It’s safe to say I’m a wee bit gift wrap obsessed. I absolutely love wrapping presents. I know full well that nine times out of ten the person on the receiving end won’t even notice my efforts. But I don’t care.

For me, it’s kind of like a chef obsessing over flawless plating. So much thought has gone into your little gift, why slap any old paper on it and call it a day?

Still, while I’m a big fan of presentation, I’m an equally big fan of cheap. I don’t want to throw tons of money at paper that’s just going to end up in the garbage. That just seems kind of silly.

As you can imagine, when pretty and inexpensive are combined I immediately wet my pants and squeal with glee.

Of course, I have a little (ok, no so little) Pinterest board filled with gift wrap inspiration that makes my heart go pitter patter. I picked a few of my current favorites to show off in the hopes that they will inspire you (and me!) this holiday season.

I’ve been quietly plotting to reopen an Etsy accessories shop next month (well, I guess the whole quiet part depends on who you ask… my husband would probably tell you that I’m anything but quiet). Actually, I’ve been talking about opening it back up for almost two years at this point, but I’ve made it my mission for March.

I’ve gotten a bunch of freelance projects recently (score) that have distracted me a bit (boo), but I’m getting back on track. I don’t have any behind the scenes shots to show for it yet, but I can share my branding inspiration board.

I have a problem when it comes to gift wrap. I’m completely obsessed.

I mean, seriously. If you run yourself ragged for the whole holiday season searching high and low for the perfect gifts for all of the people on your gift list, why phone it in and do a shitty wrapping job? And if you didn’t drive yourself mad in your hunt for gifts, well, that’s an even bigger reason why you should go the extra yard with your gift wrap.

Usually I’m a wrapping paper junkie. I love pretty prints and whimsical colors. But I’ve grown kind of annoyed by how little of it you get for your buck (did that last roll even wrap around the tube twice? Jeeez).

This year I’ve decided to turn to brown craft paper and other wrapping alternatives. You can be more creative and spend less–which sounds like a double win to me!

Check out some of the pretty inspiration I’ve collected:

{via Allora Handmade}

{via STC Craft | Melanie Falick Books}

{via decor8}

{via Tip Junkie}

{via Pinterest}

{via Songbird}

{via decor8}

{via babble}

What do you think? Are you planning on getting creative with your gift wrap or are you saying “Screw it, who has the time?”?

Usually I would be one of the latter (although I’d swear up and down until the very last second that I was going to be creative), but my bud and I have an eagerly anticipated gift wrapping party every year–and by party I mean she comes to my house and we stuff our faces with deliciously unhealthy foods while listening to Christmas music and wrapping our little hearts out. It’s amazing.

Do you have any wrapping traditions?