Stylish but Cheap Gift Wrap Ideas

Will Chen — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 11:42:53 +0000

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)

Written by Will Chen and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

gift warp

Stylish but Cheap Gift Wrap Ideas