Coastal Holiday Gift Wrapping

We're down to the last week of preparation for the Christmas holiday! Tree is decorated, holiday cards are mailed, stockings are hung... now to start wrapping the gifts that you've chosen with love and care.   Our crew has been collecting fun ideas for creating beach gift wrapping ideas - everything from nautical and tropical, to simple seashells and kraft paper with a beachcomber's eye. 

Enjoy your Monday inspiration!

1. Gorgeous Blues and Sparkles! From Sand and Sisal

1. A Beachcomber's Delight!  Love the driftwood and shells...

3. From Designer Mary Drysdale -  Simple and so elegant!  Featured on A Gift Wrapped Life

4. Sand Dollars, Starfish  - so pretty!  Featured on Completely-Coastal

5.  Full of holiday spirit from Artsea Chic!

6.  More fun Tropical Christmas Wrap ideas from Studio DIY.   (P.S. I think these are free printable designs - head over to Studio DIY for more details!)

7.  Lovely Nautical Ideas from Lia Griffith!

8.  100% Adorable! Featured on Modge Podge Rocks

9. Super Cute Tropical Theme with More Pineapples - Featured on Boxwood Clippings

10.  More of our Octopus Obsession - featured at Completely-Coastal

11 Don't forget cute tags!  Check out how to print at Prettypeas.com

12. Gold, seashells and sheet music from Debi's Design Diary

P,S. More inspiration to check out on our Pinterest Board - Gift Wrap Ideas for Coastal Style

Would love to see your wrapping skills - send us a pic on our Facebook Page - and we will show off your designs!

Fifteen of Our Favorite Coastal Christmas Trees

I have been collecting beachy Christmas tree inspiration ideas all year to show off.  When I started writing this blog post yesterday I decided to share one of my favorites trees on our Facebook page from a blogger that I really admire.  Our page went wild with "likes", comments and our post was shared over 1100 times! Almost 107,000 people have viewed our page (so far!) Incredibly overwhelming and I feel very honored to have spread a little Christmas love so early in the season.

Unexpectedly, 5 of our Facebook friends also shared their trees with us too! Here are their Christmas trees and 10 more from my collection -

1. First up - Yamitza Rodriguez's sea shell and burlap covered tree.  She made all of the ornaments!

2.  Kelly-Ann's Aqua Inspired Tree! So much fun swirled into this creation -

3.  Pearls and sea shells - topped off with a blonde mermaid!  Sent to us from Shelly Diamond.

4.  Underwater Bling from Sweet and Salty Seaglass - check out her Facebook page for more inspiration! Sweet and Salty Seaglass - http://www.facebook.com/sweetandsaltyseaglass/

5.  Simple Coastal Tree from Coastal Living Magazine - P.S. love the light blue striped rug too!

6. Super cute "Martha Stewart" inspired tree wrapped in seashells and starfish.  Especially like the vintage washtub for the tree stand!  Discovered on Hometalk-Coastal Christmas

7.  Silvered ornaments combined with rope garland make this tree nautical "elegant"! Source: Mix and Chic

8. From Sunset Magazine (my West Coast!), a live Christmas tree simply adorned to match its' coastal surroundings.  

9.  Another adorable nautical live tree  - this one from Savvy Southern Style. Super cute, and super easy!

10.  Sort of a Rainbow Holiday Tree? Like how the tree is packed with color!  I would never be brave enough to try this, but it sure is a happy look!  Source: Beach Bliss Living

11.  A pretty Coastal Christmas room from interior designer, Greta Fox as featured on House of Turquoise (don't you just love those blue ceilings!)

12.  I just love how Kristy decorates her cottage!  Here's her nautical inspired tree from 2014 - make sure to click her link to see more of her beautiful images! Starfish Cottage

13.  Another fun tree featured on Coastal Living - LOVE those aqua whales!  (can't help it - have been obsessed with whales all year) 

14.  One more nautical inspired tree!  Love all the RED.  Sometimes coastal Christmas trees get a bit too much aqua and blue.... From Hometalk

15. And the tree from A Quiet Life - the Christmas post that started it all!  I want her view and her tree!!

Have fun decorating!  Our tree is sort of half together at the point, I still keep adding pieces to it - not sure when I will be done...

Nautical Inspired Christmas Wrapping!

This gold-glitter and nautical chart idea all started when I spotted this image at Coastal Living magazine last year.  I thought it might be fun to wrap our packages in charts from our local Bay Area.

Tom thought I was nuts.  The sales people at West Marine thought I was nuts; especially while searching through the charts one Sunday morning, I mentioned that I was looking for just the right nautical chart to cut up and use for Christmas wrapping.  I think they thought it was almost sacrilegious to deface a chart!    (P.S.  I did try to find one at Goodwill or the Salvation Army before opting for a brand-new one, but had NO luck in my search)

Step One:  Pretty Gold Glitter Wrapping Paper

Step Two:  Nautical Charts

Be careful, measure and position your packages to get the best effect

Step Three: Add the Ribbon and the Ornaments

Since I have so many sparkle shells (sort of embarrassing at how many I have!), I opted to use these pretties instead of a plain ornament.

And the finished packages! 

Ta Da!

A Traditional Nautical Christmas

via Coastal Living Magazine

One year I will finally have collected enough "nautical" style ornaments to have a complete Christmas tree to show off. In the meantime, I've been collecting some traditional nautical themed trees and holiday ideas to share with all of you!

I think one of the best parts of decorating your holidays with buoys, lighthouses, oars and a dash of navy blues combined with deep crimson reds, is that many of these items you probably already have in your home.  Throw in a little creative rearranging and there you have it - a beautiful nautical seaside holiday!

For example, don't you think this room looks festive?  Simple red pillows tossed on a navy blue and white chair with traditional seaside themes,  and a navy blue and white life ring wreath  - all of which do not scream "Christmas", but mixed together with the elements of sailboats and ship's helm ornaments then highlighted with blue and white striped ribbon on the tree -  it's perfect.

Here's a few more ideas for inspiration!

via Coastal Living Magazine

Signal flag pillows, bright red, white and blue striped cushions, finished off with color matching stockings and a nautical tree.  How fun!  Especially if you are lucky enough to have a cool poolhouse.  (check out the awesome porthole door windows too!)

via Coastal Living

A different angle of the room highlighted above.  Just love this look with the deep reds on the tiny trees centerpieces and the classic beach house striped rug.  Again, this is an easy look to recreate, if you already have a traditional nautical theme in your home.

How adorable is this tree?  Signal flags and simple white starfish garlands winding their way around the tree; covered in tiny sailboat, lighthouse and buoy ornaments.  Finished off with playful model sailboats and darling vintage sand buckets.  LOVE.

Cute light house tree from The Yellow Cape Cod

See what I mean?  Just add cute red and white striped stockings, red throw pillows, fresh greenery and move the model sailing ship to the coffee table and voila' - a nautical Christmas!  I think the rustic sign in red and white adds a very special touch.  Here's an idea; do a little antiquing to find a beach sign in that is particular to your area and add that unique local touch to your room.  

Oh boy - now I really want my own nautical tree!  
Step one: buy a bigger house. 
Step two: convince Tom that we NEED more than one Christmas tree.

Here are a few ideas from Caron's for nautical decor that might work all year - and at the holidays!

Colorful Lanterns - we have them in several different shades!  For the holidays, fill with candles, white seashells and a few sparkling ornaments, then change out for summer with sand and sea glass.   Super fun way to create an original piece of home decor for your home.

Red or White Oars!

And of course -  you need a Sailing Fleet! 


Have fun planning your nautical holidays!