ColorNest
The tradition of wrapping gifts in decorative paper started to become popular in the early 1900s, when department stores began providing tissue paper for purchases. The Scott Paper Company began selling colored wrapping paper in 1917, and it quickly became a holiday staple. Before that, gifts were often wrapped in plain brown paper, newspaper, or placed in wooden boxes. The size and shape of a gift box can hold a surprise — wrapping an unexpected item in an oversized box is a classic way to surprise someone.
Coloring ideas: give each gift box its own color scheme — a red box with green ribbon, a blue box with gold stars, a purple box with silver polka dots, and a yellow box with red diamonds. Try to make each bow a contrasting color to its box — it makes the bows stand out. The holly sprigs look best with dark green leaves and bright red berries.
This image is fun because there are many clearly separated sections to color. Younger kids can tackle each box one at a time. Older kids can create a unified holiday color palette — for example using only red, green, and gold throughout all four boxes to make the stack look like a set.
