Local Designers Share Last-Minute Christmas Gift Ideas And How To Make The Perfect Bow

With Christmas just one week away, many people are scrambling to finish their holiday shopping.

To help ease the stress, Kim Smith of Kim Smith's Designs and Casey Eagle joined News 9 on Wednesday to share some festive gift ideas and demonstrate how to make a beautiful bow for presents.

Smith, who specializes in home décor and design, offered a few creative gift ideas.

"One of the really good things to give are books, people kind of forget about that," she said. "These (cookbooks) are around $40, and there are two different versions. The pictures are stunning, and if anything, just to have laying in your kitchen would make a really pretty gift."

Smith also recommended small books that can be used as gift tags, as well as tea towels and trays as simple yet thoughtful gifts.

When asked about holiday décor, Smith used flameless candles to demonstrate a simple but elegant centerpiece idea.

"These come with a remote. You can set the timer for various hours, or they can click on and off on their own," she said.

Smith also showed off some practical decorations, such as paper runners for charcuterie boards, which retail for about $24.

"When you're done, you just wrap it up and throw it away," she said.

Casey Eagle, a bow-making expert, walked viewers through how to make the perfect bow.

"The key is for it to have light wiring to it," she said, showing how to fold the ribbon over itself multiple times. "Around eight times; that's typically what I do."

Eagle demonstrated how to tie the ribbon tightly and fluff out the loops for a beautiful result.

"You can actually make bigger versions of this as well and just put them on your wreaths," she said.

Both experts agreed that the key to holiday success is simple, thoughtful gifts that don’t require a lot of time or effort.