brown paper packages

As you know we sold our house in Kentucky and moved to Charleston, SC this past summer. We aren't new to the moving game (hello, this is house #6), but we lived in our Kentucky house longer than any other house we've called home. Which means we had five years to accumulate stuff in one place. Insert the emoji with the big shocked eyes. When it came time to start packing things up, I quickly realized what a giant hoarder I had become. Yikes. How do people live in one place for 30 years?! One thing in particular that seemed to really be in overabundance was the amount of wrapping paper I had collected. Holy Moly guys! I think I had enough wrapping paper to wrap millions of presents. It was like I thought I was one of Santa's elves or something! Seriously. It's was crazy town.

Instead of packing and moving it all, I gave a bunch of it away and the rest I sold at our big moving sale. I have since vowed to never again be a hoarder of wrapping paper, and so instead I'm repurposing paper grocery bags for all my wrapping paper needs from here on out. It works like a charm, is just as cute and keeps my wrapping paper hoarding tendencies in check. Plus it brings back memories of jr. high school and making book covers for my text books. (That's how old I am.) So clearly it's a win all the way around.

Grocery store paper bags are pretty strong too, so you don't have to worry about the paper tearing. I'm keeping my gift wrapping pretty simple with just plain brown paper, plaid ribbon (Hobby Lobby) and gift tags (Target). But if you wanted to get super creative you could stamp or even watercolor or let your kids decorate the paper packages for a totally fun and unique wrapping paper.

jewel toned christmas tree

I've also been known to use fabric scraps to embellish. And how cute are garland pipe cleaners (found at Hobby Lobby)?! They are perfect for personalizing gift packages.

Brown paper packages tied up with string…….these are a few of my favorite things. You're welcome for getting that song stuck in your head today.

Okay, so who else has been a wrapping paper hoarder? Don't be shy. There's no shame. ;) I'm glad I've overcome, now if I could just get a handle on my ridiculous stash of cute pencils! There's probably no hope there. If loving cute pencils is wrong, I just don't want to be right.