Gift Wrapping Hacks That Will Have Your Friends Jealous Of Your Skills

One of the most exciting parts of the holidays is getting gifts to give to your loved ones. You find the perfect thing you know that they'll love and you get it home and now you're faced with the task of wrapping it.

I don't know about you, but wrapping presents isn't a skill that comes easily to me, and I don't want to pay someone to do it for me. Luckily, there are some gift wrapping hacks that will my gifts look like they were wrapped by a pro.

Use Wrapping Paper To Make A Gift Bag

bags made out of wrapping paper
Photo Credit: Pinterest / Tasha- Kaleidoscope Living
Photo Credit: Pinterest / Tasha- Kaleidoscope Living

If you have a weird shaped gift, or just want to mix things up and don't have any gift bags handy, you can make your own out of wrapping paper.

Place the item in the paper and cut enough to cover the item. Flip the paper over and fold the left and right sides in so they overlap a little. Tape the seam. Fold the bottom of the paper and flatten the corners so it makes a diamond shape then fold the sides of the diamond together and tape it. Then flip it over and there is your bag!

ADVERTISEMENT

Use A Picture Instead Of A Name Tag

ADVERTISEMENT
a picture of someone on a gift
Photo Credit: Pinterest / Alleideen
Photo Credit: Pinterest / Alleideen
ADVERTISEMENT

If you want to add a personal touch to a gift, you can make little cards out of pictures. Find pictures of who you're giving gifts too and stick them to some card stock. Then place them on the present meant for that person in a festive way.

ADVERTISEMENT

You can use your favorite Instagram pictures or, if it's someone you've known a long time, you can find older pictures to really play up the sentimental angle.

ADVERTISEMENT

If You Have Multiple Gits Make Them Building Blocks

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
snow man presents
Photo Credit: Pinterest / Lori Hilgartner
Photo Credit: Pinterest / Lori Hilgartner
ADVERTISEMENT

This idea is great, especially for kids. If you have more than one gift for someone, you can make each gift part of a present statue. If you're feeling really ambitious you can try to make something crazy like a Christmas tree, or if you want to play it safe, you can't go wrong with a snowman.

ADVERTISEMENT

It adds a little extra fun to unwrapping gifts. It would also be perfect for those Instagram pics you're going to want to take.

ADVERTISEMENT

Fabric For An Eco-Friendly Option

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
fabric gift wrap under a christmas tree
Photo Credit: Reddit / KatieCashew
Photo Credit: Reddit / KatieCashew
ADVERTISEMENT

If you have a friend who is especially eco-conscious, you can use fabric to wrap your gift. You can cut a square out of an old t-shirt, or go to the fabric store and hit up their scraps bin.

ADVERTISEMENT

If you go to Pinterest and look up tips on how to wrap with fabric, you'll find lots of tutorials and they're pretty easy to do. You can finish off the gift with something festive as a finishing touch.

ADVERTISEMENT

Use Ornaments Or Little Toys

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
toys used to decorate presents
Photo Credit: Pinterest / growingspaces
Photo Credit: Pinterest / growingspaces
ADVERTISEMENT

This is a cute idea for smaller gifts and another great idea for people with a more minimal taste. You can order little figurines or fake Christmas trees from places like Amazon. Then, use them to create little scenes with your gifts as part of it. You can just make cute winter scenes or aim for something sentimental.

ADVERTISEMENT

You could also use Christmas ornaments to finish off the gift if you don't feel crafty enough to create your own little winter scene.

ADVERTISEMENT

Paint Your Own Wrapping Paper

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
potatoes used as stamps
Photo Credit: Pinterest / Daniela Cruz
Photo Credit: Pinterest / Daniela Cruz
ADVERTISEMENT

You can buy kraft paper at pretty much any crafting store or online. You can use it to create your own wrapping paper.

ADVERTISEMENT

There are lots of ways you can do this. You can cut stamps out of potatoes and use those to make a pattern. You can paint on your own ribbon and bows or you can use different techniques to make patterns like the end of a pencil for polka dots or flicking paint through a comb for something more abstract.

ADVERTISEMENT

Use Stencils and Printer Paper To Create Patterned Wrapping Paper

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
a stencil on paper
Photo Credit: Pinterest / Allred Design
Photo Credit: Pinterest / Allred Design
ADVERTISEMENT

If you don't want to use kraft paper, you can use regular old printing paper. Go to the dollar store and find some stencils that you like and get some paint and a roller.

ADVERTISEMENT

Lay the paper out on a flat surface where you won't have to move it. Then, place the stencils on the paper and paint over it. Try to avoid watercolor paints because it will make the paper curl. Regular craft paint will make the paper look wrinkly while it's wet, but dries flat.

ADVERTISEMENT

Use Candy For A Sweet Treat

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
wrapping with candy
Photo Credit: Pinterest / Publix & Gift Ideas Online
Photo Credit: Pinterest / Publix & Gift Ideas Online
ADVERTISEMENT

A nice way to finish off a gift is with a little treat you know your loved one will like. There are a few ways you can add candy to gift.

ADVERTISEMENT

If the candy comes in a longer bag, you can tie a string around the middle and make it into a bow. You can make hearts out of candy canes or just use some nice twine or ribbon to tie your special treat to the package.

ADVERTISEMENT

Use Washi Tape

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
wrapping using washi tape
Photo Credit: Pinterest / lapetiteanne
Photo Credit: Pinterest / lapetiteanne
ADVERTISEMENT

Washi tape is awesome. You can find it on Amazon or in your local craft store and it's never very expensive. It comes in different lengths and patterns so it's perfect to use for wrapping gifts. I like the washi tape idea because I can never figure out how to tie a nice looking bow.

ADVERTISEMENT

If you want to add a little more pizazz, you can use string and ribbon to add a 3D look to your design.

ADVERTISEMENT

Use Greenery

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
wrapping with greenery
Photo Credit: Pinterest / Smile Topblogpro & A Piece Of Rainbow
Photo Credit: Pinterest / Smile Topblogpro & A Piece Of Rainbow
ADVERTISEMENT

Using greenery is perfect for the people in your life who are more minimalist. You can pick some up at a florist, or if you want to brace the cold, you can head outside and find some yourself. You can dip them in paint or use them just as they are.

ADVERTISEMENT

If you don't have the budget or desire to be outside, you can go to a craft store or dollar store and get plastic pieces, which will be just as cute.

ADVERTISEMENT

Use Tissue Paper To Make Designs

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
tissue paper used to wrap a bottle
Photo Credit: Pinterest / exclusivelygifted
Photo Credit: Pinterest / exclusivelygifted
ADVERTISEMENT

Tissue paper is another great thing to use if you have something to wrap that is a strange shape. It's more pliable than wrapping paper and you can use it to make pretty designs.

ADVERTISEMENT

By placing folds in the tissue paper, you can get a neat wavy look. You can also layer different colors of tissue paper since it's thin enough not to get super bulky. Tissue paper is perfect for wrapping something like a bottle of wine you can't wait to share with your bestie.

ADVERTISEMENT

Use Old Shopping Bags

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
use an old shopping bag to wrap presents
Photo Credit: Reddit / CharlotteBronte
Photo Credit: Reddit / CharlotteBronte
ADVERTISEMENT

This is another great choice for people who are eco-conscious or on a budget. During the holidays, lots of shops will start giving you your purchases in paper bags with various holiday scenes on them. If you carefully take apart these bags and cut your lines straight, you can use the bags to wrap gifts in.

ADVERTISEMENT

The trick is keeping the bags in good condition while you're trying to navigate your way through a super busy shopping center.

ADVERTISEMENT

Wrap It Like An Old-School Package

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
gifts wrapped as packages
Photo Credit: Pinterest / DIYScom
Photo Credit: Pinterest / DIYScom
ADVERTISEMENT

This is another good idea for wrapping presents for children, or for a secret Santa gift exchange. Wrap the packages up in kraft paper and tie a little bow around it. Instead of wasting real stamps, you can just use stickers.

ADVERTISEMENT

But, on the address labels, you can put the return address as Santa Claus up in the North Pole. Of course, you can use the same idea and just include your name and a cute little message instead.

ADVERTISEMENT

Use Newspaper

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
newspaper gift wrapping using comic strips
Photo Credit: Reddit / WaffleNinja47
Photo Credit: Reddit / WaffleNinja47
ADVERTISEMENT

Most of us get our news from various online platforms, but if your parents still get the newspaper, it's a great idea for wrapping presents with. A lot of people like to use the 'Funnies' section, but any of it will do.

ADVERTISEMENT

After you've wrapped your presents, you can dress them up as fancy or unfancy as you like. Just be careful when you're handling it because the ink sometimes rubs off. So make sure your gift is placed safely in a box.

ADVERTISEMENT

Use Left Over Wrapping Paper And Old Cards To Decorate

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
bows and card made out of leftover cards and paper
Photo Credit: Pinterest / Bharatihari
Photo Credit: Pinterest / Bharatihari
ADVERTISEMENT

Once you've wrapped all your gifts, you might have some scraps lying around. You know, pieces of wrapping paper that are too big to throw out but also too small to really wrap anything? There are lots of tutorials on Pinterest with how to use wrapping paper scraps to make things like bows!

ADVERTISEMENT

You can also use old Christmas cards from last year to make name tags for gifts. It's more eco-friendly than throwing them out, plus you might feel a little less guilty for getting rid of them.

ADVERTISEMENT

Use Old Sweaters

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
a sweater used to wrap a gift
Photo Credit: Pinterest / colincowieweddings
Photo Credit: Pinterest / colincowieweddings
ADVERTISEMENT

If you're an extra crafty person, you can make reusable gift bags out of old cable-knit sweaters. All you need is an old sweater, ribbon, a sewing machine or hot glue gun, and some Christmas embellishments to finish it off. You can find at the whole tutorial on the website, A Homemade Living, where she calls the project the 'Christmas Treat Bags'.

ADVERTISEMENT

When you first read over the instructions, it seems overwhelming, but it's actually pretty easy.

ADVERTISEMENT

Left Over Toilet Paper Rolls For Small Gifts

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
toilet paper rolls used as gift boxes
Photo Credit: Totally Green Crafts
Photo Credit: Totally Green Crafts
ADVERTISEMENT

As the holidays approach, start saving your toilet paper rolls. Cut off the stops in a semi-circular shape and then fold them down. The sides will pop out a bit and make a really cute little box. They're perfect for small gifts or gift cards.

ADVERTISEMENT

Finish them off with some wrapping paper or some pretty ribbon and a bow and no one would ever know it used to be a toilet paper roll.

ADVERTISEMENT

Make Your Own Envelopes

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
some diy envelopes
Photo Credit: DIYS
Photo Credit: DIYS
ADVERTISEMENT

If you have any extra card stock lying around, you can make your own large envelopes. They'll work great for any heartfelt letters you might want to write. They would also be a great idea for wrapping things in an envelope friendly shape, like books!

ADVERTISEMENT

If you go over to Pinterest, you can find lots of tutorials on how to make the perfect envelope for your gift. It's a great way to use up materials you have around the house instead of buying new stuff.

ADVERTISEMENT

Homemade Treats In Chip Cans

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
pringles cans used for wrapping
Photo Credit: Jimenez Photo
Photo Credit: Jimenez Photo
ADVERTISEMENT

This is a pretty genius hack. Empty out a chip can, by eating them while watching your favorite Christmas movie, of course. When it is empty, give a quick rinse to get rid of that chip dust and then line it with parchment paper. Then put your homemade treats in paper cupcake wrappers and stack them on top of one another.

ADVERTISEMENT

When you're done packing your treats, you can wrap the can however you want! You can use wrapping paper, or even string!

ADVERTISEMENT

Paper Bags For Odd Shaped Items

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
paper bag gift wrap in a box
Photo Credit: Reddit / zomgbill
Photo Credit: Reddit / zomgbill
ADVERTISEMENT

One of the biggest struggles is wrapping a gift that isn't a perfect square or a rectangle. Inside of finding a box to put the gift in, or struggling through trying to wrap it, just use some brown paper bags. You can get a bunch at the dollar store.

ADVERTISEMENT

Since they're a blank canvas you can decorate them however you want. To seal them, you can use your favorite holiday stickers or poke little holes in the top of the bag and use string or lace.