Adding a personal touch to your gifts with homemade wrapping paper is an excellent way to show you care during this festive season. 

There are some amazing and unique ideas for you to choose from if you’re wanting to wrap your gifts with something a little extra this year!

This list includes a selection of eco-friendly wrap options, ideas for extra sparkle, and some fun DIY projects. 

Keep reading below for some of the most unique and creative gift wrap ideas you’ve ever seen!

Your Ultimate Guide To Creative Gift Wrap Ideas

Whether you’re eco-conscious, tight on money, or just want to add some thought and creativity to your gifts this year, this guide has everything you need to make these holidays special.

Eco-Friendly Gift-Wrapping Ideas

Recycle Your Wrappers

Despite what some may think, you don’t have to rip up your Christmas wrapping paper and throw it away after one use.

If you’re mindful about how you wrap your gifts – and how you unwrap them – you can actually fold up your wrapping paper and reuse it next year. Just make sure you ask the recipients to be cautious when removing the paper from their gifts so that it doesn’t get ruined!

The advantage of saving your used paper is the cost efficiency, as the same piece of paper can be used over and over if it’s handled carefully enough each time.

The disadvantage of saving wrapping paper to reuse is that it removes the fun of tearing open a present with vigor and excitement– which may be harder to avoid if your gifts are going to children.

Tea Towel Wrap

Tea Towels can be a thoughtful, practical gift for birthdays or Christmas when chosen for the right person. 

However, you may have never considered using the tea towel itself as a cute gift wrapping ide for additional presents to that same person!

Simply place the other gifts in the center of the tea towel with the ‘good’ side facing downwards, then fold all the corners into the middle and tie them together to secure the package. 

If you wanted to make the gift extra special, you could place a bow or tinsel on the top just as you would with regular wrapping paper.

Wrapping gifts in tea towels is a lovely option for anyone focusing on maintaining an eco-conscious lifestyle, as the recipient will be able to use their wrapping for years to come!

Another advantage of the tea towel wrap is how highly customizable it is. Just the same as wrapping paper, tea towels come in an unlimited range of colors, prints and styles. 

To take it up a notch, you could even make your own if you are handy with a sewing machine!

Wrapping With Parchment Paper Or Foil

If you’re somebody who appreciates a more neutral, monochrome look, you may be interested in wrapping your gifts in parchment paper or kitchen foil.

Both parchment paper and foil are recyclable and sustainable, which is an easy way to make your Christmas eco-friendlier. If you wanted to skip the plastic tape, you could use twine to secure the parchment paper around the presents. 

If you choose to use foil, you likely won’t need anything to secure the wrapping around the gift as it will hold itself in place!

As mentioned, both of these unique gift wrap ideas are largely monochromatic. While foil will look shiny and silver underneath your tree, you may find parchment paper to be on the bland side. 

If this is the case, consider painting over it to customize your gifts for each recipient!

Just keep in mind that this wrapping may be less appropriate for children, especially if you use foil. Foil may come with a risk of being sharp and dangerous for small fingers, and therefore isn’t recommended.

Something Special For On Top

Wrap Gifts With Holiday Lights

Battery-powered lights have a variety of different uses, but maybe you hadn’t considered using them as a substitute for twine or ribbon around a Christmas present.

There can’t be many fancy wrapping ideas that scream ‘Christmas’ more than gifts twinkling with beautiful light and colors under the tree! Your family and friends will be in awe of their sparkling presents.

A disadvantage of this wrapping method is that buying lights and batteries could be pricey– depending on which options you choose, and how many gifts you wish to wrap in this way. 

(It might be a good idea to only do a handful with lights and the rest in a different way to save yourself money.)

An advantage to this method is that each recipient will get their lights to keep and reuse in their own homes or bedrooms. The lights can be considered to be part of the gift, and give each person a magical unwrapping experience at the same time!

Add Paper Bows

We’re all familiar with the classic plastic bow on top of a present. But have you ever considered swapping the plastic for a paper option?

Paper bows can be customized in all sorts of ways from color, folding method, and size. Making your own is both satisfying and fun– plus it cuts down on plastic use this jolly season!

If you don’t have the time to make your own, there are premade paper bows available for purchase both in-store and online. Keep your eyes open for them in the gift-wrapping aisles next time you are out shopping!

Paper bows are cuter than plastic bows, and feel more like homemade, heartful wrapping. 

They’re sure to make any gift recipient smile as they open their present, plus you’ll feel good about choosing a more sustainable decoration option.

Add Dried And Pressed Flowers

Flowers are a beautiful addition to any gift, especially ones chosen specifically for the loved one receiving them. 

Dried and pressed flowers are available for purchase from craft stores and florist shops, but you could also dry and press your own flowers if you are prepared in advance!

Native flowers could be a really lovely decoration to add to your gifts, or you could even make use of wildflowers from around your local area. 

Just make sure that the flowers are all completely dry before attaching them to any present to prevent mold from growing on them.

Flowers will give your gifts a sophisticated, rustic look that will be appreciated by all the adults in your life!

Children may not find this form of gift wrap as exciting as a bow or bright colors– but, of course, it all depends on the child’s tastes.

Yarn Pom-Poms

If there is any type of gift wrapping that children will love, it will be a couple of yarn pom-poms sitting on the top of their gift!

Pom-poms are ridiculously easy to make yourself with some cardboard, yarn and scissors– not to mention thousands of tutorials online to help you.

There are endless color options available for yarn which makes this present topper such a fun, customizable option for kids– and even some of those adults that still enjoy the sillier things in life.

Making pom-poms in large quantities will be time-consuming for you, so make sure to plan in advance if you pick this option!

Add Some Photos!

Photos of special memories and people can create a lovely sentimental unwrapping experience for the recipient. 

Having some photos printed out and attached to the top of your presents has to be one of the most creative ways to wrap a gift!

This idea would be especially valuable to family members and close friends– or whoever else you may share lovely memories with.

DIY Ideas For Wrapping Presents

Make Origami Bows

Origami is a Japanese paper-folding technique that is used to create paper decorations. 

If you have ever been curious about the art style, you could try an origami bow tutorial to create something special for the tops of your presents.

Everyone will take notice of how much effort you went to with this wrapping idea, and once you learn how to complete the bow without having to read the instructions step-by-step you will get them done in no time!

Paint Your Wrappers And Papers

If you are someone who really enjoys the creative arts (specifically painting), this may be the Christmas wrapping idea for your gifts this year!

Dip your brushes in some paint, and go crazy on some blank wrapping paper. Create whichever designs you feel like; whether they’re Christmas-themed or not is up to you! Your gifts will all be wrapped in a completely personalized and special way.

DIY-ing your Christmas paper will be more time-consuming than wrapping your gifts with regular wrapping paper, but if you have the time to paint and allow for drying time then you could be in for a fantastically crafty time.

Gifts wrapped in painted paper will be appropriate for all ages, as you could do some designs suitable for children as well as for your adult friends and family!

Make Your Own Creative Tags

The tag is an important part of any Christmas gift, so make some of your own using stickers, fun tape, colorful paper, or glitter!

Give each gift you wrap a unique name tag that shows you put thought and care into your wrapping. 

While regular store-bought name stickers and tags are fine to use, it’s a great time to give  custom tags a go this Christmas if you’ve got a crafty streak!

The Bottom Line

There are so many creative, artsy ways you can wrap your presents this holiday season. 

While there is absolutely nothing wrong with sticking with the traditional wrapping methods, these ideas are sure to level up your wrapping in ways that all your recipients will notice and appreciate.

Create an unwrapping experience that is just as magical as the gift itself, and have a happy holiday!