(I do participate in affiliations on this blog. I am an affiliate with many companies, which in simple terms means I advertise for companies, and they compensate me via products, services, or monetary means.  You can read my entire disclosure policy over here.)

I remember being in tears one Christmas Eve when I realized I hadn’t purchased enough gift wrap. I dealt with this disaster by running to the kitchen! I needed a DIY gift wrapping idea fast!

Today, I have twelve DIY gift wrapping ideas for you to use this Christmas.

Twelve DIY Gift Wrapping Ideas

After spending so much time ensuring that my Christmas gifts didn’t break the bank, it was quite disheartening to realize I could easily spend as much on wrapping paper and tape as I did on the gifts!

One idea to solve this dilemma was to simply not wrap any of the gifts.

I figured unwrapping the presents was half of the fun, so I decided that couldn’t be the only answer.

I needed some DIY gift wrapping ideas that didn’t cost me an arm and a leg!

#1 – Don’t wrap all of the gifts

Not everything needs to be wrapped.

I usually put a few gifts under the tree unwrapped. Sleds are the perfect gift to apply this tactic.

I mean, who wants to try and wrap a sled anyway, right!

Teddy bears, trains, and other large gifts can just be set under, on, or around the Christmas tree.

#2 – Just use ribbons

Ribbons are a tactful way to give a gift that doesn’t scream, This is a gift without wrapping paper!

I like to put ribbons on teddy bears and other stuffed animals then set them under or even on the tree.

I also like to add some festive ribbon to the bottles of sparkling cider that I try to give to each of my twelve children at Christmas.

#3 – Comics

When my older children were younger, they hated the fact that I would wrap up a lot of their gifts in the Sunday comic strips.

The younger crew, however, would spend more time reading the comics than opening the gifts!

Have you ever priced actual comic strip wrapping paper! It’s not cheap!

#4 – Baskets

The thrift stores are filled with super cheap baskets. These work perfectly for themed gifts.

I like to make up movie night baskets, then fill them up with a movie, popcorn and some candy.

I am actually filling clothes baskets this year for my adult children and their family.

One family = one laundry basket full of goodies!

#5 – Tin Boxes

Remember those old tin boxes? They came in all shapes and sizes and it seemed like everything was sold in them.

My mother-in-law used to love them.

She kept a Christmas cookie tin filled with old crayons for her grandchildren. (Didn’t every grandmother?!?)

She had a nice collection of those flavored popcorn tins too.

My local thrift stores are loaded down with these tins. I actually just saw some cute Christmas tins for sale in the Dollar Tree.

They work great for gift-giving.

#6 – Brown paper

Brown paper is an elegant way to give gifts. Add a little twine and your gifts will look very festive.

You can buy rolls of brown paper at places like the Dollar Tree.

Better yet, ask for paper bags at the grocery store, then just cut them into sheets of wrapping paper.

The Dollar Tree and Harbor Freight both give the cutest paper bags with handles at checkout.

I think these would be adorable if you added a paper snowman on them!

Great alternative to wrapping paper.

#7 – Newspaper End Rolls

Newspaper offices will often give away the end rolls of paper. They aren’t big enough to print the newspaper on, so they can’t use them.

These big rolls of paper work great for many things, including Christmas wrapping paper!

I have used this white paper just as it is. I have colored it with markers. One year I even spray painted it red and green!

No matter how you choose to use it, it makes a nice frugal alternative to traditional wrapping paper.

#8 – Old Magazines

I know that magazines have quickly been replaced by Pinterest, but if you can find any laying around, they make pretty wrapping paper.

One of my sons is a pilot. I wrapped some of his gifts in airplane paper that I ripped out of an old magazine one year.

My girls like it when I find horse pages, or even just flower magazines.

Magazines let you customize your own wrapping paper.

Check doctor’s offices, hospitals, Grandma’s place, and even libraries to see if they are getting rid of any magazines.

#9 – Cloth

Cloth makes a great alternative to wrapping paper too.

You can wrap up gifts in pretty dish towels, or just fill up a cute pot holder mitten.

Cut up those old flannel sheets or scraps of material left-over from some of your crafting projects.

I have always liked to wrap baby gifts in receiving blankets.

#10 – Gift Bags

My father refuses to wrap gifts anymore. He buys gift bags for all of his wrapping needs!

I keep my eye out on the clearance racks for bags he can use.

After Halloween is a great time to find children’s character bags at super low prices!

Again, you could ask for paper bags at the grocery store. Design them, or use them as-is.

#11 – Cellophane Wrap

I think clear cellophane takes a plain and simple gift to a new level.

Wrap your gift up with a lot of extra cellophane. Pull together at the top, and pop on a bow.

It looks exciting even if it is the most basic of gifts!

#12 – Tinfoil

At the beginning of this article, I mentioned that the disaster of running out of wrapping paper and tape sent me running to the kitchen.

I quickly grabbed the aluminum foil.

A.K.A. – tinfoil!

Tinfoil worked perfectly. It didn’t even require tape. It stayed right in the position I pressed it into.

This became one of my favorite wrapping paper alternatives.

These shiny gifts reflected all of the Christmas tree lights giving them the most festive look!

Share your ideas

I have shared twelve ideas. Let’s learn from each other. What are some of your favorite DIY gift wrapping ideas? Share them in the comments.

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us

Save