Playfully Upcycled: Creating an Experience with Inspired Gift Wrapping
One part surprise, one part nostalgia, two parts charm: the practical advice you didn't know you needed on upcycling everyday found objects into artful gift topping accents—straight from a design professional.
Pattern designer Nadia Hassan is the type of gal who stops to smell the flowers or ponder an intriguing crack in the sidewalk. Her playful designs grace many of our best selling holiday wrapping papers, and over the years we've grown fond of another of her talents, her completely unique style and clever knack for gift wrapping.
Categorically her look starts with an unabashed blend of patterns, then layers on multiple textures, sprinkles in some element of surprise, and finishes up with a quick dollop of whimsy. It's so good. Every. Dang. Time. How does she do it?
We begged and she conceded to teach us the method to her cute-as-heck madness in the following Q&A. She styles her gifts to create an experience, she tells us, by scouring thrift stores, craft store bargain bins, and always keeping an eye out to upcycle an interesting find. Her playful spirit and sweet intentions inspire us to re-learn all the rules. Let's begin...
All photos styled and taken by Nadia Hassan.
What do you look for to serve as the initial spark of inspiration to gather and curate your materials?
My approach is to gather first, curate later. I don’t always know what elements will end up being the stars of the show, but in order to begin the gathering process, I have two main questions:
If the answer is yes, I consider its functional potential. I ignore for a moment what an object is meant to do, and think about what it COULD do. A roll of raffle tickets becomes a ribbon of sorts. Patterned tissue boxes and old holiday cards are perfect for making into gift tags.
I find that I am constantly scanning materials and matching their characteristics to that of the basic gift wrap components: wrapping paper, ribbon, tags, bows/toppers. I source the vast majority of my supplies from thrift stores throughout the year—once you start thinking of everything in terms of gift wrap potential, it’s hard to stop!
Explain your process, do you plan out the whole look (layout and colors) in advance or assemble the design as you go?
I usually do all of the wrapping first, before starting with the add-ons like ribbons/toppers/tags, simply because that is what my workspace allows. Once all of the boxes are wrapped, I find that my decorating process is very intuitive and spontaneous, because that’s the most enjoyable for me. Some people might prefer to do more planning, and there is nothing wrong with that! I’m mostly concerned with having fun, and it’s my opinion that you should be, too. :)
Tell us your tips for mixing colors and patterns, please.
One of the rules I live by is, “if it doesn’t go with anything, it goes with everything,” so when it comes to mixing colors and patterns, I have a high tolerance for wacky-tacky.
However, even my weirdest combos tend to have one unifying element, and one contrasting element. Sometimes I mix wildly different patterns together to create contrast, and the color palette is the unifying element that holds it all together. Other times I might repeat the same pattern and change up the scale and/or color (e.g. big blue dots + small black dots). My preference is for things to feel coordinated without being too matchy-matchy, but you may want an even crazier or far more reigned-in look than I do. There’s no right or wrong—just play around and let your excitement lead the way.
Do you plan on creating a theme to each gift?
I never set out to have a theme, but perhaps because of my art + design background, a clear aesthetic seems to emerge anyway. Once I see a specific look coming together, I tend to lean into it pretty enthusiastically, while still making a point to tailor some details to each specific recipient.
How do you evoke an emotional response from your recipient?
This is the real reason I am obsessed with wrapping gifts: it feels so good to connect with my loved ones by creating a special experience just for them. Simply giving a gift that was wrapped with thought and care is enough to do the trick, but don’t be afraid to take some risks. The most memorable presentations are the ones that are a little quirky and unexpected, that were clearly created with the recipient in mind.
How do you incorporate an element of humor?
From time to time, I’ll wrap a gift in multiple layers of paper, or in multiple layers of boxes. Not only is this mildly prank-y in a good natured sort of way, it prolongs the opening experience, which is a gift in and of itself. I’m also a big fan of googly eyes and comically oversized lollipops to get a laugh.
Invoking Nostalgia
A dear friend of mine often saves the wrap from gifts I give her, and uses it to wrap gifts for me at some point in the future. I love seeing the items being reused and remixed. Not only is it extra eco-friendly, it’s such a sweet reminder of our past holiday get-togethers, and one more reason to look forward to the next one.
Happy wrapping!
- - -
Meet the Artist: Nadia Hassan
Nadia Hassan is an artist and designer from Greensboro, NC. She created her first repeating pattern 10 years ago as part of a class assignment while pursuing her BFA, and hasn’t stopped since. Nadia’s signature style is defined by bold graphics, clean lines, cheerful colors and a healthy dose of playfulness. She draws inspiration from nature’s endless supply of beautiful forms, the legacy of mid-century design, and the moments in everyday life where the mundane meets the serendipitous. Her process is as much about play as work; it’s an exciting investigation of ideas, colors, shapes, textures, and scale. Read on...
Featured Products
Stags/ Birch - 6-sheet value pack
$13.99
– Sold Out-
Handsome holiday gifts start here, with this elegant combo of birch trunks and colorful reindeer stags. Professional surface designer Nadia Hassan created this collection, her whimsical patterns and warm, inviting colors ensure your gifts will look stunning stacked under the tree.
-
Reversible gift wrap sheets come flat and folded with complementary gift tag stickers. Full sheet size is 21.5" x 34". Printed in Washington State on recycled and recyclable newsprint.
Wrap Bundle: Party Time by Nadia
$56.47 $59.45
Get the party started with this eco-friendly gift wrapping set! Mix and Match reversible patterns featuring 80s retro vibes and kids freeform styles of Nadia Hassan to create gifts that stand out in a crowd.
Bundle includes:
- Funfetti/Squiggles double-sided wrapping paper, 3 sheets
- Mix Tape/Go Bows double-sided wrapping paper, 3 sheets
- Roller Skates/80s Check double-sided wrapping paper, 3 sheets
- Jumbo Plaid/Jumbo Dot double-sided wrapping paper, 3 sheets
- 2x Party Time Pop-Out Gift Tags & Twine (12 tags total)
JOIN the mission to green-up gifting!
- Sheet size 21.5" x 34"
- Premium newsprint + soy-based inks
- Plastic-free PLA packaging (plus no unnecessary cardboard tube!)
- Flat, folded sheets for easy storage
- 100% recyclable and compostable
- Milled, printed and packaged in Washington State
Party Time Pop-Out Gift Tags & Twine
$8.00
These party-ready tags will literally be the cherry on top of your next gift. Fun, retro die cut shapes that are perfect for kids, teens, and those of us old enough to have grown up making our own mix tapes.
Set includes six pop-out tags with matching twine.
Printed with the highest standard of sustainability, these gift tags are cute and credentialed. Carbon-offset printed on thick 100% recycled, FSC-certified paper.
Funfetti/ Squiggles - Double-sided Eco Wrapping Paper for Everyday Gifting
$10.80
Celebrate sustainably with our recycled and recyclable double-sided eco wrapping paper featuring the cheerful art of professional illustrator and graphic designer, Nadia Hassan. Reversible patterns make gift wrapping fun! Paper works great for crafting, too.
Package includes three sheets + adhesive gift tags
• Sheet size 21.5" x 34"
• Premium newsprint + soy-based inks
• Plastic-free PLA packaging, certified compostable + biodegradable
• Flat, folded sheet for easy storage
• No unnecessary cardboard tube
• 100% recyclable and compostable
• Milled, printed and packaged in Washington State
JOIN the mission to green-up gifting!
#wrapriprecycle #wraphappy #gifthappily
Mix Tape/Go Bows Party Wrapping Paper
$10.80
Celebrate sustainably with our recycled and recyclable double-sided eco wrapping paper featuring the cheerful art of professional illustrator and graphic designer, Nadia Hassan. Reversible patterns make gift wrapping fun! Paper works great for crafting, too.
Package includes three sheets + adhesive gift tags
• Sheet size 21.5" x 34"
• Premium newsprint + soy-based inks
• Plastic-free PLA packaging, certified compostable + biodegradable
• Flat, folded sheet for easy storage
• No unnecessary cardboard tube
• 100% recyclable and compostable
• Milled, printed and packaged in Washington State
JOIN the mission to green-up gifting!
#wrapriprecycle #wraphappy #gifthappily
Roller Skates/80s Check
$10.80
Celebrate sustainably with our recycled and recyclable double-sided eco wrapping paper featuring the cheerful art of professional illustrator and graphic designer, Nadia Hassan. Reversible patterns make gift wrapping fun! Paper works great for crafting, too.
Package includes three sheets + adhesive gift tags
• Sheet size 21.5" x 34"
• Premium newsprint + soy-based inks
• Plastic-free PLA packaging, certified compostable + biodegradable
• Flat, folded sheet for easy storage
• No unnecessary cardboard tube
• 100% recyclable and compostable
• Milled, printed and packaged in Washington State
JOIN the mission to green-up gifting!
#wrapriprecycle #wraphappy #gifthappily
Jumbo Plaid/ Jumbo Dot Party Wrapping Paper
$10.80
Celebrate sustainably with our recycled and recyclable double-sided eco wrapping paper featuring the cheerful art of professional illustrator and graphic designer, Nadia Hassan. Reversible patterns make gift wrapping fun! Paper works great for crafting, too.
Package includes three sheets + adhesive gift tags
• Sheet size 21.5" x 34"
• Premium newsprint + soy-based inks
• Plastic-free PLA packaging, certified compostable + biodegradable
• Flat, folded sheet for easy storage
• No unnecessary cardboard tube
• 100% recyclable and compostable
• Milled, printed and packaged in Washington State
JOIN the mission to green-up gifting!
#wrapriprecycle #wraphappy #gifthappily
Festive Holidays by Nadia - Complete Eco Gift Wrap Bundle
$69.99 $75.00
Celebrate sustainably with a season's worth of recycled and recyclable gift wrap goodies featuring the art of cheeriest gal we know, designer, Nadia Hassan. Reversible patterns make gift wrapping fun!
Bundle includes:
• Poinsettia/Painterly double-sided wrapping paper, 3 sheets
• Festive Forest double-sided wrapping paper, 3 sheets
• Boughs/Twinkle double-sided wrapping paper, 3 sheets
• Home For The Holidays double-sided wrapping paper, 3 sheets
• (2) Festive Holiday Pop Out Gift Tags & Twine (10 tags total)
• (2) Rolls of Paper Ribbon, 25 yards each (Red and/or Silver)
JOIN the mission to green-up gifting! #wrapriprecycle #wraphappy #gifthappily
- Sheet size 21.5" x 34"
- Premium newsprint + soy-based inks
- Plastic-free PLA packaging (plus no unnecessary cardboard tube!)
- Flat, folded sheets for easy storage
- 100% recyclable and compostable
- Milled, printed and packaged in Washington State
Festive Holiday Pop-Out Gift Tags
$7.49 $8.00
Printed with the highest standard of sustainability, these tags are cute and credentialed. The doubly thick 100% recycled paper is FSC-certified and carbon-offset printed. Set includes five pop-out tags with coordinating twine.
Snow Scenes Pop-Out Kraft Gift Tags & Twine
$8.00
Add an elegant touch to special holiday gifts with these double-sided hanging gift tags in the shapes of snowmen and pine trees. Printed with the highest standard of sustainability, these tags are cute and credentialed. The thick recycled kraft paper is FSC-certified and carbon-offset printed. Set of six pop-out tags with natural fiber twine.
Christmas Lights Pop-Out Gift Tags & Twine, set of 6
$8.00
Add a festive touch to special gifts with these double-sided hanging gift tags in the shape of vintage Christmas light bulbs. Printed with the highest standard of sustainability, these gift tags are cute and credentialed: FSC-certified 100% recycled paper, plant-based inks, and carbon-offset printed.
Set of six pop-out tags with coordinating natural fiber twine.
Feliz Flamingos/ Candy Canes
$10.80
Tis' the season to think pink. Lots of pink. These jaunty birds and jungle foliage make any tropical holiday scene complete. Paired with this maximalist's candy cane dream, we think you'll have the whole 'merry and bright' thing on lock. Feliz Flamingos/Candy Canes is a new Wrappily exclusive by surface pattern designer Nadia Hassan.
Package includes three double-sided wrapping paper sheets + adhesive gift tags
• Sheet size 21.5" x 34"
• Premium newsprint + soy-based inks = eco-friendly wrapping paper
• Plastic-free PLA packaging
• Flat, folded sheet for easy storage
• No unnecessary cardboard tube
• 100% recyclable and compostable
• Milled, printed and packaged in Washington State
Home for the Holidays/ Christmas Cookies
$10.80
'Tis the season to stay cozy. String lights from the eaves and perfect your cookie icing, there's no better place to be than Home for the Holidays. This charming pattern combo playing with indoor/ outdoor homey holiday scenes is the clever work of surface pattern designer Nadia Hassan.
Package includes three double-sided wrapping paper sheets + adhesive gift tags
• Sheet size 21.5" x 34"
• Premium newsprint + soy-based inks = eco-friendly wrapping paper
• Plastic-free PLA packaging
• Flat, folded sheet for easy storage
• No unnecessary cardboard tube
• 100% recyclable and compostable
• Milled, printed and packaged in Washington State
Boughs/ Twinkle - Double-sided Eco Wrapping Paper for Christmas & Holiday
$10.80
'Tis the season to bling out. Bold boughs bedecked brightly—say that ten times fast! We love how these branches swing and swoop, creating playful graphic elements that are amplified by the cheeriest coordinating holiday confetti scene you might not have known you ever needed (but clearly did.) This holiday brilliance is the work of surface pattern designer, Nadia Hassan, who puts the wham in whimsy and the cheer in our year.
Package includes three double-sided wrapping paper sheets + adhesive gift tags
• Sheet size 21.5" x 34"
• Premium newsprint + soy-based inks = eco-friendly wrapping paper
• Plastic-free PLA packaging
• Flat, folded sheet for easy storage
• No unnecessary cardboard tube
• 100% recyclable and compostable
• Milled, printed and packaged in Washington State
Festive Forest/ Snowflake Confetti
$10.80
-
What could be sweeter than a festive woodland forest scene including hot cocoa, wooly mittens, and the cutest foxes around? A confetti of cheery snowflakes sets off the party. (And yes, we do think pink is perfect for Christmas!) Professional surface designer Nadia Hassan created this collection, her whimsical patterns and warm, inviting colors ensure your gifts will look stunning stacked under the tree.
-
Reversible gift wrap sheets come flat and folded with complementary gift tag stickers. Full sheet size is 21.5" x 34". Printed in Washington State on recycled and recyclable newsprint.
Marbled/ Mistletoe
$10.80
Swirls of festive green and a classic winter botanical – make your holiday gift wrapping a work of art with this fresh duo designed by Nadia Hassan (who else would hand marble paper then turn it into a repeating pattern?!) Paired with Poinsettias/ Painterly, we'd call this holiday collection artfully done.
Package includes three double-sided wrapping paper sheets + adhesive gift tags
• Sheet size 21.5" x 34"
• Premium newsprint + soy-based inks = eco-friendly wrapping paper
• Plastic-free PLA packaging
• Flat, folded sheet for easy storage
• No unnecessary cardboard tube
• 100% recyclable and compostable
• Milled, printed and packaged in Washington State
Poinsettia/ Painterly
$10.80
-
Va-va-va-bloom! Make your Christmas gift wrapping a work of art with this festive duo designed by Nadia Hassan. Poinsettias that really pop, and the hand-painted watercolor pattern? It's a sheer brushstroke of genius. Paired with Marbled/ Mistletoe, this holiday collection artfully done.
-
Wrappily's reversible gift wrap sheets come flat and folded with complementary gift tag stickers. Sheet size is 21.5" x 34". Printed in Washington State on recycled and recyclable newsprint.
