How to Dress Up a Boring Present: Wrap Like a Pro

"It's all about presentation."

I can't tell you how many times I've heard my mom say this. What it means is this: 
You can make anything look cooler just by presenting it in an interesting way. Likewise, you can make something awesome look not as awesome if you don't present it right. 

Yesterday, I went to a baby shower. I like to get things off the registry because a) it's easy and b) people register for stuff they want/need, and people like getting things they actually want as opposed to something they hate and will have to take back later. For this gift, I decided to load them up with essentials like baby lotion, bath wash, pacifiers, and pampers wipes. All stuff they registered for, and all stuff they'll need--but not necessarily anything interesting to open. When it's all said and done, I got them a useful but lame gift. 

The trick is how you present it. 

I knew piling all the items in a bag and shoving a piece of tissue paper in there was a terrible idea. When you do that, they're just pulling out individual bottles of lotion one after the other. I knew it was boring, but it was my only idea. So I called the best gift wrapper I know: my mother.

Within a minute she had come up with at least four brilliant ideas I never would have thought of myself.  The one I settled on required the least amount of materials and used all things I currently owned, minus a roll of cellophane, which cost about $2. I've decided to share the brilliant idea with all of you, should you happen to find yourself in such a situation in the future. 

The first step is to find a box that fits your loot. If you're anything like me, you have a collection of boxes lying around. Just find one that fits.

This was a baby shower, so I found some cute baby paper and wrapped my box once I'd cut the sides off. 

Then pack the box with the presents and tissue paper. And if you're anything like me, you have a ridiculously large stash of tissue paper lying around with your boxes.Sometimes I feel like I'm living on an episode of hoarders.

Here's the important part: wrap the box with cellophane. This is my mom's secret trick. It completes the box and makes it look like a real present. Plus, the gift recipient isn't pulling bottles of lotion out of a bag. 

The final step is to get a card and tie it around the ribbon. 
What do you think? Brilliant, no? I also wrapped a second gift for another baby shower. It's the season of babies in my life right now.

So that's how you spruce up bottles of baby lotion and diapers with cellophane and a leftover cardboard box. My lame (but let's not forget useful!) gift looks cooler than it is. Thanks, Mom.