Comments on: How I Wrap Gifts, Christmas and Otherwise

By: Jane

Jane — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 13:54:59 +0000

I believe in wrapping. The Japanese custom is that the wrapping is a second gift and I spend a lot of time wrapping. I get paper and ribbons at yard sales all year long for Christmas and other times of the year. A barely used roll of paper can be had for 25 to 50 cents. Solid colors, as someone said, are the best since they are the most versatile. I also pick up gift bags and boxes at yard sales for a dime or a quarter. Recently, I found an old Martha Stewart recipe file – silver-colored metal with an M and a bee on the lid and quite large. I put homemade jams inside and gave it to my sister, Martha, who has glasses and mugs with bees on them.I tied it with a silver-colored recycled bow of beautiful wired ribbon. Everything will be recycled and the package is as much the gift as the contents. I also collect acorns, magnolia leaves etc and hot glue arrangements on the boxes. My niece has kept the box toppers for ten years on a bulletin board.
Once, I found an old newspaper from the 1930s at a yard sale for 25 cents with an article on the Dionne Quintuplets. I wrapped a present for my mother in it and she just loved it. I was careful to place the article on the top of a largish package so it would be all in one piece.
I enjoy spending the extra pennies on beautiful wrapping and use recycled things most of the time. I actuially consider wrapping packages to be my hobby – and it is not an expensive one.

By: Fawn

Fawn — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 02:33:22 +0000

And then we use the paper to start our fireplace. And snuggle around it, enjoying family! (we would have to use paper anyway, so might as well use the wrapping paper!) And poo on anyone who has bad things to say about burning things! Where I live, we have fires in our fireplaces. ;)

By: Fawn

Fawn — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 02:29:44 +0000

I think your wrapping job is fine, if that is what floats your boat! Don’t listen to these other people! ;)

I personally like to get a roll or two of wrapping paper for a few dollars and use it for years. I like the ones that are patterns, so I can use them for other holidays too! :D And then just get some plain ribbon and make your own bow! :D

By: Anna

Anna — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 21:02:51 +0000

I have bought plain white gift bags in bulk and also buy various solid colored tissue paper (usually in bulk and on clearance) and mix and match it to make it look either more boyish or girly or seasonal (red and green for Christmas, etc.) If it is a larger item that won’t fit in a smaller gift bag, I either reuse a bag or use one that I bought on clearance (I keep an eye out for gift wrap on clearance because I really like giving gifts and making them pretty) OR I use wrapping paper that is versatile and again can be made to look more feminine/masculine or seasonal.

By: Melissa

Melissa — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 04:49:02 +0000

I love saving money AND I love visually appealing gifts. My solution is solid color wrapping paper and bulk rolls of curling ribbon. I’ve had the same four spools of ribbon for 5+ years now and they’re not even close to gone. I love the solid paper because it works for every occasion. I enjoy mixing and matching the colors of ribbon with the paper. It might cost a little more than brown paper & yarn, but it’s a far cry from Papyrus prices and my clients and friends still get a huge warm fuzzy. Basically the more ribbon I curl for you, the more it means I like you! It shows effort and looks great.

By: KateandWillsMom

KateandWillsMom — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:26:10 +0000

Besides the cost and waste of wrapping paper on Christmas morning, I find that I spend the entire morning shoveling it into the recycling or putting it away for next year. This year I am going to TRY to wrap ONLY in other pracitical use items. For example, the children will get new beach and bath towels (with gift wrapped inside), adults might get bath towels or dish towels (depending on the size of the gift) etc. This way, we are replenishing items that get old and dingy (towels, napkins etc) and not creating more waste. I keeping a list of ideas for my ‘gift wrap’ and I thought this post was great. My ideas isn’t as cost effective as others, but it does elminate waste.

By: Seth @ Boy Meets Food

Seth @ Boy Meets Food — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:08:01 +0000

I really like the idea of using brown paper bags from the grocery. Sure, the fact that it is frugal is a great plus, but I also like the idea of being able to recycle. I have also read where others are buying the “green-reusable” shopping bags, and putting gifts in those. It is far more expensive than your wrapping method, but includes a secondary gift (the bag) that can be re-used by the recipient from then on.

In the past, I have asked family members to wrap my gifts in comics from the newspaper. Much like your idea, it is extremely frugal, but it also gave me something fun to read while I waited to open my gifts. :)

By: Leah

Leah — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:13:26 +0000

I’ve got quite a number of rubber stamps from a teenage obsession. I trimmed down my collection so that it all fits in a tackle box. When I wrap presents, I often use the brown paper method. Often, I will decorate the paper with stamps — usually before I wrap, but sometimes after, depending on the look I’m going for. With a little practice, it often looks like I bought wrapping paper.

Also, some crazy comments here. It’s one thing for people to have a dissenting opinion, but I can’t believe all the negativity at lambasting you for your method. Personally, I think a variety of looks in gift wrapping is neat. I think your method would really stand out in a sea of Christmas-print wrapping. Plus, it’s got an almost mystery flare to it.

Personally, I’d be happy if people spent less (money, time, etc) on wrapping and more on a present. The wrapping lasts for only a short while; the present will likely stick around, especially if good thought went into it.

By: DrFunZ

DrFunZ — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:13:49 +0000

OK, I can handle the brown paper wrapping, although gift wrap on sale is very cheap. BUT, at least make something fun with the yarn… a pom-pom, a little dolly, an octopus!!! You can get two popsicle sticks and make a star or a cross or a cat’s eye (which is very cool; I have one from when I was child 50 year’s ago.)

By: K Ann

K Ann — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:05:13 +0000

I love wrapping packages in plain brown paper! Last year I wrapped all our Christmas presents in brown paper and used strips of plaid flannel to wrap around each package and tie with a bow. Attaching fallen pine cones from the tree in our front yard using a bit of hot glue added a holiday look. Seriously, the packages I did were a tremendous hit because they were different than all the bright red, green, silver and gold etc… They had a warm homespun look – it was great!

By: Marle

Marle — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:56:02 +0000

What I’ve done is wrap shoeboxes and other boxes so that you can open them without ripping the wrapping paper. Then each year as I get presents I put them in the boxes and close them with ribbon and bows around them. This makes for really easy wrapping (now I don’t say wtf at the presents my husband puts under the tree ;) ), and everything is very reusable for the next year, so we just need to buy tape and maybe some more ribbon. Very convenient and frugal. :)

By: Auntielle

Auntielle — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:43:57 +0000

Sorry, Trent… I also agree that your gift-wrapped package is sad looking, and that it really does go beyond being frugal and into the cheap/miserly category. JMO, of course, and I’m NOT saying you’re a “miser”. Just that the gift wrapping job appears that way to me. As someone said earlier, I would feel badly accepting a gift wrapped that way, because it looks like the person who wrapped the gift was so poor that I would wish they would have spent the $$ on themselves instead of on a gift for me.

Really, there are SO many opportunities to buy pretty Christmas wrappings, ribbons, labels and so on for pennies on the dollar after Christmas that there is no real “need” for most people to scrimp to the degree that Trent showcases here. As has been pointed out, rolls of Christmas wrap can be purchased after Christmas for significantly less than a roll of the brown kraft paper.

I’ve used yarn myself instead of ribbon to dress packages. But I use 3 strands of yarn instead of one, and make the yarn bow fuller as well. I do it all year round, using different colors of yarn which match the particular gift wrap I’m using at the moment. The yarn is inexpensive enough that using three strands instead of one is still very frugal, but it looks cheerful and festive, not sparse and meager.

There IS a way to do the brown kraft paper wrapping that DOES look beautiful and classy, without spending a lot of money on the trim. At the after-Christmas sales, one of my friends buys a few big rolls of lovely red/green plaid fabric ribbon to add to the brown kraft paper wrapping. She dabs a bit of “Fray Check” (available at craft/fabric stores) to the cut edges of the ribbon to prevent fraying, and irons the ribbon year after year to use season after season on her gifts. Another beautiful look is to use a rubber stamp and a metallic gold stamp pad to add a shimmering design to the brown paper. Then use raffia to tie up the package in a pretty bow. Really, the combo of the brown kraft paper, the metallic gold stamped design and the raffia equals the custom gift-wrapped results of a fine boutique. The raffia can be reused for several years.

One caution about stapling gift bags closed as was mentioned above: It is very easy to end up piercing your finger with a staple as you’re pulling the bag open to see your gift. And even easier for a staple to fly off the bag as it’s being opened… winding up in the carpeting and eventually into someone’s bare foot. So I don’t think the staples are a safe idea.

I realize that paying out anything for gift wrapping supplies may be hard for some frugal folks to do. But really, I’d rather scrimp on my own expenses a tiny bit during the year if I have to, in order for the loved ones I buy or make gifts for to see and feel that creating a special gift experience for them is worth more to me than saving a few cents at Christmastime.

By: kristine

kristine — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:38:09 +0000

Sharon, yes, it can. But I am well past the small kids stage! I mostly use this for things like a tray with a wine bottles and candles.

By: Patty

Patty — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:15:02 +0000

I agree that it sometimes depends on who is receiving the item and on what occasion. Family and close friends vs coworkers or the person that will save and reuse the bag vs the person that unwraps sitting next to a trash bag.
Does anyone else get Santa presents in a different wrapping paper/style than family exchange presents? My parents always had a special design roll from Santa and those gifts didn’t appear under the tree until the kids were sleeping. My husbands family always used white tissue paper and red yard for the Santa gifts no matter how other gifts were wrapped.
How do some of you store your decorated re-usable boxes and bags or storebought bows throughout the year? I’ve bought bags and bows before usually on sale but occasionally from a nieces school sally wrap program. Now I’m taking steps to be more environmental so I will use and re-use what I have or use some of the above tips but not buy more stuff.
I hope everyone has the chance to be merry and bright this year and spread good tidings and cheer!

By: Giorgio Sironi

Giorgio Sironi — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:03:48 +0000

I agree with commenters that brown paper just does not work. When I buy a gift I simply ask the clerk to wrap it in a gift package. Period. If you are buying a gift at the supermarket the wrapping is not your problem, you should wonder why you’re making a gift at all (if it’s not a practical joke).

By: paranoidasteroid

paranoidasteroid — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:58:02 +0000

My sister uses plain brown wrapping paper (and some fancy ribbon), and her gifts always look so adorable and low-maintenance. Of course, she is also one of the best wrappers – all the edges are crisp, the folding is symmetrical.

My trick is to find old old maps at thrift stores and vintage stores – the kind that still have Rt 66 as the best route across the country. Wrap something in those & overlay with a paper snowflake, and people think you’re really creative!

By: Jean

Jean — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 04:46:17 +0000

If I wasn’t so frugal, I could be a Hallmark junkie–I too love the pretty package! So my rule is to stock up when the paper, ribbons etc are 75-90% off after the holidays, and only buy red, green or red & green prints so everything mixes and matches. My mother accuses me of spending a fortune on wrapping,but I don’t spend much and I probably have six to eight rolls of very pretty paper that I paid less for than one roll of brown paper costs anywhere!

By: Sharon L

Sharon L — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:49:29 +0000

Kristine, this can be extremely dangerous if small children or pets are involved in the home. They can easily suffocate in dry cleaning plastic wrap.

By: kristine

kristine — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:22:44 +0000

princess peas- The tissue paper idea is great! But the cellophane wrapping is not so eco-friendly- it does not get re-used.

For a free solution, and it gives a second life to something-when I break out the stored wool winter coats, I use the plastic dry-cleaning wrap as wrapping! I just cut off the top and bottom with a pinking shear. Some saved balloon ribbons at the top poof, and it’s good to go!

By: princess_peas

princess_peas — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:09:28 +0000

Here is a suggestion I have heard about but never tried yet. It was suggested for the pretty, but I think it should be pretty cheap too:

Go to a florists and buy a roll of the spotty cellophane they use to wrap the flowers in. The rolls are massive, so even if you have to sink a few dollars into it, it will probably last at least a year (birthdays etc too). Maybe more. Then wrap gifts like so: cellophane on the table, piece of coloured tissue paper (buy it from stationery suppliers you can get it in bulk. Time it wth a sale too), put the gift in, pull both tissue and cellophane up, tie any old string round the top coz it will be hidden by the bunching up of the cellophane and ta-dah!

And for most presents you only need one sheet of tissue paper – if you were pooffing the tissue paper up to put in a gift bag, you’d probably use more than one anyway.

This wrapping technique is also suitable for any occasion. Pretty, quite cheap, versitile, faster than regular wrapping paper (you know all about the value of time and so forth, right?), I can’t see anyway you loose, unless I really underestimate the price…