Decorate Your Gifts to Make Them Distinctive

To dress up your holiday gifts on the cheap, add evergreens or edible tags made of iced gingerbread, Good Housekeeping says. Make gifts into the likeness of a cartoon animal or attach cut-out paper snowflakes. Use a tulle pouf instead of a bow, or weave ribbon on top of gifts instead of tying it. Wrap gifts in reused paper from maps, newspaper or sheet music. Make beaded gift toppers or attach sparkly monograms. Or top your gifts with mini ornaments or candy canes — your creativity is the only limit when it comes to decorating your packages to make them stand out under the tree.

Use Kraft Paper as a Canvas for Gift Wrapping

Kraft paper is an inexpensive canvas to use when wrapping holiday gifts, Loves the Find says. Simply wrap up your gifts in the plain brown paper, then use your creativity to make it distinctive. Tie them with ribbon, fabric trims or twine and add tree trimmings or pine cones — or go more exotic with feathers, chalkboard paint and glitter. To create a repeating pattern, cut simple stamps out of potatoes, linoleum or a lint roller, and imprint the paper with a stamp pad or tempera paint. Kraft paper isn’t just for the holidays, either — you can use it at any time of year gifts are given.

Use ‘Santa Sacks’ to Wrap Sustainably

If you have a lot of gifts to give to one or more young children, go a step beyond the stocking with a sustainable Santa Sack, Holidappy suggests. Personalize a cloth laundry bag with a tag or embroidery, and have the child put the empty sack under the tree on Christmas Eve. Then fill each sack with unwrapped gifts; in the morning, the kids can open their sacks and discover what Santa brought overnight — and you’ll save money on gift wrap and ribbon while saving time on cleanup. And if you have large or oddly shaped gifts to give, hide them and leave clues around the house for the recipients to find.

Wrap Your Christmas Gifts in Creativity

Do-it-yourselfers know that it doesn’t take a lot of money to gussy up a gift if you think outside the box, the Creative Live blog says. Try alternatives to store-bought wraps such as colorful fabric, butcher paper or paper towel rolls. Or to showcase the ubiquitous-but-boring-to-look-at gift cards, build snowglobe holders. Wrap bottles of wine in the sleeves of thrift-store sweaters. Put your gifts inside unused paint cans or tuck them into folding Chinese takeout containers. The “big reveal” of any gift is always more exciting if you can amp up the anticipation by having a little fun with the packaging.