Tips and tricks that will make giftwrapping a lot easier this Christmas

December 16th, 2015

DIY

No Christmas wrapping paper? No problem!

Besides all the obvious silly suggestions you may hear your dad or granddad mention when they’re trying to be funny at the dinner table, such as “wrap it in toilet paper” or “Ahh, just put in the bag it came in”, there are actually quite a few different ways we can present our gifts without the need for store-bought Christmas wrappers.

Image courtesy of pandpstock001 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Fabric gift-wrap

If you have a piece of cloth you don’t mind parting with, or an old shirt that still looks decent, you can use the Japanese Furoshiki gift wrapping technique and put the fabric to good use.

Sourced from Evermine

It’s a stylish and easy way of wrapping, and if you happen to have fabric around your home, then it’s practically free.

For easy to follow directions, click here.

I also love how Alicia Parsons from PolkadotBride uses a scarf as her giftwrap:

Sourced from Alicia Parsons

You can try this scarf folding method by clicking here.

No scarves or old shirts? What about tights?

Sourced from Brit + Co

Use Anjelika Temple’s method, and wrap your gifts in old tights.

Reusable everyday home items

The newspaper doesn’t just have to be for reading or lining the bunny cage; you can actually wrap presents with your morning herald or local paper, and gift it on Christmas day:

Sourced by the Art Of Simple

Wrap gifts in world or local maps for a thrifty, stylish present:

Sourced from Ramshackleglam

If you have an oddly-shaped gift that’s difficult to wrap, create a gift box out of a cereal box and place the gift inside before wrapping it.

Sourced from Instructables

Alternatively, you could decorate the box itself with stamps, ribbon or stickers to give it a more personal touch.

If you find your present is looking a bit dull after wrapping it, raid the kitchen cupboards for some twine, or grandma’s knitting basket for wool and maybe some buttons, and throw together a cute finish with these everyday items:

Sourced from MomTastic

Perhaps you want to make a last-minute bow for your present, but you’d rather not head out to the busy shops. Use an old magazine and make your own!

Sourced from 100LayerCake

For a detailed description, click here.

Rummage through the kitchen and turn boring lunch paper bags into personalised gift bags:

Sourced from TheChicSite

Printouts

 Create a Christmas crossword with the recipient’s name somewhere in the middle.

Sourced from GraspingForObjectivity

Wrap your presents in the DIY crossword, and viola!

And if you’re gifting it to a child, try adding a small bunch of crayons or coloring pencils, and tell them if they unwrap their presents nicely, they’ll be able to work out the rest of the crossword. 2-gifts-in-1!

For other ingenious gift-wrapping ideas for kids, check out LinesAcross.

Sourced from LinesAcross

The shops are manic, work’s manic, and Christmas is next week! Hopefully a few of these gift-wrapping ideas will make sure you’re brain stays manic-free!