Brown paper packages tied up with strings- these are a few of my favorite things! For real. I love frugal gift wrap that is both unpretentious and pretty.
I hate that wrapping a present can often cost just as much as (or sometimes more than!) the gift itself. I cringe every time I actually have to buy something to wrap up a gift. Beyond the cost, the amount of waste that gift wrap creates is incredible- anybody else have 2 or 3 kitchen garbage bags of wrapping paper to throw out after its short-lived purpose was fulfilled?
For the past few years, we started looking for other ways to wrap our gifts. We stared finding free gift wrap all over the place by using recycled and/or reusable material. Here are some ideas for you to try!
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1) Newspaper. Recycle your old newspaper and give some charm to your packages. Really, I kind of like to see a bunch of newspaper stacked packages. Or am I the only crazy one? You have to tape a little more than with large paper sheets, but it works and it’s free!
2) Reuse gift bags. If I get a nice gift bag, I save it and reuse it. Tacky? I don’t think so. if it isn’t crushed or scribbled on, why not let it live on a little longer?
3) Sew a reusable bag. Use scrap fabrics to sew a nice “green” gift wrap. It’s like two gifts in one! I whipped this one up for a friend last summer, tied a ribbon around it, and called it done.
4) Cookie tins- If your gift is small, use a cookie tin to wrap it. Chances are you’ve already received a few and don’t know what to do with them besides toss them or store them.
5) Other containers/dishes/etc. Look around for things that can be used for gift presentation in your home. A basket or fabric bin you don’t use anymore. A festive mug that can hold a candle or some hot chocolate mix. Even plastic containers can be prettied up to look festive with a bit of ribbon. The possibilities are endless! We received a homemade sweet loaf delivered in this pretty dish:
6) Roll paper art. If you happen to have a long roll of paper sitting around, or your child has an easel like this one
, it’s a perfect opportunity to make your own wrapping paper. I used a lot of J’s random paint splashes to wrap our gifts last year. Now that he’s older, we could try stamping paper or using stickers to make it a bit more decorative.
Believe it or not, this kind of crazy mess can look really cute wrapped neatly around a box. What’s more, kids are excited by seeing their artwork on a gift for a loved one!
Once you take it off the easel, it looks more like this:
There’s probably all sorts of stuff laying around your house that could be used for gift wrap. If you’ve got ribbon scraps, little trinkets, or tiny kids crafts (like homemade snowflakes, for example), you can easily adorn your home-wrapped packages to make them even prettier.
Be creative! How are you wrapping your gifts this year?
This post was shared at The Homeacre Hop!
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Love these creative ideas for wrapping! Thanks so much for sharing your post on the HomeAcre Hop! Hope to see you again tomorrow! – Nancy
The Home Acre Hop
Thank you for stopping by, Nancy! I hope it was helpful for you! 🙂