It’s the holidays, and Oh My! All the packages, papers and bows! You could spend a small fortune just wrapping your holiday gifts, never mind the expense for what’s actually inside those pretty packages!

Over the years, I’ve learned to get creative with my holiday gifts, in terms of how they are wrapped. Initially it was to save money, because let’s face it, who doesn’t want to save money, especially at this time of year? Eventually, it just became a bit of a challenge to find unique ways to wrap the presents I was gifting and most people are intrigued by the uncommon practice.

Here are some of the options that I still use to this day:

Brown Paper Bags

BOR-ING! No, not if you “be-dazzle” them a little bit. Paper bags come in all sizes, and I will save a healthy amount for just this purpose. It’s pretty simple. Cut the bottom out of the bag, and if necessary, cut the bag to the size needed for your item.  Wrap the gift in the plain paper. This is where it gets fun; if you like to draw, use markers or even crayons to decorate with your favorite holiday pictures. Not a natural artist? Use stencils and fill in with paint or colored pencils. You can use a clear glue and glitter to add some sparkle, or really go crazy….a hot glue gun, some pine cones, greens and or berries take the place of a bow!

p.s. Wrapping a tiny box, perhaps for jewelry or a gift card? You can do all of the above on a piece of plain white copy paper!

Wallpaper

Yup, that’s right, have you redecorated recently, and have a half a roll of wallpaper left over? You’re not going to use it to paper half a wall, most likely, so use it just like you would a roll of holiday wrap. It's most likely thicker, and more sturdy than regular wrapping paper and can make for a beautiful package. Similarly, contact paper (the kind you line drawers with) can also be used.

Repurpose/Regift

This is especially easy to do with gift bags and ribbons. Many gift bags, whether they are holiday themed or not, serve their purpose and still look brand new when used. Not only does this save you from buying new bags, but it puts less waste out into the world. Just remember to remove any tags that may have been written on the first time around! Have plain handled bags, the kind you might get when you shop a boutique or gift store? As long as the store's logo isn’t on there, just add some pretty tissue paper and Voilå, you’ve got yourself a gift bag. Likewise, when I receive something wrapped with a pretty ribbon, I tuck it away until I find just the right use for it. Ribbons are great for wrapping the above mentioned plain paper bag packages, or adding to the handle of a gift basket!

Don’t stress about wrapping the perfect looking package, just look around the house and I bet you’ll find all the items you need for a gorgeous gift!