7 Ways to Never Buy Gift Wrap Again

Gift wrap can cost a pretty penny, especially if you add up the cost of name tags, ribbon, and other decorative accents for your gifts. Save your money and never buy gift wrap again by creating your own wrapping paper and decorations from items you probably already have around the house. The few items you may need to purchase won't cost you anything near the price of all the wrapping paper you would otherwise use in the course of a year.

1. Newspaper

Gifts wrapped in newspaper can be easily accented with a bright ribbon, fake flower, or a piece of cloth. Newspaper decorates gifts with a retro style and since the colors on newspaper are dull, this leaves the rest of the package able to be accented with just about anything bright-colored. Choose sections of newspaper with mostly text for a vintage look, and sections with the comics for a brighter, more modern look.

2. Pieces of Cloth

Wrap presents in pieces of vintage or new fabric. Yards of unused cloth can be found at yard sales and thrift stores for practically nothing. Use the cloth to create a small bag or satchel by placing the gift in the middle of cloth, and then wrapping it around the item and tying it at the top with a ribbon or string to create a bag-like covering. Bright-colored cloth with fun patterns and festive colors can be reused to wrap gifts year after year.

3. Magazines

Use magazine pages to wrap gifts for youngsters and those who love pop culture. You can customize wrapping paper by picking pages with popular actors, musicians, and television shows for specific gift recipients, or pick brightly colored ads and intriguing articles. While this method can be the most time-consuming, the product is worth the time. Tape the pages together with clear packaging tape to create a collage style. After a large enough piece of paper has been taped together, use it as wrapping paper. This style doesn’t require much ribbon or extra accents due to the bright, colorful images on magazine pages.

4. Paper Bags

Much like newspaper, paper bags can be cut up and used to wrap a wide variety of gifts. Brown paper bags are also blank on one side, making them a canvas for a wide variety of decoration. Try customizing gifts wrapped in brown paper with things such as stamps, paper doilies, or hand-cut snowflakes.

5. Kids Artwork

Use artwork and drawings that your kids have made as wrapping paper. It makes an adorably decorative covering for any gift and is one-of-a-kind. It’s also extremely personal and adds a unique touch to gifts, especially ones for grandmas, grandpas, aunts, and uncles. Have kids create their own wrapping paper for gifts for parents, friends, and family on large, white pieces of paper.

6. Tissue Paper

Although thin and fragile, tissue paper can be used to wrap gifts if several layers are used. Tissue paper costs much less than wrapping paper and sometimes can be found for free. Many stores will wrap your purchases in tissue paper before placing it in a bag. When you receive gifts in bags, many times there will be tissue paper inside. Save the tissue paper and use it as wrapping paper for future gifts. Wrap the gift in the tissue, tape it closed, then decorate the gift with ribbon or other accents.

7. Reuse Shopping Bags

After shopping, many stores will put your purchases in super nice gift-style bags. While this may not be the most elegant wrapping paper, these bags can be decorated and reused to give gifts, especially gift bags that have a festive holiday theme. Save bags to reuse them in the future.