Can I just confess something to you guys?
I. Hate. Buying. Wrapping. Paper!
Seriously. Hate it! I hate paying for something that will be ripped off and tossed away in 30 seconds. I hate trying to find patterns that work on both smaller and larger gifts. I hate trying to find gift wrap that will work for Chanukah and Christmas and birthdays and…
yes, I know I should buy it on clearance after the holidays…
… And I did pick up a roll for $1.50 at ALDI this year. And Dollar Tree has bags. And even my Goodwill had a bunch of gift bags for $.50 each when I was there yesterday.
but, I save the prettiest wrapping for those who will appreciate it…
For my family of boys who just don’t care, I wrap a lot of Chanukah presents with stuff I already have around my house. Do you guys do this too? You can jazz these up more than shown here with bows and gift tags and stickers and stamps and ribbon and little pieces of pine twigs or pine cones or whatever strikes your fancy, too. I might embellish mine more later, but had to get them put away quickly before High School Guy came home from school and found out he’s getting a power bank for his phone this year. 😉 (Nope, he doesn’t read the blog…)
Wrap gifts with the Sunday comics
Those of you who are couponers might have some extra newspapers around, and gift wrapping is a great way to recycle the Sunday comics. (It’s especially appropriate for High School Guy, who loves these every week!) One week of comics sufficed to wrap his battery back up and associated extra cable, with enough left over to wrap his STEAM gift card. (Yup, he still doesn’t read this… lol.) Make it cuter with a stick-on bow, if you like.
Wrap gifts with brown paper bags from the grocery store
You’ve probably seen the Pinterest-y how-tos where people use Kraft paper to artfully wrap gifts. If you have brought home any groceries in brown paper bags, though, you already have some poor man’s Kraft paper in your house. (Note: You’ll likely need a bit of extra tape, though, since it doesn’t stick as well to paper bags.) Just cut your bag open down both seams and then down both sides of the bottom flap to create a flat piece of brown paper, and face the store’s logo to the inside so that you just have the plain brown paper showing on the gift. Tie up with twine or ribbon and decorate with stickers or stamps.
Save gift bags, tissue and boxes all year
See this gift bag? I’m pretty sure it has made an appearance at every Chanukah for the past 4 years. The gift comes out, the bag is tossed aside and forgotten, and I put it right back in the closet where it belongs. 🙂 Save the gift bags and tissue paper from birthdays and any other gift occasion all year, so that you’re set for the holidays, birthday parties, and more.
Wrap a gift in a gift
This one is better when you’re putting together a gift for grown-ups: Wrap a gift in a pretty scarf or a new set of kitchen towels, and you’re talking two gifts in one!
Wrap a gift in children’s drawings
So cute for the grandparents! Trouble keeping up with your little one’s creative output? Tape a few of their creations together and use them to wrap a gift for grandma. You can also wrap a gift in a large sheet of plain white paper and then let the kids go to town decorating it with stickers, crayons, and more.
How do you save on wrapping gifts?
I’d love to hear your creative ideas on how to save on gift wrapping, too! I’m not the only one who does this, am I?
lovely post..perfect timing..thanks for sharing these ideas!!
xo
http://www.floridmaven.com/2016/12/my-2-best-picks-for-this-winter-body.html
I save the tissue paper and iron it ! LOL Only one time though…..he he
I do all of the above!
I do all of the above and we have gift bags that have been used, and used and used! I hate paying money for wrapping paper too.
We reuse tissue paper for gift bags. Buy paper when on clearance. Have not bought paper in years. I like currents sales since rolls have lots on them and heavy paper for some gifts that need the heavier wrapping paper. Free gift bags with rebate at Menard’s. Got Christmas ones two years ago and still have some left. This year bought the general ones. The kids find our wrapping paper area and use gift bags, but with parties and whatever seem to always have plenty. When daughter was little wrote in pencil who the gift bag had come from so it did not go back to the same person. As if I would care, but the kids might. My Mom has always wrapped gifts she got at resale, thrift store or somewhere hand me down in appropriate newspaper. Comics, Auto section for my brothers, nice Santas that are printed in paper sometime, house section if a housewarming item etc. I save ribbon bows and other bows that are in good shape and reuse. Have not done this, but could wrap in fabric from a thrift store with a ribbon especially if person is a quilter or seamstress. Our son came home from elementary school telling us what a waste gift wrap was and that he thought we should hide the gifts around the house. I told him he could hide his for us or for the birthday child. I think he may have done it one year.
I save the brown paper that is stuffed into the Amazon boxes for shipping if it’s in good shape! I use that as wrap and decorate it with twine or yarn, etc. 😊
I’ve loved the gift bag era. My family loves them and we use them over and over. How do you damage a gift bag? I don’t even like cards. Total waste of money in my opinion. I would rather spend more on the gift and just attach a note. When I go to a shower or wedding with large gifts, I try to find towels or tablecloths that are nice and use them as wrap with pretty ribbon. I know a lot of wrapping paper, ribbons and bows are so beautiful, but, the waste just doesn’t seem worth it to me. BTW, speaking of pretty, that BKL decorates that tablecloth beautifully!
She does, doesn’t she? The problem is: She KNOWS it. 🙂
Glad to know that I am not the only one who thinks it is OK to wrap gifts in newspaper, my family thinks I am nuts!….I like the idea of using old grocery bags but I always forget to ask for brown bagging it at Jewel. I always use all the odds and ends of the leftover wrapping paper to wrap a gift.
My brother use to just wrap gifts with whatever wrapping paper he had but wrap it inside out (the blank side on the outside) and then just decorate the outside to whatever occasion it was. Although, some of the wrapping paper now has cutting lines on the blank side, but I am sure the cheap stuff doesnt.
Also…I didnt know they sold Gift Bags at Goodwill. Thanks for the tip…will have to check that out. Do they have a lot? Am looking for really big bags, preferably in solid colors.
It is really hit or miss, because: Goodwill — sometimes I’ve seen a lot there, sometimes none. 🙂
Comics, check. Reusing gift bags, check. Clearance gift wrap, check. One more: foil balloons. especially good for some ot those odd shaped gifts.
OK, that one never occurred to me! Nice.
I’m just not creative enough for these things. LOL
So, I’ll stick to buying wrapping paper for 90% off after the holidays.
50% off select wrapping paper, gift bags, and bows at Food4Less, today (12/22) only, including Hallmark. If you need some before the after-holidays sales.
I love to use pillow cases! Especially vintage ones where. I can get them. Plus now they get a pillow case, too.
Late to the party here…hee-hee. I hope I’m not the only one who carefully unwraps gifts…to reuse the paper 🙂