This year it’s natural to want Christmas to be extra special. We’ve been separated from our loved ones and want to make the festive season as memorable as possible. So while you’re wracking your brain for personal, meaningful Christmas gift ideas, don’t forget about the wrapping! Receiving a beautifully wrapped present hints at the lovely surprise inside. And it need not cost a lot, it really is the thought that counts. Here are 14 ideas to get you started, and help make this Christmas as special as possible.

1 | Fresh foliage 

Forage in your garden on the run up to Christmas, or pay a visit to your local florist for seasonal foliage like holly, ivy, spruce, or even pussy willow like we have here.  It’s been a tough year for small businesses, and they really do need our support. A little goes a long way so you needn’t spend a fortune. We used washi tape to attach a small posy directly to this recyclable plain brown packaging, making an eco-friendly option too with very little waste. We finished this one with one of our personalised Bear and Rose Nutcracker place names decorations which was stuck straight onto the box using a glue spot so it can be removed and kept. This item comes with a stand, but you can leave a comment on your order to request without a stand and to add a hanging loop if required.

2 | I chose this for you ‘Deer’

If you order an item gift wrapped from Bear and Rose, we cover this box in brown paper so all the address labels are completely removable. This leaves you with a stamped box with your product lovingly wrapped in tissue inside with a gift note. It’s ready for you to add your own wrap, or keep it simple and give to your recipient as it is. We’ve used our oak reindeer gift tag here. It’s supplied with a faux-suede cord, so all we had to do was add a longer piece and tie it in a bow - ready to pop under the tree for Oakley. 

3 | Tiny trees

Here we’ve used our smallest Bear and Rose box, and wrapped it in a sleeve of brown kraft paper. We used individual letter stamps to add the recipient’s name, and wrapped some faux-suede cord round. Finally, we found some evergreen foliage in the garden that looked like a small Christmas tree, and tucked it into the cord along with one of our oak Scandi trees. 

4 | Simply memorable

If you prefer something simpler, you can just use the wooden tree, rather than the foliage - we’ve swapped it out for the walnut tree in this version.

5 | Initial impressions

Another great way to spruce up a plain box is to wrap in a band of tissue and then again with kraft paper. Add some twine and an A6 card printed with an initial. Strikingly simple.

6 | I love you beary much

If you’re giving the gift to someone younger, you could use one of our personalised bears like this one for Arthur. He needs to roam free when the gift has been given!

7 | Labelled with love

Sometimes simplicity is the best. A simple Kraft paper wrap with jute twine and a wooden personalised gift tag. At Bear and Rose these bespoke tags are made to order, so we can produce any name or spelling you like. 

8 | Mini tree, maximum effect

To make it a bit more festive, we’ve added a sprig of conifer to look like a mini tree. Incredibly festive and also sustainable. You could always use the twine again, and the tag can be used every year, if Nell can bear to give it back!

9 | Early readers

For tiny tots just starting to read, this tag with its large, clear lettering is ideal, For Teddy we wrapped his parcel in brown paper, and wound some faux-suede round it. All we then had to do was tuck in the personalised tag and we were done. This tag can be used again and again all through the year. Or Teddy could use it next year on his stocking or bedroom door, so Santa knows which is his.

10 | Reuse & recycle

I’m not sure about you but I’m a bit of a magpie for things I can reuse for wrapping, and keep them in a box with my wrap supplies. This one is a bit of a clue to our favourite Easter treat!   I found some sprigs of rosemary and a fresh bay leaf, which smell divine, as well as another sprig of that fir tree (which is now looking a bit sparse!). I finished it off with a handful of bells and tied it all on with baker’s twine. A reel of baker’s twine can be used on so many gifts and is cotton so it’s biodegradable as well as being reusable.

11 | A white Christmas guaranteed

Sometimes it’s nice to have stocking fillers on the outside of a gift, so here I’ve tucked some of our small trees under a piece of wide velvet ribbon to look like a snow scene. You can add a small piece of double sided tape or glue spot to the back to keep them in place. Once the gift has been unwrapped, these trees are lovely on a shelf or as part of a wooden train set display.

12 | Everlasting snowflakes

This is one way to hang onto a snowflake - this one’s not going anywhere fast! Not only does this look stunning, once the gift has been opened, the snowflake can be hung on the tree every year. Like all Bear and Rose products, these are designed, cut and hand finished in our Yorkshire workshop. We can also personalise several sizes of snowflake.

13 | Bag it up

This is a great solution for a tricky-shaped gift. Rather than wrestling with paper and yards of tape, wrap it in tissue and in a jute bag. Then hang one of our Bear and Rose Nutcracker tags on it and you’re done!

14 | All things nice

And last, but by no means least, here’s one of our latest place names, used as a personalised gift tag. Baker’s twine holds our personalised Gingerbread Man gift tag secure in a forest of rosemary, bay, cinnamon and star anise, all held in place with glue dots. It smells as good as it looks and hints at the foodie treats inside. 

What are your favourite wrapping ideas? We'd love to see them - tag us on Instagram @bearandrose, or send us a photo info@bearandrose.co.uk

You can see all the tags featured here on this page.