Fast & Easy Gift Wrapping Ideas
Sharing festive and easy gift wrapping ideas for the holidays that you can do in minutes.
If I lived in a parallel reality, I think my profession would be a gift wrapper. I really enjoy finding easy and creative ways to wrap gifts all year long, not just during the holidays. I have shared many ideas and even have a gift wrapping category here on my blog.
One holiday season when my daughters were little and I wanted to make some extra spending money, I took a part time holiday job wrapping gifts and making pretty ribbon bows at Nordstroms.
So once your shopping is done and it is time to wrap your gifts, here are few ideas to inspire you to wrap your gifts in creative, yet fast and easy style. Some don’t even require gift wrap.
How to Add Style to a Common Confetti Bow
Standard self-adhesive confetti style bows are one of the easiest ways to embellish a gift, but with a few snips you can take this common bow up a notch on the style meter.
1. Simply cut each loop open with a pair of scissors.
It takes on an entirely different look. You can leave it just like this or…
…wire 3 jingle bells together and…
…hot glue them to the inside center of the bow. Place on a wrapped gift.
You can also glue on a pretty button into the center of the bow.
Give Money or a Gift Card in Festive Style
I think everyone enjoys the gift of money. Instead of just sealing the envelope and giving, embellish the envelope first using pom pom or soft ball trim and tacky glue.
Place the envelope on a flat surface and run a line of tacky glue all along the flap and/or front of the envelope. Place the trim over the glue and press down, let dry.
TIP: I used my computer word processing program and the font, Introblues to assist me in writing the names on the envelopes in a pretty script. I printed the names out using a 140 point size. I taped the printed name on a window and centered the envelope over the name and traced the letters. I then filled the letters with a marker.
Fun and festive.
The Best Way to Gift Wrap Baked Goods
I like to bake around the holidays and give the goodies from my oven to my friends and family. Instead of placing them on a plate covered with foil, I like to use boxes.
These scallop edges on these Scallop Top Bakery boxes make it easy. They come in a few different sizes and colors. I line them with tissue paper and then add the baked goods. I like the pre-cut notches that make adding the ribbon easy.
TIP: When popping the flattened boxes open, place a piece of tape on the inside bottom of the box. This will help keep them squared.
They come with off-white satin ribbon, but I had fun embellishing the boxes in simple ways that anyone can do with supplies you may have on hand.
- Use markers to outline the scallops and add colored dots.
- Add a snipped confetti bow and dots using a white Sharpie.
- Tie-on a chalkboard name tag.
- Use tulle to attach a paper doily and a white Sharpie to make large dots.
- Hot glue an old piece of jewelry on the box flap, use a white Sharpie to make dots along the scallops. Fun Tip: If you scrunch glitter tulle between your hands and hold it over the box, some of the glitter will come off and stick to the box. :-)
I also like donut boxes that come with holes that you can punch out. They are made for ventilation, but I like that fact that you can weave ribbon through the holes to attach the top of the box to the bottom. No gift wrap paper needed, just ribbon and any embellishment you want to add.
Create Gift Package Embellishments With Ribbon
- Not into bows? Make your own package embellishment with ribbon, hot glue and an old piece of jewelry, button or flat ornament. Cut 6 strips of ribbon and hot glue them together in the center. Notch ends of ribbon and glue a snowflake ornament on top.
Center and glue on gift.
What Can I Used Instead of Wrapping Paper For Christmas?
- If you run out of holiday wrapping paper, but have other wrapping paper available, check the flip side of the paper. If it is white, use the white side to wrap the gift. Use colorful ribbon and a tree ornament to make the package look festive.
- If the gift is small, grab a plaid shirt from your closet and lay the back section neatly on your home printer to make a color copy. Use the print-out to wrap the gift. Plaid is always festive for the holidays. Make a cutting from an Evergreen shrub in your yard and stick in under a ribbon bow or print out with the receiver’s name on it.
- All year long, look for festive ribbons, papers and embellishments to use to wrap gifts. I save old jewelry, buttons, and Christmas cards to make gift embellish and tags. I also use my computer quite a bit to make tags. I had never used blanket-stitched felt ribbon before.
- It comes in two different widths. It is soft, but molds to any shape you want and bows stay extra perky without being stiff.
A Few More Gift Wrapping Tips:
- If you have children, keep your Santa wrapping duties less stressful by using a different color/pattern paper for each child. Make a note what paper is for what child as a reference. When you do this there is no need to have to write a gift tag for each gift.
- Keep all your gift wrapping supplies together in a box or basket, so when the time comes to get the gifts you are giving wrapped, you have all your supplies in one handy place.
- If you have wrapping paper left after all your gifts are wrapped, here is an easy way to keep rolls of wrapping paper neat and tidy. Instead of taping the paper to itself so it doesn’t unroll, save the cardboard tubes from paper towels and toilet tissue. Cut a vertical slit in the tube with scissors. Place slit over rolled gift wrap so the roll does not unravel.
- If you collect wrapping paper like I do, make a gift wrap organizer and hang in a closet or crafting area in your home.
I hope these easy gift wrapping ideas help you stress-less and be able to enjoy the gift wrapping process.
- Make the gift wrapping process and event, not a chore. Set your gift wrapping supplies and gifts on a work area or kitchen table, put on some Christmas tunes, whip up a big mug of hot chocolate with lots of whipped cream and wrapping can become quite enjoyable.
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Christmas gifts wrapped? Check! How about completing the house Christmas decorating projects? Uh oh, better head over to my project gallery.
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