It’s A Wrap: 5 Creative Ways for Wrapping Holiday Gifts

Hi there.  It is countdown to Christmas around here, and I can’t wait to share with you a few creative ways for  wrapping holiday gifts.  Wrapping gifts is one of my favorite things to do.  Growing up my mom used to have me wrap all of the presents. I gladly took on the task!  Every step is fun from picking out the look + color scheme, wrapping paper, ribbon, trimmings – not to mention watching my family and friends open the gifts.  I hope you enjoy these ideas, and that they spark some creativity while you wrap your own gifts.

Please note, this post contains affiliate links (but I only recommend what I love and would use!).

The steps to creative ways of wrapping holiday gifts

Creative holiday gift wrapping steps:

  1. Establish the look and feel.  Rustic?  Cozy?  Formal?  Vintage?  Farmhouse?  Just as you would pick a look for decorating your home, the same can be done for wrapping gifts. 
  2. Choose the container.  I often re-use boxes year to year (eco friendly).  I keep a selection of different sizes.  Further, the assortment of box sizes also adds some visual interest when you group the packages together.
  3. Select wrapping paper.  Wrapping paper really sets the tone with the color palette, texture, pattern.  I also prefer to buy some wrapping paper that is not only for Christmas.  The colors can evoke holidays without an obvious holiday theme.  Bonus:  You can use that paper year round. 
  4. Choose ribbon or trim.  Trim also can add that special detail and again give a look and feel.  Of course, velvet has a very different feeling than straw raffia.  Both can be lovely if paired with the right paper and embellishments.
  5. Embellishments.  This is where I have some fun.  I love using ornaments, natural items like pine cones or fun details such as greenery.  Additionally, ornaments are also a second gift.  I include gift tags here too.  I use everything from cut out holiday card images to photos for my gift tags.

How I wrapped my gifts this year

This year I had several themes:

  • La Belle France:   I used a deep red cranberry and cream toile wrapping paper with coordinated velvet and gold ribbon.  If you have read my blog, you know I am a Francophile.   So it is no surprise that French toile would be one of my favorite ways to wrap gifts.  The touch of gold adds some sparkle too. It says holiday without being obvious.
  • Shimmery gold and white:  For this theme, I selected cream and gold wrapping paper patterned with holiday messaging.  I tied the packages with heavy, dark green velvet ribbon or gold satin.  I embellished one gift with a beaded, gold star ornament for some additional holiday cheer.
Cream and gold gift wrap decorated with a holiday star ornament
A sparkly star adds a nice touch
  • Candy cane land:  With a few younger children to wrap for, I opted for a cheery bright red wrapping paper embellished with candy cane inspired trimmings of red ribbon, white string and ornaments or bells.
  • Brown paper packages tied up with string (could not resist the Sound of Music tie in!):  Here I chose rustic patterned craft paper trimmed with holiday ribbon and pinecones from the yard.
  • Nautical “Take me to the sea” (or seafood as the case may be): I used plain craft paper with a natural straw, raffia ribbon embellished with sea ornaments and real sea shells.

Details on wrapping ideas

La Belle France

Deep cranberry red and cream toile wrapping paper is the base.  This toile is not necessarily a Christmas print but the deep cranberry paired with the cream works so well for holiday wrapping.  I picked up the ribbon at Costco ages ago but this here.

Cranberry red and white toile gift wrap for holiday gift wrapping
Cranberry toile evokes the holidays without an obvious theme

The small tree you see has fairy lights on it with miniature vintage inspired cranberry heart ornaments.  I put the tree in our formal living room (our real, fresh tree is in our more casual family room).

Tiny Christmas tree with white lights and toile wrapped gifts
Fell in love with the vintage heart ornaments
Toile Gift Wrapped Holiday Packages
Cranberry and cream toile wrapping paper with gold and velvet ribbon wraps presents under a fresh evergreen tree

Shimmery Gold and White

Cream and gold paper with holiday script makes a great canvas.  The “Merry Christmas” pattern came from Home Goods.  Home Goods has a lovely assortment of papers and the quality is excellent.  If you can find what you are looking for, I would think you will be happy with the weight and handling of this paper. 

That said, I also picked up the other pattern at Walmart for 97 cents a roll!  Once you decide on your look and feel you can often find papers even the drugstore.  This one was a perfect example.  Since I had chosen the gold and cream color palette as an overall theme, it was easy to find gift wrap at Walmart that fit the bill.  I also found another pattern at Caspari which has gorgeous papers. This dark green velvet ribbon drapes beautifully and was easy to tie.

Gold and white wrapping paper is tied with green velvet and gold satin ribbon
Gold and white wrapping paper is tied with green velvet and gold satin ribbon

Candy Cane Land

Candy cane inspired.  The cheerful bright red paper was actually from my local drugstore and was reversible with a peppermint stripe. 

Red and white gift wrap decorated with ribbon and bells
Red and white gift wrap decorated with ribbon and bells

I added ribbon and embellishments of a candy cane ornament, some bells from Michaels and a glittery red ribbon I had on hand.  If you use double sided tape to secure the ribbon to the back of the package it is seamless. I can’t wait to drop these specially wrapped gifts with the little girls who will be receiving them!

Red and white striped wrapping paper tied with red ribbon and decorated with ornaments
Candy cane inspired presents for little girls

Brown paper packages tied up with string  

I had the patterned craft paper on hand but added the cute truck/Christmas tree ribbon and tied some pine cones (from the yard) on top with raffia string.  I love the rustic feel. Additionally, candy canes (and other candy) are also an easy and inexpensive way to decorate a gift.

Craft paper with natural embellishments make perfect wrapped holiday gifts
Craft paper with natural embellishments make perfect wrapped holiday gifts

Take me to the sea  

Last summer we spent so much time sailing, kayaking and enjoying the beach on northern Long Island Sound, I was excited to purchase nautical gifts and wrap them up accordingly.  My husband is a huge seafood fan so I could not resist the lobster and crab ornaments. These ornaments are from Christmas Tree Shops but you can find a similar lobster here – I also used real seashells that I had on hand for additional embellishments. 

Nautical gift wrap ideas
Craft paper gift wrap decorated with sea ornaments and real seashells
Nautical gift wrap ideas
A lobster holiday ornament makes a great gift embellishment
Nautical gift wrap ideas
A blue crab adorns this gift

Next step I put wrapped gifts around the house and in the places where the gift wrap really accents the surroundings.

How about you? Do you like to wrap gifts? Any special creative ways for wrapping holiday gifts that you would recommend?

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