Do you ever buy boxes to put presents in, instead of wrapping paper?

I used to wholesale this type of product so used them quite often when we sold one of the first brands of decorated gift boxes.

However, since selling this business, I generally use wrapping paper, still left over from the days we wholesaled this!

This year however I had a few boxes and bright bags for Christmas, so I used them.

It is much quicker but perhaps not quite as nice without wrapping/.

Next time I might wrap and THEN put in a box!

by Finy

I only use a box if it is a difficult item, or fragile, or small expensive item.

Everything else, (if clean lines etc) will be wrapped in paper.Then ribbon, and something like bling on top (for a female).

I do go to great lengths to wrap things up very nicely. :)

by jonaja

Ooooooooh. Bling. I like that idea.

Oh! Rice, you're funny! Not THAT sort of bling.................

huh?

But . . .I was thinking of Bling Closby. Really.

lol

jonjaj, your lovely photo of the rolls of wrapping paper, remind me of drawer lining paper.

I simply ADORE wrapping and all forms of presentation for gifts! When I was in my 20's,(back in the early 80's,long before the idea of paying to have items gift-wrapped at shopping centres--even though the money goes to charity!--,I did free Gift Wrapping for a small Up-Market Arcade.The very first item someone gave to me was an artificial,but life-size cobra
snake in typical snake-charmer pose!! We had no boxes at all,so I figured that if I could wrap THIS successfully,then anything else would be a real breeze! Aaaah!! What fun I had doing the most unusual and also some very easy (yes,in boxes!!!)items!! I then decided to make my own gorgeous boxes for future gift giving,and I have never looked back! I cannot remember ever having BOUGHT boxes for this purpose,but I have certainly used them on many occasions. I also have held special Gift Wrapping 'Event' nights where I used to work and would give out work-sheets and show the attendees,all sorts of fantastic and useful wrapping ideas.A good one is to wrap the final item,whether in a box or 'plum-pudding' style in a gorgeous linen Tea Towel with a Christmas theme printed on it,and then adorning it with masses of pretty ribbons!!! Let's face it,extra tea towels always are lovely to have!!

by Jules

Oh! Jules, we two 'peas-in-a-pod' have struck again! Yay!

My late Mother was THE best at wrapping anything! She had an excellent artistic 'flair', & I've followed, with having the 'eye' to what's 'just right', which feels joyous!
My Schools Books, of all types, were covered by Mum, plastic for Exercise books, (this is way before those plastic fitted covers were invented) as they constantly used, & brown paper for books, with beautiful calligraphy titles on front, & printing on their spines. These were packed in alpha-order in my davenport. They were voted the best covered in Grade VIII. I loved my beautifully-covered books, & I would get very upset if accidentally torn, or marked. If any kid threw around one of my books, they practically got spliflicated!

Re: Tea Towels. One of my Aunt's was in the 'Rag-trade', & imported beautifully made Irish Linen tea towels. This was in the '50's. I still have many of them from my Mother. I've three, different background colours, with Siamese Cat mother, & kittens, which I adore, as had them (Siamese) as a child, & now have a 'foster' one!
Goes to prove quality lasts!
Cheers to you!

Wow!!! and 'Yay' indeed!!!! I still have some of my own schoolbooks which were covered the same way!! I would do a lot of them myself,and really enjoyed getting them all ready for the school years!! I was in Primary school in the 60's,and high school from 1970 onwards!! And as for siamese pussy-cats? we had one ,a seal-point named Tiki. He was such a delight and almost dog-like in nature with loving to have his tummy rubbed!!! We had a tea towel with,I think,possibly the same image on it!! What a very small world it is!I have even wrapped items in plain brown paper and written in various styles all over the surface for whatever situation was being celebrated.And I have undone boxes and folded them back into their original shapes but 'inside out' so that the surface is clean,so I can write in the same manner on these as well!!! The imagination is limitless,and with a good pen or three,it is simple to decorate almost any surface to look really super!!

Yes I do. I love little boxes. I find that boxes are useful for awkward or small things or for disguising things. I usually put a ribbon around a plain cloured box but I leave Christmas themed boxes alone. I am not keen on gifts just thrown into a bag - I prefer to wrap them as well.

by Rice

That would be "plain COLOURED box".

'Little boxes on the hillside, little boxes made of tricky-tacky, little boxes all the same'.......
Had to study this song for Debating in Grade XI.......
Cheers, Rice!

. . and they go to the universities where they all get put in boxes, little boxes, just the same. Such a cute song: with a sting in it's tail.

Like other have said, boxes are good for awkward gifts. Having said that, I prefer wrapping presents. I have a standard brown paper wrap and I use different kinds of ribbon to set it off.

by Vee

by Vee

Sorry, I don't know why image didn't work. :-(

I use those specific bags for a Wine bottle.
Unusual for me to use a box, unless pressie odd shape, or delicate.

But I do buy those pretty boxes, of varying sizes, to put 'stuff' in around the house!

by donjo

No. Never boxes. We sometimes use bags instead of wrapping paper, but often I will wrap the gift before putting it in the bag. There is no need to buy the bags either as we have heaps of them, that were given to us that we re- use. Some of the family just love these little bags, so we have quite a collection !!!

by Lluxi

I wonvquite a few prizes that were set in boxes so saved them and have now used them all apart from a few odd shaped boxes but normally I would wrap and use bows for females. Brown paper tied with brown or gold ribbon for males.

by helga

Sometimes I put a present in a box instead of wrapping it. I find bags and boxes useful when giving a present to someone with arthritis or other condition that makes it difficult/impossible for them to unwrap a present.

by Marie Vonow

I use both wrap and some time just bax.

by jenba

No, I never bother buying boxes. I only use wrapping paper & matching ribbons. All our presents are go to Melbourne with us, so we need the space in our suitcases. For Christmas it used to be 2 colours for tree decorations with matching wrapping paper & ribbons.

by Miro