Make your gift the most interesting one under the tree
Present in a present is a fun way to surprise the gift recipient
- A cookbook in a cake pan that is tied in a ribbon you saved from last year is a wonderful sight.
- Hide toy bricks in a storage container. The parents with be thankful to have a convenient way to store them.
Cloth and fabric bags
- One great way to wrap unusually shaped gifts is by using a kitchen towel or sheet. Better yet, make it part of the gift so the recipient can use the wrap as well by wrapping measuring spoons in a dish towel for example!
- Fabric bags can be another great family tradition to keep passing around from year to year while reusing the bags.
- Use a reusable shopping bag to wrap a gift for two gifts in one.
Newspaper, comics, magazines and maps
- This is a classic style of avoiding wrapping paper while using something you already have on hand.
- Create a theme with a magazine page and gift that relate to each other.
Packing paper
- Simply flatten or iron the paper flat and decorate with things like stamping or markers. A fun idea is to attach a few crayons to the package with the note Color Me on it and let the recipient decorate it. Once the gift is open, save the paper for another gift or recycle it!
Toilet paper tubes
- Simply pinch down the ends to close it up as a fun way to hide those little gifts in a creative way. Seal the ends with ribbon made from nylon onion or potato bags for a colorful touch.
Paper and gift bags
- The easiest is to simply keep the item in the bag you received from the store. If the bag isn’t reusable as a bag, cut it up to use as gift wrap instead.
- Gift bags can be reused year after year as well – as your kids get older it can be a little nostalgic as well!
Reusing boxes
- A fun family tradition can be who ends up with a special box each year, so be sure to hang on to some boxes for upcoming celebrations. Wrap the top and bottom separately to make reuse easier.
Gift tags
- You can be creative while reusing things like old cards, maps, and mail to create a gift tag that is made from something reused, but can be used year after year as well.