60 New Trimmed Gift Ideas

In Short

This collection serves as a functional pattern book for mid-century home crafters, focusing on the use of metallic braids, rick rack, and ribbons to elevate household objects. It provides detailed instructions for projects ranging from Christmas tree ornaments and stockings to functional items like tissue box covers and jewelry. By emphasizing the decorative potential of readily available trimmings, the book preserves a snapshot of a domestic era defined by thrift, creativity, and the desire to personalize one’s environment through repetitive, methodical handiwork.

The Story

The narrative of this book is one of transformation. It begins with the premise that common materials—felt scraps, styrofoam cones, empty juice cans, and simple ribbon—are merely a canvas waiting for the application of trim. The arc of the book follows a progression from the purely decorative to the functional, moving through the stages of holiday preparation.

Initially, the focus lies on the centerpiece of the season: the Christmas tree. The reader is guided through the construction of ornaments, such as the “Little People” figures, which are crafted from cords and felt, and various styles of trees, including those made from pine cones or butterfly-pleated ruffling. These projects establish a rhythm of assembly: cutting, pinning, and gluing. The story shifts then to the domestic interior, where standard items like aprons, tablecloths, and tissue boxes are "dressed" in gold braid and metallic rick rack. The author treats a pop bottle or a frozen juice can not as waste, but as a structural base that can be disguised by the strategic layering of braids and rick rack until it becomes a candle holder or a pencil cup.

As the instructions unfold, the scope expands to include personal ornamentation. The reader is taught how to construct hair accessories, headbands, and bangle bracelets, all centered on the theme of metallic embellishment. The concluding chapters pivot toward specialized techniques, such as the "Appli-tique" method, which provides the technical foundation for the more complex floral designs seen earlier.

The ending of the book is not a conclusion in the literary sense, but a toolkit for future application. By providing general instructions for creating rosebuds and leaves from rick rack, the author empowers the reader to take the skills learned throughout the volume and apply them to projects not specifically listed. The final sections serve as a reference point, ensuring that the reader has the expertise to continue the work beyond the last page. The "story" is one of continuity; it leaves the reader with a set of reliable, repeatable motions—winding, coiling, stitching, and pinning—that turn a collection of individual parts into a cohesive, decorated home. It ends where the reader’s own creative cycle is meant to begin, turning the inventory of Wright’s trimmings into a lasting personal style.

How It Unfolds

The preparation of the foundation The book opens by cataloging the necessary supplies, emphasizing the versatility of metallic loops, braids, and rick rack. Every project begins with a clear inventory, ensuring the reader is equipped before the first cut is made.

The assembly of seasonal decor The middle section focuses on the geometry of holiday tradition, applying trim to felt and styrofoam to create structures like stockings and tabletop trees. Each step, from clipping curves to pinning fringe, is treated with precise, mechanical focus.

The transformation of the mundane Instructions then move to the repurposed object, demonstrating how a simple spray can cap or a glass jar becomes a decorative vessel. This transition highlights the book’s central argument: that beauty is found in the disciplined application of trim to ordinary containers.

The refinement of personal style The final phase of the guide shifts to wearable items, such as posy pins and earrings made from gold braid and pearls. These projects require finer motor skills and more intricate stitching, closing the sequence with an emphasis on miniaturized, wearable art.

The People

While this is a technical manual rather than a character-driven narrative, the central "figures" are the crafter and the manufacturer. The crafter is an individual who values efficiency and the satisfaction of "quick-to-make" projects. They are motivated by the desire to "glamorize" their home and gifts without excessive expense. What stands in their way is the inherent plainness of mass-produced items like cans, plastic bottles, or basic felt, which lack the luster of a holiday aesthetic. Through the provided instructions, the crafter ends up not merely as a decorator, but as a producer of goods, capable of turning a simple juice can into a finished desk accessory.

The manufacturer, represented by the company providing the trims, acts as the silent mentor. They want the reader to see their product—be it "Metallic Jumbo Rick Rack" or "Loop Braid"—not as a spool of fabric, but as a solution to a design problem. They provide the instructions as a bridge between the raw material and the finished ornament. By the end of the book, both the crafter and the company have succeeded: the crafter has filled their space with handmade items, and the manufacturer has provided the essential components for that transformation, effectively turning the reader into a repeat user of their specific braiding and trimming systems.

In Its Own Voice

Decorated baskets will be treasured long after the contents are gone for mail holders, totes for small items, sewing supplies, etc.

This line appears in the section on baskets, highlighting the author's belief in the enduring utility of the projects.

Wind middy braid very snugly around bracelet covering starting end.

This instruction, found in the section on bangle bracelets, captures the precise, repetitive nature of the book's construction methods.

Fray all ends of braid by rubbing against palm of hand.

This detail from the "Little People" ornament section illustrates the low-tech, tactile ingenuity the author expects from the reader.

What It's Really About

The book centers on the theme of domestic alchemy—the process of converting common, inexpensive materials into objects of value through labor and embellishment. It argues that the home is a project that is never truly finished, but rather constantly "trimmed" and updated to reflect the season. Underlying the instructions is a belief in the dignity of handiwork and the idea that objects gain meaning through the time invested in them. By systematically covering every surface with metallic braids, the author suggests that order and beauty are achieved through the application of precise, repetitive patterns. It is an exploration of how small, inexpensive aesthetic choices can create a sense of cohesion and celebration within a space, provided one is willing to put in the hours at the sewing table.

Why Read It Today

Today, this book serves as a charming, if rigorous, artifact of mid-century "make-do-and-mend" culture. Readers who enjoy the tactile satisfaction of hand-stitching or those interested in the history of domestic hobbies will find it highly rewarding. It feels like a time capsule, filled with a specific, gold-toned aesthetic that is both nostalgic and earnest. There is a soothing, almost meditative quality to its instructions, which focus entirely on the how—the simple, sequential steps of pinning, gluing, and winding.

However, the modern reader should be aware that the book is strictly a product of its time. It assumes a level of access to specific materials—like specific brands of "Wright’s" trims—that may be difficult to replicate exactly today, and the projects are firmly grounded in the mid-century preference for styrofoam, felt, and metallic sheen. The text does not dwell on creative theory or personal expression; it is functional and direct, lacking the conversational warmth of modern craft blogs. If you read it looking for a deep emotional connection to the author, you will be disappointed. But if you read it as a technical challenge—a way to step away from digital screens and engage in the repetitive, disciplined, and ultimately rewarding work of creating something physical with your hands—you will find it a unique and practical guide that remains surprisingly relevant to the current resurgence of interest in handmade holiday traditions.