Original gift wrapping: 8 ways

You can do so much more with a gift than just folding pretty paper around it. Here’s how to wrap your gifts originally according to Lisa Manuels.

There are endless materials you can use. The best tip is actually: think outside the box. Look for what you already have at home. Reuse old packaging or paper and decorate your packages with twigs or other found objects. Or check out flea markets.

Searching for beauty

At flea markets and thrift stores, you can find so many beautiful things to use for gift wrapping. But you need to know what to look for. You can use all of the following:

Old lace and ribbons
Beautiful fabrics
Buttons
Yarn and thread
Little figurines, like those on vintage keychains
Small statues
Game pieces, such as dominoes, Scrabble letters, or cards from Pim Pam Pet
Everything made of paper: Monopoly money, old pictures on matchbox covers, stamps, vintage photos, cards, old wrapping paper, envelopes, bags…
Cardboard or wooden boxes
Vintage tins
Glass jars or bottles
Rolls of vintage wallpaper
Punches
Stickers
Stamps
Old keys
Books, such as fairy tale books with beautiful illustrations, atlases, or books with drawings and photos of birds, trees, or flowers.

1 Original decorations

There are all kinds of beautiful papers available with unique prints, but it’s also very fun to decorate your own paper in an original and personal way. Here are several methods:

Masking Tape: Stick someone’s name, initials, or age on a package. Or create a cross shape over the package as if it were a ribbon. You can also make various shapes like a house, heart, or geometric shape. If you cut the tape into small triangles, you can create a string of flags.
Stamps: Stamping on boring brown or white paper suddenly makes it unique. The best part is to make the stamps yourself. In the past, we used potatoes, but they don’t last long. Rubber and foam work better. A pencil with an eraser on top can be used to stamp dots, or you can cut a triangle out with a knife. You can also cut simple shapes from a piece of foam, such as triangles, houses, bows, hearts, or circles. Stick them with double-sided tape on a wooden block that is about the same size (from the block box or flea market). Stamping can be done with stamp ink, but also with paint.
Stickers: Create a fun pattern with simple round stickers or 3D stickers.
Drawing: Draw a fun (geometric) pattern with a black fineliner. You don’t need to be a great artist; a few dots or lines are enough. Or fill the paper with words or letters.
Copies: Make unique gift wrap with copies of your own drawing or collage. For example, place dried flowers and leaves on a photocopier. Or stamps, cut-out pictures, buttons, yarn, puzzle pieces… Just make sure the copier can still close.

2 Use old books

Paper from an old book or magazine can also be used as gift wrap.

At the flea market (or in the attic), you often find the most beautiful books. Is it a shame to tear them apart? On one hand, yes. On the other hand, stacks of these books will never be read again. It’s better to make something beautiful out of them, right?
Especially old maps or illustrations of plants and animals are fun to use. Or old fairy tale and comic books for children’s gifts.
Books with only text are also usable. For example, use colored tape, ribbons, or gift tags to finish your wrapping. Always read the text first, as not all of them are suitable for a gift.
Don’t just look at the theme or pictures on the paper, but also at the colors. Papers with different patterns, textures, and colors together create a fun effect.

Without paper

Looking for something different? You can also use these materials or objects as wrapping.

4 Glass Jar

Great for wrapping small gifts. If you want the recipient not to see what’s inside, cut a rectangle from paper that’s slightly shorter than the circumference of the jar and insert it. Or make a nice label to stick on the outside of the jar. Tie a piece of fabric around the lid with string and attach a gift tag.
If you have many small gifts, wrap them separately and place them in the jar (without the paper strip), filling the rest with confetti. This way, you have a kind of mini grab bag.
For rollable gifts or a sweet letter, you can also use a bottle and turn it into a message in a bottle.

5 Envelope

Flat gifts (like money or vouchers) often go in an envelope. It’s much more fun if it’s homemade. Start with a template: carefully take apart a regular envelope, trace the shape onto a piece of thick cardboard, and cut it out. Now make your own envelope, for example, using paper from magazines or books.

6 Envelope booklet

Fill all the pockets with beautiful paper gifts or notes, small (flat) gifts, photos, and/or lovely memories from a vacation you had together. Use regular envelopes or paper bags for this. Decorate the outside with masking tape, stamps, or stickers.

7 Wooden box or vintage tin

Place your gift in a wooden box (like an old cigar box) or a nice tin from the flea market. Decorate it with paper or masking tape. You can also stick old stamps or pictures on it. Add a ribbon around it, and you’re done.