I love plain brown wrapping paper, or plain white, because you can dress them up so cleverly that they look like artwork or arrangements made from clipped greenery.
First wrap your gift in either of the above papers, or with burlap, if you are really adventurous. You can even use a scarf that will also be a gift.
Use twine, jute in either natural or green colors, or candy-striped cording as a way to tie on your topper. Wrap the twine in both directions and tie at the back, then secure with tape to help keep it tight.
At this point there are several ways you can go; stamp the package with Christmas stamps in shapes of snowflakes, Santa, reindeer or whatever you love, or you can tie cinnamon sticks on top, adding a little greenery from your garden to give it another color and texture, and maybe add some wooden ornaments as tags.
I love using natural elements on packages, like small pinecones, bits of greenery and berries. Nandina berries are very easy to find this time of year, as are holly berries.
If you have pieces of old doilies or lace, use them to add softness and texture to your package, you can even add vintage jewelry and ribbons to give your package an elegant look.
If you have scrapbooking scissors you can easily turn a brown paper bag into a gift bag. Just cut around the top edges, then slit holes about an inch below the edging, every two inches all around the bag and then run some ribbon through them, ending in front where you can either tie a bow, or cover with a paper flower and vintage buttons.
If you have a baby in your house, here’s a neat idea…using your brown craft wrapping paper, as a canvas, dip your baby’s feet in some brown acrylic paint. Press feet onto paper, being careful to lift straight up so as not to smear the image. Allow to dry. At the bottom of the heel, attach a red craft ball, at the widest part of the bridge of the foot, glue googly eyes, or paint them if you are crafty. Finish off your project by adding antlers on either side of the toes. Voila! You have a reindeer face!
If you love the look of chalkboard, use black craft paper and white chalk markers to make your own designs, either fancy scrollwork, writing or just lacy squiggles. Draw Santa faces, antlers and bows, and write a message to the person the gift will go to.
Using newspapers as gift wrap is a wonderful way to recycle. You can use both the comics and the news of the day, the classifieds or the sports section, then wrap with a colorful bow.
You can make a wonderful gift topper from a small branch, sprayed with clear spray paint, then, with the addition of some red craft balls in various sizes, make your own berries by adding a drop of glue to the balls and placing them on the tips of the branch. Attach the branch to the box with jute or string.
If you have wrapping paper that looks like old sheet music you can make wonderful tags, as well as wrapping your gifts with it. Just cut the tags in various shapes, hearts, stars, etc, then attach with woven string or jute.
Brown craft paper also gives you a plain surface on which you can create so many looks that no package has to look alike, although they will blend well together. Add white polka dots by dipping the end of a craft brush in white paint and dabbing it on the paper, or use a circular white paper doily folded in a triangle to hold greenery or a card, attaching it with glue and/or twine.
Maps make especially beautiful wrapping paper and can usually be found in welcome centers, at your local Chamber of Commerce or in some service stations, as well as in discount stores.
Tie bells on string and run the string through your bow.
Use material in various patterns, like red or blue pillow ticking, plaid, gingham or solid holiday colors. Just place gift in the center of the material, gather to the top and tie with a cord or jute. Leave enough excess at the top to fold over and attach cinnamon sticks, tags, greenery or wooden ornaments.
If your gift is in a small box, why not cover it entirely with lace? Start by wrapping the box with a neutral color paper. Cardboard can be left unwrapped. Then simply cover the gift with lace just as you would if it were paper. Secure it with glue dots or heavy tape, then wrap a ribbon around it in the same color as the lace to keep it tight. Add pearls, silk flowers in the same neutral color, or leaves from the garden that have been sprayed the same color as the lace. This makes a beautiful vintage looking gift that is sure to stand out among the rest!
If you have a photo, art print, legal document, marriage license, deed to a new house or any kind of gift that is on paper, think about wrapping it in the cylinder from your paper towels, or if it’s a big strip of paper, why not use the cardboard cylinder that your gift wrapping paper comes on? Another way to recycle!
Roll your paper into a smaller cylinder shape than what you are using as a ‘box’ and slip it inside. Embellish by adding a satin or burlap bow around the center of the cylinder, and cap the ends with brown craft paper and glue.
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