DEB’S DESK: The Secret to Stress-Free Gifting

DEB’S DESK: The Secret to Stress-Free Gifting

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It’s almost scurry-down-the-chimney o’clock for all you cute little elves. Let’s be real and admit gift giving can get stressful, especially when we start getting ambitious. But gifting doesn’t have to be super elaborate or hyper-specific to each recipient! Santa’s little helper, aka Deborah Waterman Johns, is here to share one of her all-time greatest tricks to holiday gifting. It’s a life and wallet saver, in our humble elf opinion, of course. 

A major key to stress-free and successful gifting is buying what you love in “bulk.” Personalizing with monograms is one way to add a little personality to your bulk buy. If monogramming isn’t possible, add ornaments to the outside of your gifts to make them more dynamic, fun, and distinctive to each recipient. Are you gifting in multiples for a large family or all the 7th grade teachers? Color coordinate! They’ll be super impressed by your creativity as this approach is a delightful visual.  

We love the idea of using SCOUT bags as the “decorative slipcover” for gifting. It’s truly such a treat to receive a gift within a gift. We like to call this “layered” gifting (it’s the new thing). The exterior is reusable, and the interior acts as the big reveal. This can be especially useful for more voluminous gifts, like blankets, coats, or items in boxes. Gently nestle your gift and a few plumes of tissue paper in an Original Deano, and voila! You’ve created a gorgeous spread.  

If your gift is the SCOUT bag or accessory itself, try laying it flat and tying it like a present with bright and bold ribbon. In a similarly economical vein, go “high/low” in a bagged gift however you please. Mix in retro candies like Pez or Dots or Bit-O-Honeys, you name it, with something luxe for a refreshing and charming pairing. EVERYONE loves candy, but if they’re a silly Christmas goose who doesn’t prefer sweets, then you can also go the savory route with some Dot’s Pretzels, Takis, or Zapp’s potato chips. Honestly, we don’t even need the other gift. The snacks will do just fine.   

Lastly and most importantly, we’re not just a tote bag company! The snowy sky’s the limit, and we’re here to ho-ho-help you out as much as we can. Don’t want to wrap your gift in bags, accessories, coolers, or storage? That’s chill, because we also have a giant collection of festive gift bags to get the job done. For even more inspiration. check out our Holiday Gift Shop and explore all the gifting possibilities! 

stay true- the scouted crew