I’m currently up in the Hudson Valley shooting the Jersey Ice Cream Company’s latest project, and I just said goodbye to my husband in Philly yesterday as he headed back home. Last night, trying to sleep at 2:30 AM, my mind was racing like a rabbit’s heart. Every thought from hollow eyed she-ghosts (one could imagine any of these old farmhouses haunted) to the pros and cons of concrete flooring (they’re coming to do some more work at our place this winter!) were taking their turns at milling about. For the first time in months, I realized I didn’t have a deadline looming. Sure, there are still a million and one time sensitive things to do and ever more coming, but no concrete deadlines. So now I’m trying to focus on being present & enjoying the beautiful home I’m working in today, the winter grey sky, and getting excited for the holidays. As we all put the finishing touches on our celebrations, I wanted to share this DIY for floral gift toppers along with a few last minute gift ideas (hello copper & grey watch + grey suede clutch) from Skagen’s gift guide. Their no frills, minimalist approach is right up my alley, and a linen wrapped package spilling over with greenery with a gorgeous time piece or leather bag inside it is perfect.
I love picking out gifts for people, and I love deciding on how to wrap them each year even more. I picked out the grey clutch, black leather purse, and minimalist watch from Skagen to gift to some ladies on my list, but once I got my hands on them it was a little bit harder to part with them. I’ve been looking for my ideal watch forever, and this one goes with literally everything I own because grey! But it was, alas, not for me to keep so it found its way into a pretty box. Same with the gorgeous grey suede clutch. But I will admit to hanging on to the small black purse pictured here as it turns out it’s the perfect size for some cash, a passport, and iPhone 6 plus…making it ideal for easy access to my essentials when navigating airports. I hate having to dig in my big bag for cash or ID. Solution found. Present fail. But hey, new bag!
So that’s what’s in some of these boxes, but now it’s time to talk about the boxes themselves. I went crazy this year with wrapping ideas. I used old pages from a Wild Unknown calendar, black matte paper, and linen (still my favorite) along with twine, yarn, and washi tape. To complete them I created these floral toppers using nothing but some floral foam, a knife, and trimmings. Here’s how I did it.
DIY | Floral Gift Toppers
what you’ll need:
scissors
a knife
floral foam
greenery and flowers (fresh blooms optional)
twine, fishing wire, or strong tape (for afixing them to the boxes)
1. Slice a piece of floral foam about 1/2″-3/4″ thick. You don’t want it too thick or it will show too prominently. It’s okay if a bit peeks through as the greenery will disguise it, but you don’t want a big thick piece.
2. Trim the rectangular slice to the size you want your bow to be. I like them to be asymmetrical diamonds, but you can make it any shape you like. I trim the excess once I’m done anyways.
3. Cut bits and pieces of florals, greenery, dried flowers, berries, and whatever you can find or forage to use. If using fresh flowers, only put them in the day of, otherwise, use greenery that will keep longer than a flower. I like to make them sans blooms until the day I give them then I clip a few from a vase and stick them in as a finishing touch.
4. When arranging the pieces, don’t worry about being too precise. I think the wilder they are, the better. Try spindly sticks mixed with fuller greens. The fuller bits will act as a base to cover the foam, and the sticks & spindly bits will give it movement and shape.
5. To afix to the box you can gently run fishing wire over it to tie it on, just tie it on with twine, or use a strong double-sided tape to stick it on. If you’re traveling with the gifts, it’s probably better to attach your toppers once you get to your destination!
Happy gifting!
You can find the watch, clutch, and bag here if you’re interested! A thank you to Skagen for sponsoring this post & a thank you to you all for supporting the people who support this blog & keep my virtual “doors open”! Stay tuned for one last holiday idea tomorrow….it involves drinks!
