Alternative Gift-Wrapping Ideas

It’s ten o’clock in the evening. You’re at the height of preparing gifts for the Christmas get-together at the office tomorrow morning. Then you run out of wrapping paper! What do you do now?

Don’t panic. Look around. There are a lot of other things you can use for wrapping gifts. To prime your imagination, here are some of them:

Brown Bags. Remember all those brown paper grocery bags you have stashed under the sink to use eventually for the kitchen trash? Choose the good ones from the stock. Then drop a gift in each bag and tie with pretty ribbon or yarn.

If the paper bag looks too plain to you, fancy it up by punching a couple of holes at the top on each side and knot ribbons through them. Or use a gold cord to tie the top and then, for the card, have blue ribbons extending from underneath to make it look like a First Prize tag.

Bandanas. They’re colorful, not necessarily expensive, and make a convenient wrapping for smaller gifts. Simply knot the bandana ends, attach a card, and the gift is ready for giving away. For larger presents, make a “Santa Sack” using two or more bandanas in different colors or prints. Sew them together at the bottom and at the sides, pull up the opening at the top and tie with a brightly colored ribbon or yarn.

The recipient gets two gifts in one—the wrapped item and the bandana itself!

Baskets.Buy baskets at the native-crafts store, fill with items and tie with a bow on the handle. Items that look good in a basket include: breakfast treats (fruit jams, century eggs, cereals, coffee), party stuff (cheese, pâté, crackers, cocktail napkins), fresh fruits, bath accessories, potpourri etc.

Bottles.Many grocery and cosmetic products come in attractive bottles. Instead of throwing them away, wash them thoroughly in hot, sudsy water and refill with Christmas gifts – potpourri, candies, spices, coffee beans, or your special homemade sweet-and-sour sauce. Tie a bow at the bottle’s neck and that’s it.

Newspaper. This one is especially charming for wrapping gifts for friends in the media profession. If the recipient is in the print-media sector, try to find the page with a report or article bearing his or her by-line, and position it prominently when wrapping the gift. The idea is not only cute but flattering as well to the one you’re giving the gift to.

If the intended recipient is in the other media sectors, like radio or television, or is not in a frontline media job, or anybody for that matter, simply choose a newspaper page with an interesting article that you think the person will like. It will serve the purpose just the same.     

These unique wrapping ideas, including the ones you may yet think up, are good to try even if you’re not running out of the usual wrapping paper. They can certainly add fun to your gifts and a smile on the face of their recipients.