Holiday Helpers You Need to Know — From Gifting Apps to Concierge Services to Power Wrapping to Party Rentals

This holiday season there is no need to go it alone. Not when you can avail yourself of easy apps, concierge gifting services, power wrapping accessories and stylish party rentals. Here are a few new holiday helpers to know.

They can help make you look oh-so-put-together this season. But it will be our little secret. 

Gifting Apps

Available in two American cities so far (Dallas and Kansas City), the Afloat Gifting App is gifting on demand. Afloat aims to make gifting more meaningful, timely and convenient. Founder Sara-Anne Preston took her experience as a party planner and melded it with digital ease ― creating a digital marketplace to celebrate the people and businesses you love.

The gifts are thoughtful and fun, and best yet from local shops. They arrive beautifully wrapped with a hand-written note — not in a cardboard box.

You can easily send freshly baked love from J. Rae’s Bakery, send a new arrival from Stanley Korshak, or turn to a monogrammed must-have from Forget Me Not, just to name a few. Afloat currently works with more than 20 Dallas-based brands. Simply download the app to put gifting at your fingertips, allowing you to shop local stores for the perfect gift. Gifts that you can have arrive as early as the same day.

Holiday Helpers and Bespoke Gifting

When in doubt its always a good idea to turn to an expert gifting duo from Poppy Gifting. The gifting duo of Peggy O’Brien and Willa Callahan launched their San Francisco-based gifting service dubbed Poppy Gifting with that idea. Poppy features everything from corporate gifts to bespoke and personalized presents. Callahan brings her merchandising background at Louis Vuitton to bear, while O’Brien’s experience in customer service for One King’s Lane laid the foundation for Poppy Gifting’s easy-to-navigate website.

This concierge service attempts to direct you to the ideal gift, after you  completing the custom gift questionnaire. O’Brien then provides a curated catalog of options to select from. It’s like having your own gifting concierge on speed dial. Simply make your choice, and your gift choice is wrapped and delivered.

For winter weddings, Poppy Gifting launched its Wedding Registry this fall, offering a plan that is reflective of both partners’ personalities. Poppy Gifting takes care of it all – product recommendations, registry design and creation, inventory maintenance, even aiding with returns.

Setting The Stage

With Fort Worth and Austin locations, Loot Rentals sets the stage for holiday events with a modern flair. You can easily take the blank canvas of a rectangular event room and make it feel like the living room of your dreams.

Loot Rentals has banished the folding chair and round banquet table in favor of cozy, stylish furnishings with all the embellishments. How about leather chairs and velvet settees, paired with Saarinen tulip side tables? Loot can even provide the Christmas tree, brass accents and Florentine serving trays.

Different inspiration groupings include everything you’ll need to create an après ski chalet party, a cozy rustic mood, or a farmhouse fresh holiday party. Choose from an array of lamps, pillows, wall hangings and rugs to complete the look.

First, get inspired by perusing the site. Next contact the sales staff to finalize all the details. The day of your event, Loot will set it all up, and after the party, they’ll return to gather everything up. No furniture fuss, just a fab soiree.

Be a Wrap Star

Cassie Kruemcke is a Fort Worth-based graphic designer who has been crafting brand campaigns for everything from beauty products  to boots during her past 25 years as a local advertising executive. In 2020, she decided to double down on her fast-growing side-hustle known as WirrWarr Wraps.

Kruemcke’s eye-popping wrapping papers are Warhol-esque, with bold graphic designs that are often amusing and unexpected. Take for instance her ever-popular “Fierce Tiger in a Sassy Bow” design. Her dramatic and explosive bow arrangements are also winners.

This Wrap Star can teach you the tricks of the trade at one of her hosted classes, like the one coming up at Neighbor’s House Grocery in downtown Fort Worth on December 5. You can also catch Kruemcke at Clearfork Holiday Market on Saturday, December 3.

But anyone can shop the WirrWarr Wraps website for some smashing wrapping papers, bows, tags and more. No matter what’s inside the box, they’ll never forget the thought that went into your presentation.

Everyone can’t be Martha Stewart naturally. Most of us could use some good holiday helpers. Don’t be afraid to seek out that help. It’s out there. More than ever these digital days.