The holiday season usually gets me scrambling for gifts and gift wrapping ideas. Call me crazy, but I like going the extra mile in making sure the presents I give look Instagram-worthy under a Christmas tree.

I get such a thrill wrapping up gifts because seeing the reactions of my family and friends always make my day. When they tell me that it’s too pretty to open, that’s when I know I’ve done a brilliant job.

Gift Wrapping Ideas To Try

There are so many ways to wrap a present that nowadays, you don’t need bows, ribbon or wrapping paper to make a gift look like it belongs on the cover of a Neiman Marcus catalog. This holiday season, make it a goal to use recycled materials instead. After all, those gift wrappers are going to end up in the bin anyway.

If you also want to save cash, put in a little more creativity and ingenuity in wrapping your gifts. Simple presents really go a long way when you use a couple of gift wrapping ideas. (and DIY gift tags!) You’d be surprised at how unique and personal your presents will come out to be.

1. Chalkboard Wrapping Paper and Gift Tags

Chalkboard paint can be used on either gift wrapping paper or gift tags. Just paint on a layer, let it dry, and voila! You’ve got a new look for your present!

2. Furoshiki-Japanese Fabric Wrapping

One of the tried and tested Japanese gift wrapping techniques is called Furoshiki, where only fabric is used to wrap a present. Now, I’m sure you got some unused clothes and fabric at home. So instead of buying wrapping paper, put that fabric to good use this Christmas. Check out the step-by-step guide here.

3. A Hint of Nature

A hint of green never hurt anyone. The best part with this is that your little DIY material could just come from your back yard — now isn’t that just nifty?

4. Animal Inspired

This is one of the cutest gift wrapping ideas to date! I just know my little cousins will go crazy for these. All you’ll need is a Chinese take out box — or any box for that matter — a couple of extra sheets of paper, and a bit of imagination.

5. Stamped Wrapper

Plain paper won’t look so ordinary once it’s been stamped. Whether you’re up for buying a stamp, carving one from a potato, or simply using the circle top of a pencil, I’m sure your gift will look totally cool.

6. Christmas Ornaments

If you have extra Christmas baubles lying around, you can put them to good use by using them as accents for gift wrapping. You can choose to bundle little ones together or stick to one big Christmas ornament. The decision is yours!

7. 3D Christmas Tree

Try this if you have green colored paper to spare.

It’s very easy to make your own 3-D Christmas tree. You only need to cut 1/3 of your paper into a pie-shaped size and then fold it in accordion style. Glue the edges of the paper and embellish as you wish.

8. Magazine Bows

You don’t need to make bows out of new paper or ribbons. 100 Layer Cake teaches you how to make a bow using magazine paper. Take advantage of the colorful pages by giving the bow some contrast. The end result will look really pretty!

9. Washi Tape Wrappers

This is one of the biggest hacks for gift wrapping ideas. Much like the stamped pattern idea mentioned earlier, washi tape takes ordinary paper from drab to fab with its cute colors and designs. By the way, don’t be afraid to be unique. After all, who says you can only cut tape a certain way?

10. Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String

Like the famous Mary Poppins song goes, “these are a few of my favorite things!” This just goes to show that sometimes even the most minimalist of wrappers can still make a person giddy with excitement.

Nothing bad ever comes out of brown paper packages tied up with string, right, ladies?

11. Tissue Holder Wrapper

Use a toilet roll to create a box for jewelry or trinkets. All you have to do is flatten the toilet roll a bit, fold the end parts toward each other, and tadah! It’s a cinch to make!

12. Cheeky Typography

This is probably what I’d give to my impatient friends, the ones who have such a hard time waiting until Christmas day to open their gifts. It’ll surely bring out the giggles comes exchange gift time. What can I say? I love teasing my friends!

Ever wondered how to wrap those odd shaped gifts?…

13. Newspaper Gift Wrapping

Reuse old newspaper and save the Earth — one gift at a time. The great thing about this gift wrap is that it’s readily available and it teaches a thing or two about upcycling!

14. Star Garland

I feel as though star garlands were made for my theatre friends, the ones who I know will make it big in the performance scene. Aside from giving them the token best actress award, show them how much of a star you know they are with your gift wrapping. They’ll love it!

15. Sharpie Bow

What to do when you have no ribbons or strings in sight? Sharpie it onto a gift! It’s our little secret, I promise.

16. Map Envelopes

This is something I would mail to my friends who are now living on the other side of the world. After all, there’s nothing like receiving a Christmas card all the way from a place they used to consider home. I’m sure they’d appreciate the gesture.

17. Paint Splattered Wrapping

Unleash your inner artist with this gift wrapping idea. Paint splatters can look eclectic and electric when the right colors are chosen, so get out your color wheel and pick your hues.

Don’t forget to lay down a sheet of newspaper before you begin splattering. It might get messy.

18. Glitter Dipped Gift Tags

Ah glitter! One of my favorite things in the world.

These glitter-dipped gift tags are easy to make and oh so lovely to look at. Who knew something so simple could look so chic?

Looking for more ideas to satisfy your gift wrapping craze? Watch this video by Amanda Rach Lee.

This Christmas, I’ll be showering the people dear to me with nicely wrapped presents. It just adds a personal touch to the gift, something that no amount of money can ever take the place of.

I hope my list was able to help you out, ladies. There are so many different gift wrapping ideas to choose from! Trust me, a few recycled bits and a pair of scissors can go a long way.

Gift yourself a little something this Christmas! Check this out!

Got a holiday party coming up? We’ll help you pick an outfit!