After Christmas, I buy all the red, green, gold and silver paper and bags I can find at a very cheap price, sometimes at 75 to 90% off. They can be used for occasions all throughout the year. Red for Valentines Day, silver and gold for weddings, any of the colors for birthdays! Sure can save money this way.
By dorothy wedenoja from New Creek, WV
After running out of tape during a Christmas present wrapping marathon I decided to try hot glue. It worked so well I haven't used tape since.
Instead of purchasing shirt boxes for the holidays, use cereal boxes instead. They are just the right size to slide a shirt, pants, robe or anything else like that into. You can decorate the box with wrapping paper so that the cereal logos aren't seen. By Sandi
Save your kids artwork to use as frugal holiday wrapping paper. We did this last year and the kids were thrilled that everyone saw what they had made and it cut down on a lot of clutter for me! By Katie in NY
Many companies are now using crumpled plain brown paper instead of styrofoam peanuts when they ship merchandise. Instead of putting the brown paper in the recycling bin make Christmas gift wrap.
Because of our consumer society, wrapping paper can be a huge expense. We may want to consider "downgrading" the packaging and wrapping of the things we purchase in the coming year. I recently heard of a great idea: instead of wasting what amounts to tons (collectively) of wrap and ribbon, why not use seasonal dish clothes or towels to wrap some items? You could use place mats that have been rolled up and tied as a beautiful gift alone or with some kind of neat kitchen gizmo tucked inside. Use YOUR imagination! Editor's Note: What gift wrapping ideas have you used? Do you have any ideas to share with our readers?
Opening all those packages under the tree is one of the most enjoyable parts of a holiday celebration--a part that everyone enjoys, from youngsters to oldsters!
When wrapping gifts, for whatever event or occasion, instead of using a obvious gift bow, think of using something else, that would be more useful to the recipient...
Instead of pretty (but impersonal) store bought wrapping paper, you can use brown paper bags cut to size. Then draw on them, or use stickers of the recepient's favorite character (i.e.
Free Gift Wrap, especially if you have a sense of humour and like to travel! For wrapping gifts, at the holidays, or more especially souvenirs you bring home to friends and family from your vacation, collect the unused "barf" bags from the back pocket of your airplane seat.
When wrapping Christmas gifts there are always those smaller items that you don't have a box the right size for. Last year I used White Lunch Sacks.
This wrapping paper idea came from one of my friends years ago. Use outdated atlases and maps for colorful, cool-looking, and good quality wrapping paper. I use mostly for birthday gifts, but cut out a silhouette of Santa in his sleigh and/or reindeers and attach for Christmas gifts.
A great holiday tip that became a tradition. Make a family box, box with separate lid, wrapped separate, for easy opening, fill with movies, games, new ornament, books, anything your family will share. It's great for video games.
Use silk flowers instead of a bow on gifts. When ribbon streamers are added to a silk flower and it is tied on a gift, it becomes a gift in and of itself, and can be kept and placed in a decorative vase.
I did this for my sister's bridal shower, but you could do this in a birthday or another fun holiday theme! For a wedding gift tower:
Embellish a used book when passing it along to someone else. Here, I wrapped the book with a scrap of patterned paper and satin ribbon with silk flower on top.
This is a page about recycled gift wrap ideas. Reusing gift wrap or wrapping gifts in recycled paper is a great way to not add more paper to the landfill. Share your ideas for using recycled or reusing gift wrap.
