We went to Daiso in search of large swaths of gift wrapping paper to wrap up gifts for a children’s birthday party. Daiso sells everything for SG$2 (about US$1.45). We managed to get this seemingly simple polka dot gift wrapping paper. Simple wrapping sheets are a delight to work with because the possibilities for decorating them can be endless. But going overboard with embellishments is what we wanted to avoid. We wanted to retain and in fact, amplify the pretty simplicity of polka dots. Yet, we also wanted to add decorations that depict the fun-loving freshness of a carefree youth, the Spring time of our lives. What would Spring look like on a decorated wrapping sheet?

A pinwheel embellishment tells us of the crisp but soft breeze of Spring. We made one from craft paper with yellow flower patterns that add a pop of brightness and a rosette center-piece. The wrapping style is Japanese that leaves a pocket on the front to hold the pinwheel. Finally, we tied baker’s twine in 3 parallel rows around the gift just below the pinwheel. The result looks quite rustic and has an effortless naturalness to it. We wanted the pinwheel to be the focal point so we did not end off the baker’s twine with a ribbon knot on the front. This polka dot wrapping paper is perfect for any gift size. It also works with bright yellow, orange and pink ribbons that not only stand out but complement the polka dot motifs on the wrapping sheet.