Beautiful gift wrapping doesn't have to cost a fortune. You can wrap gifts with everyday items you already have around the home. Not only will you save money, but people will also appreciate your thoughtfulness and creativity.

• Use the Sunday comics section. Extra points for having a Calvin and Hobbes strip prominently displayed.
• Leftover wallpaper or fabric from your home improvement projects can add a touch of class to any gift.
• Hat and shoe boxes for sentimental gifts, especially mementos or keepsakes.
• Spray paint boxes with bright Christmas colors. This works great for large gifts that already come in their own boxes.
• For the rustic look, use craft or construction paper and dress up the package with twine, strings, sprigs, or pine cones.
• You can also dress up plain construction paper with stickers, stencils, and stamps.

Use Things Related to the Gift

• Use pages from magazines related to your gift. For example, Vogue for clothing, Rolling Stones for CDs, National Geographic for business traveler's gifts, Wired for gadgets, etc.
• If you wrap anything with The Onion, the wrapping becomes a gift in itself.
• Old school computer paper (the kind with hole-punched edges) for computer products.
• Maps for gifts related to traveling (i.e. those annoying travel size grooming kits).

Use Child Labor

• Children's drawings they create for school are great for gifts to grandparents. Hey, it's about time your kids earn their keep!
• Children's hand prints on white construction paper. Acrylic paint is usually the best choice for these kinds of projects.
• If you have a baby, little foot prints would also work (warning: this might be nauseatingly cute).

(Photo credit: imiizzuu78 under Creative Commons 2.0 license)