Forget the $5 or $6 spent on the gift wrap, bags and tissue paper. Instead, recycle common items for unique gift wrap that will make a great impact and have them wondering if you spent more on the wrap than the gift itself.
For the sophisticated or worldly person, why not wrap your gift in a map? Scour thrift stores and library sales for old world maps or simply pick up a free map at your local travel service, gas station or even convenience store.
If you have a couple of small presents, wrap them in a pair of whimsical or luxurious socks. It is like getting two gifts in one. You can use a wire-edged bow to tie the socks together. Only one gift? Pack the extra sock in the first one along with the gift.
Newspaper makes a wonderful gift wrap. You can choose different sections to suit the gift, from the business section to the comics. Make it even more special by picking up a foreign language paper, such as one in Russian, Chinese and Greek. Any ride on a New York City subway will yield dozens, but you can also check with your local library or coffee house for extras.
Home baked gifts, which can be cost saving in and of themselves, can be wrapped in cellophane or plastic wrap and then placed in a terra cotta pot. These pots are really inexpensive, even knew, and it boosts the value of the gift, as well as making it really pretty. Plain and small cardboard boxes will do as well, if they are hand decorated by you.
Make a real statement on a gift by using battery powered twinkle lights (find them in the dollar stores very cheap around any holiday) instead of ribbon to wrap a gift. This gives your gift the wow factor, definitely.
Do you have any favorite frugal gift ideas to share? Please leave a comment.