If you're like me, then the thought of spending hours wrapping Christmas presents doesn't sound very enticing. But when you invite your girlfriends over for an afternoon of sweets and sips and get creative with the process it becomes a party you'll never want to end! Be sure to download the free Merry and Bright Printable Tags to jazz up your gifts this season!
Although most of my house leans more to the traditional style of decorating, I have one room where any and everything goes! I love being able to transform the space for the holidays and let the all the bright and merry colors of the season take over.
There was absolutely no way my husband was going to allow me to paint our walls lilac, but that didn't stop me from achieving the same effect with a bit of orchid bulletin board paper! I used strong double-sided tape to affix it to the wall and it has held up nicely. I added holly clusters here and there for a touch of whimsy. I created them by cutting the leaves from scrapbook paper and then used small pink balloons for the berries. This is such a simple way to add some merry to your walls! You can download the free printable holly leaf template here.
I found the colorful unicorn Christmas tree and knew it would be perfect in the corner of our room.
It looked especially festive with stacks of gifts piled high underneath. 
You can find oodles of inspiration for fun ways of packaging your presents in my 5 DIY Gift Wrapping Ideas post found here.
Speaking of festive, how fun are these DIY Paper Lantern Christmas Ornaments? I love the look of large Christmas balls on the tree, but hate the hefty price tag. Creating my own was not only cost-efficient, but I was able to personalize them by painting them in my own pattern. Total win-win!
The Paper Lantern Christmas Ornaments looked just as pretty sitting out on their own as decor pieces all throughout the room. Get the step-by-step instructions to make your own Paper Lantern Christmas Ornaments here.
Gift Wrapping Station
Setting up a gift wrapping station in the room was a cinch and blended seamlessly with the room's decor thanks to the colorful color palette used in the craft items and gift wrap.
An unfinished wood crate was painted and became perfect for holding rolls of gift-wrap and tissue paper.
A plethora of embellishments were piled onto the coffee table for guests to use for decorating their presents after they had been wrapped.
Bright glitter pom poms, mini pom poms, painted wooden beads (both round and square), painted diamond shapes and jingle bells were perfectly contained in square appetizer bowls and were corralled nicely on a large dessert stand.
A DIY wooden sleigh was the perfect size for holding various bits of ribbon and baker's twine. Pastel washi tape was housed in another square appetizer bowl and a sampling of the free printable Merry and Bright Christmas Gift Tags, which you can download here, were arranged on the table.
Mini lilac, hot pink, light blue and mint green favor boxes are the perfect size for wrapping small trinkets and treasures and were easy to dress up with the same embellishments and ribbon used on our larger gifts.
Sips and Sweets
If you're hosting a cocktail party, then a festive bar cart is definitely in order! Candy pink plastic plates and fresh mint lunch napkins were kept handy for those who wished to partake in some sweet treats. The top of the cart was given a little pizazz thanks to the addition of one of the DIY Paper Lantern Christmas Ornaments, a few of our mini wrapped gifts, and a DIY unfinished wood tree. A pink spray-painted sisal tree stood proudly in a glass jar filled with faux snow. DIY stockings were personalized for each of the guests to take home as a thank you for making the day merry!
Our signature cocktail, a Pomegranate Blackberry Spritzer, was served in clear patterned wine glasses on a small white tray that was painted with a confetti pattern. A few wooden beads were painted and hot glued to bamboo skewers to create colorful and simple drink stirrers.
Mixers and mini bottles of bubbly were stocked on the bottom of the bar cart. Mint green and white striped paper straws were tied to the bottles of bubbly using gold glitter ribbon. Another glass jar filled with spray-painted sisal trees and a mini gift sat atop a white cake stand.
Sweet treats were kept bite-sized and best of all, within reach on another painted white tray that sat on the coffee table.
I hope you found some inspiration to host your own gift-wrapping party this holiday season! To see more of this Merry and Bright Party, be sure to check out the post for 5 DIY Gift Wrapping Ideas, the DIY for the Paper Lantern Christmas Ornaments and the recipe for the cheers-worthy Pomegranate Blackberry Spritzer!
Photography: Moments by Maredith
Furniture, rug, pillows and floor pouf: Coral Lane Specialty Events
