A Bookish Gift.........and wrapping it too

photo by Kimberly Taylor ~ Mimi Charmante

It was this photo by talented blogger Kimberly Taylor at Mimi Charmante that got me to thinking about book gifts. First of all I love this photo she sells in her lovely, lovely Etsy shop and the other thought was she must be a reader too. You couldn't take this wonderful of a photo and not be, it has too much reverence in it. It's surprising really that I haven't talked about a simple book as a gift sooner especially since reading has been such a source of pleasure in my life. I can do anything, wait anywhere, endure most, as long as have a book in hand. When I was 9 years old I read all 52 Nancy Drew books in one year ( I told you I was intense) and I haven't stopped reading since. I read way too fast, have way too many books, spend too much, and don't see any of that changing in the years ahead. It is written into my marriage vows.......take me, take my books, their expense, and my nightly reading light...........sorry about that~xo




By January 1st, most people are gifted to the hilt and there likely isn't much more that they need or want. Which makes it the absolute best time of the year to give a book gift. It makes snow days positively welcome. Pick the absolute best book you have read the past year, or a stack of them even better, and indulge someone with the pleasure of reading. When I give a book gift there is a few things I do to make it more "bookish" so to speak.

My Bookish Details




Bookmarks

Always a bookmark. In fact, keep a handy supply around and head over to Kimberly's Etsy shop (click here)and stock up. She has a gorgeous selection of new velvet bookmarks with charms and pearls that will add a thoughtful touch to any book gift at a very reasonable price of $8.00. Consider adding in her gorgeous print shown above, any reader would love this addition. You must visit her blog Mimi Charmante, you will be absolutely charmed by her, if you aren't already.





Hide the Price
Use little stickers or seals to cover the price. My friend always does this and I have adopted this most civilized habit.These tiny stamp stickers are the perfect size but if in a pinch a real one would do nicely as well. They know roughly what you've spent anyways but this looks so much better.




Bookplates
Always have a packet of decorative but blank bookplates handy. I place a single one loose inside the front cover. Let them decide if they want to use it or how they will label it.

Personal Book Plates
If working ahead of your gift giving date and dealing with a serious book lover, order in a set of these adorable personalized bookplates form the fabulous artist Felix Doolittle. 25 Ex Libras 2" self-adhesive labels for $50.00 and they come in the cutest little tin. Lots of image choices and other shapes as well.

Wrapping the Book Gift

Yes, you can use brown kraft paper. I am always a bit wrapped-out in the first few months of the year and like to explore more relaxed styles of gift wrapping. I have nothing against twine, what you usually see with kcraft paper, but much prefer a simple ribbon. Books are perfect for this understated wrap.

I prefer a double layer gift wrap for books. Maybe I am afraid sharp folds will bend the book cover. This method eliminates any need for tape and I just like the relaxed style. One layer in one direction(shown above) then another layer going the other way so all book edges are covered. This technique also works really well with tissue paper. I will show you how to pleat and wrap with tissue in an upcoming post.

Here you can see the two paper directions. I used a small off cut of this graphic black and white gift wrap as a base for the attached and layered card I made. White cotton ribbon from Kate Spade was recycled after a quick iron. Keep reading, that copy you see is my new favorite thing to do on book gifts.

Book Quotes

Make a gift tag with a quote from the book. A few lines of book copy handwritten or printed on a blank gift card adds a bit of mystery to the book gift. I like to entice them to open those pages and immerse themselves in a story I think might bring them great reading pleasure. I will tell you what book this quote is from in my next Reading List post. It was my favorite book from 2009.

Reviews
Include a newspaper or online review of the book or links . I like to know how others thought of a book before I start a new one. Just fold and tuck into the rear cover.

Enjoy the story.........

Photos 1 to 3 from Mimi Charmante/Photo 7 from Felix Doolittle/All other photos by Sande Chase ~ A Gift Wrapped Life