All it takes is some thoughtfulness and creativity to choose great gifts and wrap them in ways that show how much you care. The bonus is the ability to save money at the same time!
Try some of these ideas:
Personalize It
For small gifts, print your own wrapping paper from your computer. Type the recipient’s name in different font styles or different colors all over the page. To avoid using a ton of ink, use bold letters, but only use color for the outline leaving the inside stroke white.
Enlist Your Little Artists
For grandparents’ gifts, have your children design the wrapping paper. Give them plain paper to draw on, color, stamp, or stencil for Grandma and Grandpa.
Use Related Items
One good example is using a tea towel to wrap a kitchen gadget for your favorite cook. Another idea is photocopying sheet music to wrap a CD for your favorite music lover. A few copies, even large ones, will usually end up costing less than a roll of wrapping paper or gift bags and tissue paper. Also, make copies of photos or other images that the recipient will like. Copy a photo of your kids to make great wrapping paper for grandparents. Be sure to make matching gift cards.
Use Re-useable Items
You can often pick up pretty hatboxes for about the same price as a gift box and wrapping paper. A hatbox is perfect for any woman or girl, not only because it’s different but also because it can be used again and again for other purposes.
Use What You Have
That shoebox will make a perfect gift box if you add a little paint, or cover it with leftover contact paper or wallpaper border that would otherwise just collect dust. Then, simply add an item that relates to the recipient’s interests, such as attaching a baseball card for your favorite little slugger. When you receive a gift, save those gift bags and re-use them. Just be sure to look for gift tags and remove them first.