and either forget about them or inadvertently crush them. I bought what is basically a glorified shoe bag – you know, the kind that has pockets and hangs from a hook? It has long pockets that can store rolls of wrapping paper, and smaller pockets that can hold bags, tape, ribbon, scissors, etc. Maybe something similar could work for you? I like the idea of a hanging bag that doesn’t take up floor space.
I also like the idea of the kraft paper wrapping. I’ve thought about letting my son stamp the paper with apples or homemade potato stamps too for customized designs!
I LOVE stamping kraft paper! I’ve done it a few times, actually. I can’t see what posts are popping up with linked within. Is it all William Morris posts, or are there some of my wrapping posts as well? Oh well, I’ll just link to a couple right now:
Here is one: https://pancakesandfrenchfries.com/2010/12/wrapping-2010/
And here is another: https://pancakesandfrenchfries.com/2011/01/wrapping-preschool-edition/
I love kraft paper and I love wrapping presents.
I made the mistake of buying the “ITS ONE DOLLAR ON SALE AT TARGET!!!!!” wrapping paper last year. It’s so thin, it tears if you even look at it funny… but I don’t want to be a waster and throw it out. Even though it all gets tossed (recycled, actually)after Christmas.
Ps. Don’t think we didn’t catch on to how you wanted to show off more pictures of you entry closet. ;)
Any chance I get. ;)
You aren’t keeping it, I know, but in case others may be looking for a solution to paper wrapping supplies: I keep mine in a tall cylindrical basket. I put a clear plastic garbage bag over the top and store it under my basement stairs. It has Christmas paper. As for bags–Birthdays– I limit myself to one dresser drawer. I also keep individual sheets of paper in this drawer.
“it’s a bag that looks like a tuxedo. It’s fancy” bwahahahahahah!
You have inspired me. I haven’t set a number of days, but I’m attacking one small area at a time, to help me feel like I’m accomplishing something.
In regard to the gift bags, if you have a garage sale in your future, those bags will sell like hotcakes.
I keep all my gift bags inside the largest gift bag…so that they are all contained. It is always good to purge these things out and you did a great job. Very impressed once again!
I loved your story about the tuxedo bag. . funniest thing I read all day! Thanks for the laugh. ;)
I’m convinced those Christmas gift bags breed! We have four (all just alike) from gifts my father-in-law gave us the Christmas after my mother-in-law died. Well, let me tell you, they make me sad every year I open the tub containing ALL my Christmas gift bags! But do I throw them away? Heavens no! My father -in-law died over ten years ago but those bags will live forever!
This just cracks me up.
I am new here and I just wanted to tell you how much I love these posts. I feel inspired to do the same! Thank you!
Oh, good gosh ~ we have a ‘traditional’ big bag in our family too. It’s called the ‘Ho-Ho Bag.’
I have a friend who HATES clutter. She says she’s allergic to it, and she might be right, because even though she works at home and homeschools her three kids she has the least cluttered house of anyone I know. She flat-out refuses to keep wrapping paper in the house. What she does is, when she buys a gift for someone, she goes right to the stationery section of the store and buys a gift bag and tissue paper, a card, a bow, whatever for THAT GIFT ONLY. I think that’s kind of brilliant, even though I don’t do it myself.
I thought I’d pass along the organizer I use that really works well for paper/bows/bags/crap: http://www.containerstore.com/shop/giftPackaging/organizers?productId=10006088&N=72461. Mine is a little different but I’ve had it for quite a few years and I can’t find my exact one anymore. I used to have the tote that you have and I hated it – this hanging one is fabulous and doesn’t take up much room at all in a closet.
We’ve given up buying fancy wrapping paper and instead collect the Sunday paper comics to use as gift wrap. The comics store flat and we dress up the gift with a fancy ribbon. I call it Recession Wrap.
BTW, just found your blog about a week ago and I love it. I look at it almost daily.
I have vowed and declared not to buy any more Christmas Paper until I have used up what I already have – that was 2 years ago and I still have another 2 years supply left! I have stuck to my plan and not bought any, but it is quite hard to resist as it just looks so festive and pretty.
I quite like that plastic container you have your paper in as it is around the same height as the paper and robust which should avoid crushing (unless you have too much like me). Also love the way you have turned your bags into a work of art on the door.
Have a great weekend :)
I donated half my bags to a resale shop that benefits Amer. Cancer Society. Also vowed to not by any paper until all is used up. It was a great vow to make–still whittling away at the stockpile and merrily passing the Christmas wrap in Target, though it is tempting.
The Tuxedo bag story made me laugh out loud. It’s fancy … bwahahaha!
I have to say that I love your mom and the Tuxedo bag! Come on you know tuxedos are fancy!! And she’s had that bag since the 80s??!?!?! You can’t beat that!
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You are hysterical – “the combination of her bag-buying and my bag-keeping has resulted in a perfect storm of clutter” So my issue – my grandmother used to love to give things away and nothing made her happier than when I took them. I became the family repository. Nothing has made me happier then as my 20-something year old niece and nephew are going out on their own and to give them these things from my grandmother and their great grandmother for them to use and enjoy.
I have told my niece’s fiance to have kids quick ( I have not scared him off) as I have a basement full of children’s books that I cannot wait to pass their way!!