Our priority at MoneySmartFamily is to help readers improve their finances and we partner with companies that could help you. Some links on this page are from our partners. Read how we earn money here.
This Gift Wrapping and Trimmings Super Page contains a growing number of money saving ideas for cutting costs on Gifts!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- 1 Artistic Wrapping Paper
- 2 Party Clean Up Earns Free Wrapping Supplies
- 3 Gift Tags from Recycled Cards
- 4 Wrapping with Brown Grocery Bags
- 5 Kid Friendly Christmas Tags
- 6 Wrapping Paper for Every Occasion
- 7 Comical Present Wrapping
- 8
- 9 Wrapping It Up In Brown Paper
- 10 Filled Tins for Wrapping Gifts
- 11 Wrapping Paper Alternatives
Artistic Wrapping Paper
A child’s painting can be used for creating awesome wrapping paper.
Saw your tips on the Today Show for gift wrap. I have a similar idea. When my boys were young (now 19 and 16) they loved to paint pictures so I bought them the paper from office supply stores that comes in easel pads and when they were done with the pictures we used it for wrapping paper. They loved telling everyone that they had made the paper. Lisa –Adena, OH
Party Clean Up Earns Free Wrapping Supplies
Leftover tissue paper, wrapping, bows, and ribbons can be reused for other presents.
When I’m invited to a birthday party, I usually volunteer to help clean up the “after unwrapping the gifts” mess.The hostess usually wants to keep the gift bags, but I gather the tissue paper and ribbons. The colorful paper and ribbons can be ironed and reused. The bows can be re-used also. Doing this will give you a great selection of wrapping tissue and bows with no cost for gift wrap supplies. Most people welcome the cleanup help and don’t care about the tissue and ribbons and bows! This also works at Christmas.Pam Estes –Alexandria, VA
Gift Tags from Recycled Cards
I often reuse kids’ birthday cards by cutting out the artwork from the front of the card(often a car, dragon, princess, etc). This artwork becomes a large, decorative name-tag for a child’s birthday gift. Because I have four children this saves me money and time. I no longer shop for birthday cards every time one of our children is invited to a birthday party. I simply use the cut-out artwork as a homemade gift tag/card.C.E. –Lansdale, PA
Wrapping with Brown Grocery Bags
I save paper grocery bags and use them for wrapping packages to mail. I also use them for anything that needs to be wrapped in heavy paper and if you’re creative you can even add a colorful bow or raffia to make a present look great!Marie Davis –Pendleton, SC
Kid Friendly Christmas Tags
Instead of buying tags for our gifts this year,I scanned a photo of each family member and printed out several 2×3 copies on regular paper for each person. I cut these out and used them as tags, writing on the plain side. Our younger children could easily help pass out gifts without having to read, and it was fun seeing all those smiling faces under the tree! But best of all, for the low price of 5 pieces of paper and some ink, we had custom tags for all of our gifts.
Allison W. –Castle Rock, CO
Wrapping Paper for Every Occasion
I buy Christmas wrapping paper when it’s 50% to 75% off,but I look for the solid color prints or the wrapping paper that doesn’t look like Christmas. I use the wrapping paper for birthdays, weddings or whatever comes up. This is a big savings. I stocked up two years ago and still have plenty for another year or two. Another way of using this paper is when mailing through the post office and your package needs to be wrapped, just turn the paper inside out to wrap your package and then write directly on the paper for your mailing address.
Allison Savoy –Lake Charles, LA
Comical Present Wrapping
I save the Sunday colored comics to wrap kids birthday presents in them. They’re bright and colorful, always available and the kids love them. Kathy W. –Scottsdale, AZ
Wrapping It Up In Brown Paper
I had just completed a quilt for our friend’s wedding shower.Looking around the house, we didn’t have a box big enough to nicely wrap the quilt. I thought, “Why not wrap the quilt in one of those plastic storage bins? They’re relatively inexpensive, AND who couldn’t use a storage bin?” So she ended up getting a nice, sturdy storage bin with lid for $3.89. And rather than use rolls of expensive store-bought wrapping paper, Linda used a yard or so of brown Kraft paper, and wrapped the box to resemble an old-fashioned suitcase.
I added some “travel labels” (Paris, Rome, Venice…), fashioned a handle from pipe cleaners and attached a “luggage tag” (made from a file folder and brown duct tape) wishing the soon to be wed couple, “May the rest of your life be as wonderful as a sunny day in Paris”. The package AND the quilt were a big hit, and there was hardly anything to throw away. Linda & Mike L. –South Holland, IL
Filled Tins for Wrapping Gifts
Decorative tins can be purchased at the flea market, garage sales, etc.I fill them with homemade cookies or other treats to be given as gifts. Most of the tins are so pretty they require no wrapping at all.Ann Nieser –Pittsburgh, PA
WrappingPaper for Pennies
I purchase wrapping paper and ribbons at garage sales for pennies.A large plastic container (wastebasket size) filled with ribbon I got for $1. I’m still using the ribbon. And the container holds magazines and newspapers in the bathroom.Ann Nieser –Pittsburgh, PA
Wrapping Paper Alternatives
So, you missed the 75 percent off wrapping paper sales last year, what do you do? Running out and paying full price just hurts too much. Try a few of these ideas for inexpensive and happy wrapping.
1) AAA Wrap
Do you have an auto club membership where you can get maps for free? Maybe it’s time to replace all of your old road maps and send them off packing for Christmas. Presents wrapped with maps and a little ribbon or bow make a darling presentation.
2) Gift Bags
If you’re like us, you collect all the gift bags you can. Well, it’s time to reorganize that box of gift bags and see how many are appropriate for Christmas. Remember that solid green, red or dark blue could work just as well.
3) Crafty Wrap
If you have a roll of brown craft paper and some old sponges you’re in luck. Just cut the sponges into festive shapes — bells, stars, Christmas trees, wreaths. If you have a collection of holiday cookie cutters these make great templates. Dip the sponge shapes in red or green acrylic paint and stamp away. The kids will love to help make this wrapping paper festive and fun.
4) Tissue Wrap
Tissue paper is usually on sale this time of year at drug stores — a good price is three packs for $1. If you save your old tissue paper, try letting the kids iron the less wrinkly sheets — no steam. Presents double or triple wrapped in tissue with a gold ribbon will look elegant.
5) Wall Wrap
We trash picked some old wallpaper — it was a little thick, but it made really cute looking wrapping paper. Dress it up with ribbon and bow and you’ll be a star.
There are always treasures to be found at garage sales and church rummage sales this time of year. Go with your list in hand and your eyes peeled — if you don’t see what you’re hunting for, don’t be too shy to ask. Look all around your house and you’ll be surprised at what you can come up with. It won’t take as much time as you think and you’ll be extra proud of your creation in the end — plus you can always write it down and send it in for use in the back fence column!
If you have a tip for saving money on holiday decor and wrappingplease leave it in the comments below and we’ll review it for posting on this page.
