10 Step-by-Step Gift Wrapping Ideas for Any Occasion

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Creative holiday gift wrap is a great way to add a personal touch and show your recipient that you care. If you’ve ever wondered how to wrap a present in a creative, unique way, you’ve come to the right place! Here are 10 fun and unique wrapping ideas to give you some inspiration and help you go the extra mile with your wrapping skills! Grab your tape dispenser and some sharp scissors and follow along. 

Normally we think about getting creative with our gift wrap around the holiday season! But the truth is that birthdays, a baby shower, or any time you feel a gift is in order is the perfect time to try one of these creative ways to wrap a present. Keep this in mind as you go through my list of 10 ideas for making any gift for any occasion stand out from the rest!

Brown Paper & Pom Pom Gift Wrapping Ideas

Brown Paper & Pom Pom Gift Wrapping Ideas

“Brown paper packages tied up with string…” Do you know and love that song too? Check out these simple gift wrapping ideas using brown paper, hot glue, baker’s twine, and DIY pom-poms! You can also add various ribbons, yarn, faux greenery, and any other embellishments of your choice. Once you wrap one present this way and see how versatile and beautiful brown paper can really be, you’re going to want to make sure you have enough paper to wrap the rest of your gifts with it too! 

Furoshiki Gift Wrap Tutorial

These beautiful gift wrap ideas are inexpensive and easy to recreate!

For a simple, reusable gift wrapping idea that will make your holiday gifts really stand out, use a square piece of fabric that’s finished on all sides, like a scarf or a napkin.  Wrap the top and bottom of the fabric triangles around your gift, and then pull up the other sides and tie them in the middle. You can embellish with a eucalyptus stem or any other natural element you choose. This is an elegant and simple wrapping technique that is sure to please, and I’m sharing my step-by-step guide with you so you can do it too!

Wrapping Paper Roll Pillow Box

These beautiful gift wrap ideas are inexpensive and easy to recreate!

Don’t throw your cardboard wrapping paper rolls away, especially right around the holiday season! They make great pillow boxes for small gifts like jewelry and stocking stuffers and also serve as a blank canvas that you can get creative with. Cut and shut properly with a piece of tape or two and embellished with scraps of wrapping paper and string, these pillow boxes are a simple solution to awkwardly-shaped small gifts. They have a much cleaner look than small gift bags or tiny pieces of wrapping paper. Who would have thought a toilet paper roll could make a beautifully wrapped gift that will surprise your gift recipient with your thoughtfulness? I’m here to show you it can be done!

Brown Paper Package with a Gorgeous Twist

These beautiful gift wrap ideas are inexpensive and easy to recreate!

I love using kraft paper or white butcher paper to wrap gifts because it’s easy to recycle. Instead of wrapping your gift the classic way, try this beautiful pleated method that looks gorgeous with some holiday greenery! This is much easier to show you than tell you, so be sure to watch the video for my step-by-step tutorial of this beautiful method of wrapping presents.

DIY Vintage Map Christmas Gift Wrap and Gift Bags

Wrap Christmas presents in vintage maps that you find or print, and accent them with green, teal and gold ribbon

Vintage maps are beautiful pieces of art and make unique, sophisticated Christmas gift-wrapping. You can often find vintage maps and atlases at antique shops, garage sales, flea markets and thrift stores. You can also find reproduction vintage maps online to purchase, as old maps themselves sometimes seem better suited to framing for display! I love how the maps I chose paired so beautifully with ribbons in tones of teal, green and gold.

How to Wrap a Present with a Blanket Scarf

Christmas gift wrapping idea: wrap a gift in a blanket scarf!

A very unique gift wrapping idea is to wrap a gift box with a blanket scarf. This way, you’re not only giving a beautiful gift, but you’re also giving a lovely scarf for the season! Martha Stewart herself would be proud of this one. If you have a large enough scarf it would even work well as last minute gift basket wrap!

Shabby Chic Christmas Present Wrapping Ideas 

Shabby Chic Christmas Present Wrapping Ideas - Vintage inspired, pink, kraft, white linen, sparkly DIY gifts

To make this idea come to life, I dug up some of my favourite textiles that I thought were shabby chic in feel: white linen fabric, kraft paper, sparkly jingle bells, sparkly faux branches, glittery yarn, fabric roses, sheets of music, lace, and – of course – a good length of ribbon. I love the result! 

DIY Wrapping Paper Bag

DIY Wrapping Paper Gift Bag

Do you have some funny-shaped gifts that need to be wrapped? Or are you planning to send your neighbors some cookies and need a cute way to package them? The truth is, not every present comes in a perfectly square box! This simple DIY gift bag is really easy to make, and you can use thick tissue paper or your favourite wrapping paper as a personal touch! To make a wrapping paper gift bag like this, straight cut a piece of wrapping paper that measures 14 inches wide by 8 inches high. Then, some simple folds secured with clear tape will be all you need to make your fun little gift bag! It’s a great option for adding a personal touch to last-minute gifts too.

How to Wrap Your Christmas Baking

Creative ways to wrap Christmas baking - love these fun packaging ideas!

I think homemade cookies and breads are easy and heartfelt gifts for neighbors and friends, don’t you? I want to share with you a few fun ways to package your Christmas baking gifts this year that will make your homemade baking look even more festive and cheerful. 

Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping Idea – Beeswax Wraps! 

How to make a DIY beeswax wrap extra sticky

For a non-traditional gift-wrapping material, try this!  A beeswax wrap is one of my favorite ideas for an eco-friendly Christmas. It is a reusable alternative to plastic wrap. You can use it to cover bowls or to wrap up cheese, sandwiches, fruit pieces, and more. Using it to wrap a present would mean a thoughtful extra gift for that eco-friendly person in your life!

My Favorite Wired Bow Method

These beautiful gift wrap ideas are inexpensive and easy to recreate!

As an extra bonus, I’m including a step by step tutorial for my ultimate favorite fluffy wired bow method! This bow comes to you after years of experience wrapping presents, and I really do think it is the best bow around. Add this beautiful ribbon classic bow to any of the above wrapping ideas with a piece of double-sided tape to add an extra touch of flair and festivity. 

Fun accents and gift topper ideas that you can incorporate into your creative holiday gift wrapping:

  • Washi tape
  • Stamps, stickers and stencils to personalize your gift wrap
  • Christmas ornaments
  • Kids’ fidget toys 
  • Candy & chocolate
  • Textiles & fabric scraps
  • Faux florals and greenery

I hope I’ve shown you that there are many alternatives to traditional wrapping paper that result in thoughtful, creative gifts that will be much appreciated by your friends and family on the receiving end.  As a little extra holiday bonus, I’m giving you some free printable downloads! Please enjoy these beautiful Nordic-inspired gift tags, and this adorable Merry Christmas printed wrapping paper that you are free to use and enjoy. Happy decorating!

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gift wrapping ideas for any occasion

11 Comments

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  2. Where did you buy the pine/sprig branches that were inserted in the “envelope style” wrapped gift? They are perfect size and flatness!

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