Disclosure: This gift-wrapping ideas post is sponsored by . As always, all opinions expressed are honest and my own.
As I shared a couple of weeks ago, I’m feeling extra crafty this year! I know it’s because we’re home more than usual and creating things not only brings me joy, but it’s a great stress-reliever. I put on some good Christmas music and I don’t worry about time or what’s happening in the world. For an hour or two, I can just “be where my hands are” and focus on what I’m making.
A few days ago, I decided to use some of that quiet, creative time to wrap some pretty packages for my family and I thought I should share those Christmas gift-wrapping ideas with you! I ended up with some really cute packages and they were all pretty quick and easy.
Before I started on this project, I headed to Walmart on a creative recon trip! (I combined it with a little Christmas shopping, too.) I find that roaming the aisles at a store will help fill my creative tank. I found some cute decor in the home section, like the below, and some sweet . I find most of my ideas in the craft section, though! Browsing supplies always challenges me to test and try new things.
Gift Wrapping Ideas | No. 1
This idea came out of finding (for decorating small, tabletop trees) in the perfect palette of blues and greens.
Just thread a few mini ornaments onto a length of twine, so they bunch together…
Leave enough twine to tie around the box and thread on a tag.
Isn’t that cute? And it’s the kind of topper you can use year after year.
Gift-wrapping Ideas | No. 2
This is a series of ideas all using
For the first idea, I finger knit a wreath and tied it to a package …
The is my favorite because it’s thin enough to hold a nice fold and it has a grid on the back.
THIS is the Mancala game I bought for Calvin, who loves playing games.
With the yarn, I also wound some in a ball, tied it to a , and stuck a couple of into the ball of yarn. I thought that would be a fun way to gift someone knitting needles and yarn along with whatever is in the box.
I also tied one of my chunky crocheted snowflakes onto a box with a wood crochet hook stuck in and a kraft gift tag on top.
Gift-wrapping ideas | No. 3
While browsing the holiday section at , I spotted this pretty glittery gold wreath ornament and I thought it would make a pretty present topper.
I tied it on a simple with some navy grosgrain ribbon. Simple and very elegant! The ribbon and ornament were both $1.00, so that’s a pretty expensive look for an inexpensive price.
Gift-Wrapping Idea No. 4
I had to sneak some paint into this list of creative and simple gift-wrapping ideas, so here are a couple. To make sure anyone could replicate this, I used just two paints – and .
For the first project, I also used a small wooden embroidery hoop, Peaches & Cream yarn in a pretty, mossy green, and a few mini bells.
Mixing the green and white together, I painted a “cross-stitched monogram” onto a white gift box and tied the embroidery hoop onto the gift box, framing out the monogram, with the yarn. I embellished the hook with some fresh greens and mini bells.
This ended up being one of my favorite ideas because it turned out so pretty! I wasn’t even very neat or careful with it, but you could certainly measure things out and get more precise and elaborate with your design.
Isn’t it so cute??
I tied the bells on with twine, but you can certainly get a glue gun involved and use some artificial greens and any other embellishments you want.
Gift-wrapping ideas | No. 5
I used the same paint and yard to embellish a simple package wrapped in . I painted on some trees and snow in a simple, quick scene and then tied a bottle brush tree on top to add some dimension. As I was making it, I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, but I think it’s so sweet and fun.
Gift-wrapping ideas | no. 6
This is another super-simple idea! I found these pretty glittered monogram ornaments and thought they would look sweet tied onto a package. I used the Peaches & Cream Yarn and warped the box with .
I love it when ideas are easy and they end up looking so good!
Believe it or not, I had even more gift-wrapping ideas, but I didn’t want to overwhelm you! These seemed like the best of the ideas that were fun, simple, pretty, and easy to replicate.
I also bought a mini easel to tie a little easel and painting to a gift, but I didn’t get to that one, yet. And I painted a bunch of those kraft tags with gesso and oil paint to tie onto gifts. I painted some little wintry nighttime landscapes…
…and some abstracts.
They are still drying, though, so I couldn’t photograph them tied onto gifts.
The funny thing is that I spend a lot of time and when I’m wrapping gifts for my family and they are not gift-wrappers at all! Jeff just picks one roll, wraps everything in it, and writes the name on with a marker. It is a step up from the towels and garbage bags he used when we first got married!
I get my wrapping from my Grandma, who would shop for Christmas and wrap presents all year. She would tie a special embellishment on each present and carefully selected beautifully coordinated ribbons and gift boxes. She would really like this post and the fact that I’ve carried on the tradition of “decorating” the presents.
I hope you enjoyed these ideas and they even spark some of your own!
Do you like to “decorate” your gifts or do you just wrap them up and call it a day?
42 Responses
Thank you Marian for sharing your beautiful ideas.
It seems a pity to tear those gorgeous wrappings. Absolutely love them. They are a gift in a gift!
Happy Christmas to you and your family.
Love,
Maria Luisa
Love watching what happens with your creative time! Pretty gifts! Merry Christmas!
I put everything in Christmas gift bags. So impressed with your creativity!
You wowed me with your creatively wrapped gifts! My favorite is the cross stitch monogram. I’d really like to see the rest of your ideas.
Every one is beautiful!
Very clever use of yarn, kraft paper and paint! Thanks for sharing these and Merry Christmas!
You know we need to know how to make the wreath!! Please. Merry Christmas to you and your family Marion, and thank you for all you do for us.
Love using plain paper and decorating with ribbon and ornaments! You’ve given me some more adorable ways to wrap and decorate, thank you. Now if I can teach myself to finger knit…
Loved,loved all your ideas!! I wish that I could get to a Walmart store….and tried to order these items, however none of them can be shipped…
I love gift wrapping with special embellishments too! Keep the ideas coming! I am going to get some of the letters tonight and add to a couple of my brown craft paper gifts. So simple and beautiful! Thank you Marian for all your fantastic painting lessons and posts this year. Happy Christmas to you!
I am so glad I haven’t started wrapping yet! Your ideas inspire me to go the extra mile this year.
I agree that we need directions for your yarn wreath, please.
Thank you so much, Marian… a very Merry Christmas to you all!!
Love your ideas for wrapping gifts. Next time I’m at Walmart I’m going to look for that cute wreath ornament and those darling Christmas balls. I like the creative way you attached the small wreaths and the hoops. Your trees and snow painting on the gift is precious!
Hi Marian. I am 65 and still remember the thrill I had opening little gifts from my creative neighbor one Christmas. She made me a few things for my room when I was maybe 13. I don’t now remember the gifts, but the fact that each one was in its own special wrapping touched my heart. Today, I try to make at least some of my gifts special, too. Love your simple and elegant creations. Merry Christmas.
I usually use the “bag” method but you inspired me to go the “Kraft paper” method. I painted white Christmas trees on mine and am so proud to present them to my family this year.
You are a great inspiration….keep up the good work !
Merry Christmas…..
I love wrapping gifts and often use small ornaments and trim to decorate or tie on to hand tied bows. Buy as usual your creativity blows my packages away! Love the special touches you created especially I. Your own color and style. Merry Christmas from Texas!!!
Merry Christmas! Loved your cute ideas. Especially painting on the plain paper. That is great for packages that have to be shipped
Calvin’s present isn’t a surprise anymore LOL.
Wrapping is my favorite! My hubby used to take the four kids out Christma shopping, Birthday shopping (my birthday is the 27th), and for lunch, so I could have the entire day to wrap! And each gift needed something “special”. My youngest always complained about ribbons and ties. To this day, his gifts are unadorned.
Love these ideas!! But I love everything you do!!
Your packages are so special and filled with love for the receiver.
I love “be where my hands are..” I feel that way with all creative ventures I undertake~
And thank you for reminding me of my grandmother. She had a penchant for beautiful papers and ribbon, many from Europe. She never used tape on her packages either so the paper was gently folded for future use~ The love and care she put into her wrapping spoke to the care she extended toward me and others.
Merry Christmas ?
Beautiful packages!
Would love to see a tutorial on finger knitting the wreath.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you for inspiring me. This past year I try to find beauty in everything no matter how small. It was the best resolution I’ve ever made. Anyone would be thrilled to receive one of these gifts!
When my boys were little, I’d pick a different wrapping paper for each one so I didn’t have to add tags! Now I use bags for almost everything. Although sometimes I wrap individual things for in the bags. I transport most of my gifts to other places so gift bags are so easy to carry. I really like the pretty packages though.
Your projects are SO pretty.
Loved this post because I, too, enjoy wrapping so much that I have a younger sister who has me do her wrapping for her. You have given me some new ideas, thank you.
Love wrapping presents. I always embellish my packages with something that the receiver collects. Its another little gift on the outside of the box.
Wow I love your wrapping ideas, they are all beautiful. Please teach us how to finger knit the wreath, it is so beautiful. I love your video tutorials for crochet and would love if you could do one for finger kitting the wreath. Merry Christmas!
I’ve read ALMOST ALL of your blog posts over the years and this may be my new favorite one! Thank you for the time you take to share your creativity! Merry Christmas!
I love these ideas….And definitely want to try finger-knitting a wreath! Merry Christmas!
I like to decorate my gifts as well! Especially this year with more “home time” on my hands. I find the older folks on my list really appreciate the extra beautiful packaging, while the kids…..not so much! They tear into them no matter what. I re-use the special ribbons and decorative touches each year and can always find more cute things at JoAnns or the Target dollar bin. It is nice to have some new ideas to try- thank you as these are beautiful!
Marian, we have many common genes and this is one of them! My gift wrapping is part of the gift and many times I’m not sure exactly what it will look like until I’m done! Your packages are all a work of art, thank you for sharing your beautiful ideas!
I totally go overboard with gift wrapping… although this year, you wouldn’t think I did! We went ultra simple this year using Kraft paper, some white yarn, and a simple tag from Rae Dunn… and instead of using clear tape, we used masking tape (the creamy colored stuff that’s like painters tape but stronger? Maybe it’s not masking tape. I can’t remember what it’s called but this doesn’t have the strings in it either). BUT I still have to wrap my bestie’s gift and she LOVES and notices things like this so I think I’m going to do the cross-stitch monogram one… she’ll love it! I love all the ideas and can’t wait to see the others you did!
These are beautiful! I’ll remember these ideas next year! I always think of an aunt who had two or three gorgeously wrapped, beribboned, and embellished boxes under her tree, the paper and ribbon matching the colors of her living room exactly … but the boxes were empty! She used them just for looks! She’d pack them carefully away with the decorations every year, to be pulled out the next year. (I used to love to tease this particular aunt, so I’d always pretend I was going to unwrap the gift. She would sputter and exclaim, “No, no! Not that one!” LOL!)
You’re so talented !! What great ideas! I always enjoy seeing (and replicating) your crafts (sort of… not nearly as good) Thanks so much. Really appreciate all you’re hard work at making your blog one of my favorite places to stop at..
And I’ll only say
… More please ?
SO many cute ideas!
I love your ideas…and they all incorporate “your” special style and decor! I am fond of wrapping with special style, too. I am almost 100% Scottish so I use a lot of tartans and some brown paper packages (tied up with string) with plaid accents, too. I also have a Scottish Terrier so that figures in my wrapping, too. I was raised by my dad…who was almost 50 when I was born. My mum died when I was two so I pretty much grew up with just my dad. He. Never.Wrapped.Anything! And I think that figures into my love of wrapping and making things pretty and, more importantly, thoughtful for the friend or family member that it’s for. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Have you done a tutorial for finger knitting the wreath. I can’t find it. Love your ideas. Thanks.
How do you finger knit a wreath? You must have known we would all be asking.
I love wrapping gifts and embellishing them with creativeness.
Thanks for the ideas.
These are so clever & so, so cute! I wouldn’t even care if the gift inside was a lump of coal if it were wrapped like one of these!!
You did it again, Marian. These gift-wrapping ideas are over the top gorgeous. And even I can do these. Thanks so much for the inspiration. More, please!
You my dear are a Christmas Elf! How adorable and lovely these gifts are. Thank you for all the inspiration!
I love wrapping and faffing (adding all the extra embellishments) so this post is right up my alley! Thanks for all of the great ideas!
I love #3. Very classy!!!
Just came across this, Marion……better late than never. I have used brown paper for wrapping gifts for over 40 years now and I really love it. I am NOT an artist, but try to paint simple things like dinosaurs, flowers or letters for deco, even stamps and then add to them. I’ve used dried flowers from my yard, too. When one daughter was younger she always wanted her packages to have lots of ribbons and such on her things, not my style. So, I would put the gift in a box, tape it up and let her wrap it herself! She loved it. Another idea was certain paper for each person. That way they could identify their gift and if the tag came off you still know who it belonged to. Now, paper gift bags are the best. Thanks so much for the blog.