The Art of the Gift Closet + Wrapping Like a Pro

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‘Tis the season for awkward social encounters…lots of them. In my world, a casual meet up with a friend or acquaintance can turn into a days-long internal debate about whether to bring a gift.  What if they bring one? What if I bring one, but they don’t?  In the past, you could just write me off as a hot mess, socially impaired mom during the whole month of December. However, this year I’m prepared. I got this.

My secret? The gift closet.

That’s right, I’ve selected a stash of awesome gifts that fit a wide range of potentially  awkward Christmas encounters.

There is an art to the gift closet. First, you need to carefully curate the types of gifts that that you’d like to receive for yourself, but universal enough that they will suit a wide variety of tastes. It’s also important that to ace your gift presentation to make it feel extra special.

This awesome stainless steel water bottle is not only gender neutral, but totally functional and on trend. Great for the kids’ coach or your gym buddy!

A beautiful, scented candle is always a good idea. Just add a bow and a thoughtful, handwritten card, and your teacher gift is complete.

And, what do you think of my DIY gift wrap? In a pinch, use freezer paper as wrapping paper and add duct tape for a bold geometric print. I used some ribbon, a sprig from the Christmas tree, and some of my gold tree filler for an A+ custom presentation.I tried to fill my gift closet with at least a few items that are gender neutral, like these chic headphones. I wrapped them in beautiful glitter gift wrap, and topped it with an inexpensive ornament. 

A no-brainer gift, any time of the year, is chocolate. I wrapped mine in my favorite print, leopard,and accessorized it with some gold ribbon and jingle bells.

And,  because holiday gift mishaps come in all sizes, I got a little something for the impromptu kiddie exchange. Educational and travel friendly aces the child gifting game! I used simple butcher paper to wrap this gift, and tied it with bakery twine and a bristle brush tree for a picture perfect present.

Finally, some of the best gifts are the ones that come in giftable packaging, which is just another reason to like this watch set that can be customized to suit any taste. Just add a beautiful silk ribbon as a finishing touch.

I’m pleased to report that creating my gift closet was completely painless: I got all these gifts, plus the wrapping paper, in one shopping trip to Big Lots.

As soon as I walked into the front doors at my local store, there were gift displays everywhere! It made it totally easy to navigate the store and find everything I needed – right down to the gift wrap.Not only did I stock my gift stash, but I was pleasantly surprised to find they have home decor that’s just my style. Confession: I picked up this irresistibly soft fur pillow as a gift, but kept it for myself.

So this year, I’m not breaking a sweat over what to get the kids’ teachers.  

When a long lost relative stops by to drop off “a little something” I’ll be prepared.

Office gift exchanges? No problemo.

I hope you like my tips for creating your own gift closet. Need more gift inspiration? You can find everything you need here!

Do you keep a gift stash for the holidays? Please share your tips with me in the comments, below!