Holiday gift wrapping tips that will wow your friends and family

You don't need elves to make your presents and packages look amazing this holiday season.

"There are a lot of things you can do to embellish your packages. People seem to think it's going to cost a lot of money or be real expensive to have that professional look but it's really not," says interior design expert Kay Stephens. "It's not about spending a lot of money, it's about being creative."

Kay, who is a manager at Cornelius Nursery, says you can start with a simple bow and go from there.

"The first thing you want to do is cut your ribbon. Here at the store we have a yard stick but you don't have to get that technical," said Kay.

To Make A Bow:

1. Cut five to six pieces of ribbon all about two yards each. If you hold the ribbon in hand and stretching it out to the side, that is usually a yard.


2. Start with the widest ribbon first. Your widest will go to the back.


3. Gather the ribbon and pinch it. Make a loop and gather it. One big secret to doing this is twist. Grab your ribbon, twist it and come back around and make another loop and gather.


4. Do the same thing for each ribbon, holding all of it together, tight in your hand.


5. Take the pre-wrapped wire -- just regular floral wire wrapped in floral tape. Come in at the back of the bow, slide it under your ribbon about halfway through. Bring it around the center of the bow, all the way to the back. Grab it with your other hand and twist it. Twist it really tight, because that's what is going to make a center for your bow.


6. Open it up by pulling apart your loops on both sides.


7. Regardless of how simple or how elaborate your bow is, you always want to trim your ends, that's going to give it a finished look. Those unfinished ends are a dead giveaway to an unprofessional job.

You can add big bows to trees, chandeliers, and mantles, just about anywhere. And, once you know how to do this, you can use it for just about anything. You can make smaller bows for packages using the same technique.

Sometimes the best embellishments for a package are things you already own:

Earrings -- Add an embellishment to a package with an old pair of earrings or one earring that no longer has a match. Attach it to the box with a narrow ribbon.

Holly -- Slip a piece of holly from your yard into the ribbon on your package.

Kay suggests stopping by the dollar store for other creative add-ons.

"I found this fun little bounce ball for a dollar. Clip the tag off and I'm going to take a piece of fun ribbon," said Kay, "Something fun for the kids and it's like having an extra present."

When you are shipping your gifts, try attaching something flat to the package. Kay found a glittery deer that she attached to her gift and she didn't have to worry about it being smashed in the mail.

Kay says adding ornaments can jazz up any gift, no matter what holiday you are celebrating.

Other ways to spice up your presents:

• Use comic paper, or newspaper


• Use pieces of fabric, safety pin it behind the package, and tie with a satin ribbon


• Decorate and use Chinese takeout boxes


• Paper lunch sacks. Decorate the bags and add a ribbon for a personalized look

For more information visit www.calloways.com/cornelius.

Special thanks to Berings.

Tips from Deals