It’s always fun to give out presents, however, is it really that fun to wrap presents? More importantly is it fun to buy expensive wrapping paper that will mostly get wasted?
Why not make your own wrapping paper that also adds a bit of YOU to the idea of the present.
Most people are used to getting regular gift bags or things wrapped in cheesy wrapping paper so they’ll be shocked when you hand them something that you made yourself.
And I don’t mean first-grader made it made it yourself.
I’ve put together 5 simple, do it yourself ways to make your own wrapping paper that I think anybody in your life will enjoy.
5 DIY Ways to Make Wrapping Paper
Now, if you’re just doing this for one gift then you probably won’t see the savings that you were expecting that usually comes when you do things on your own.
However, if you have to give out multiple gifts then these ideas are going to be super awesome for you.
1. DIY Stenciled Gift Wrap
The idea behind this one is pretty basic.
You find some plain wrapping paper that you like or you simply wrap the gift in whatever material you like and then you get the stencils out and create your own masterpiece.
This is where you can get really unique because there are multiple methods you can use to get the shapes through the stencil.
If you really want to go for a DIY feel then why not grab some spray paint and if things aren’t perfect then that’s okay because it gives people a story.
You can also go with crayons, markers, finger paint, or whatever other material you can think of.
As for the stencils themselves, you can just hop on over to Amazon to find a wide range of stencils to use.
2. DIY Gift Bags
Image credit goes to A Beautiful Mess.
There is something unappealing about gift bags. When you get one you don’t expect anything great in them and you know the person is only using a bag because they are too lazy to wrap the gift.
None of that applies to these DIY gift bags. In fact, people might be more impressed with you making the bag yourself than the actual gift that goes inside of the bag.
What I love about these gift bags is that you can combine them with the stencil idea above. You don’t need to stick with white circles. You can make it grunge, punk, Banksy, unicorn, dragon, or whatever other themes you want to evoke.
Really, the only limit you have is your imagination.
Tutorial can be found at A Beautiful Mess.
3. Fruit Wrapping Paper
Image credit goes to The House That Lars Built.
You must admit this is pretty playful. You might not think it will work for Christmas, but who are you kidding? This can work at any time of the year because it is so fun and playful.
Just think of all the great things that you can wrap in fruit:
- Liquor
- Edible Underwear
- Candles
- Salami
Okay, maybe not salami, but everything else is certainly game.
The only issue with this type of wrapping is that many people will not want to open the present at all. They will love what you’ve done so much that they decide they are just going to leave things as they are.
I guess that’s not a bad thing if you give them an empty box.
4. Washi Tape Gift Wrap
If there is a pattern that isn’t on Washi tape then I have yet to come across it. Washi tape can literally be used for any occasion due to the varieties that exist.
I mean, check out this 24 roll set. There is literally something for every situation in this set so you are never left scrambling trying to find the right tape. You already have it.
If you really want to get wild and crazy you can combine this Washi tape idea with the stencil idea and just run wild with your gift wrapping options.
5. Hand Drawn Gift Wrap
This one might not be for everyone but as you can see in the image above, it’s not all about drawing yourself. You can use other props to really help make things stand out.
You can order a 50 piece set of stickers and use those in creative ways. Heck, you could just do nothing but stickers to make the gift look like it has traveled the world and every stop it took, someone left a mark on it.
Hm, this might be my favorite idea now and I think I’ll go with this for every gift.
Bonus: Gift Box Out of Old Cereal Box
This idea was just too creative not to share with you. I’m still not even sure this is possible because I don’t eat cereal but I’m tempted to grab a box just so I can see if I can make this great looking gift box.
Put Yourself in the Wrapping
They say it’s the thought that counts and that only works so long as the package shows that you’ve put thought into things.
When you take the time to DIY your wrapping paper it lets the gift receiver know that you spent some time on this which makes the gift all the more special for them.
What I love about these ideas is that once you start crafting them you can basically turn your living room into a gift wrap factory line as you push out these ideas one after another.
If you really want to take things to the next level with your DIY goodness then you can combine these wrapping paper ideas with these DIY Christmas Present ideas.
You might end up creating your own little gift shop with all of the stuff you end up making. Just be sure to send me free samples whenever you have them handy.
Oh, if you’re looking for plain paper to use that will allow you to do crazy designs on then what you’re looking for is kraft paper. You can buy some pretty big rolls at low prices and have enough paper to last you through dozens of gifts.