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If your gift is not already boxed, your first decision will be what sort of container to use, or whether to use a container at all. Either choice can lead to creative gift wrapping ideas. Let's take a look at some options:
Gift Bags
Gift Bags are quick and easy gift containers, printed in amazing designs for all occasions. You can buy them at retail chain stores, card shops, pharmacies or supermarkets. The nicest and largest gift bags aren't cheap, but they are convenient, sturdy and reusable, and they usually have a matching gift tag.
Gift bags have some disadvantages. Their capacity is limited. A bag will tip over easily if the gift is heavy and lopsided (like those odd-shaped items packaged in molded plastic). Gift bags provide little protection for fragile gifts in a car full of holiday presents and luggage, and are inadquate for shipping a gift. When these limitations are not an issue, gift bags are a fine choice.
Gift Boxes
Gift boxes of any shape are usually stronger than gift bags. If your gift comes boxed by the manufacturer, you're all set. If not, most households have some gift boxes squirreled away - for as the saying goes, no woman has enough closet space for all her empty boxes! With luck, you'll have one somewhere that's just the right size and shape.
Most department stores will provide a free gift box for clothing, if you ask, and gift shops often do the same for unboxed items. You can buy gift boxes at craft supply and large retail chain stores, card shops, and even the supermarket at holiday time.
Cardboard Tubes
Tubes make good gift containers and are easy to find in most households. They are very useful in implementing creative gift wrapping ideas. Paper towel tubes and toilet tissue tubes are good for tiny gifts. Wrapping paper tubes are often wider and can handle longer and somewhat larger items. Mailing tubes (especially those with plastic end caps) are very strong and can be bought at office supply stores.
The biggest disadvantage of tubes is their limited capacity. If you don’t have a tube of adequate size, you can construct one by rolling up a piece of poster board and taping it securely. However, to wrap a sizeable fragile gift, or a heavy one, I'd go for a sturdy box.
Your best friends for implementing creative gift wrapping ideas will be:
- gift boxes of all shapes, and tubes
- clear and double-sided tape, glue stick
- tissue paper (white for lining and stuffing, colors for show)
- gift wrapping paper
- wrapping paper with a good background-type design such as grass, stones, sand, or wood (possibly shelf liner)
- poster board, cardboard, construction paper
- ribbon, yarn, decorative cord
- fabric and yarn scraps, sewing-box findings like buttons
- store-bought decorations and stickers
- assorted household items such as bottle caps,Q-Tips, nuts and bolts, toothpicks, you name it
- best friend of all: your imagination!
Giant plastic gift bags can usually be found at party supply stores or large retail stores, and Diane has also found them at Buck-A-Book. Giant bags are efficient for a quick fix, but we find the designs to be somewhat limited, they may not be fully opaque, and for many gifts they still are not large enough.
Huge gift boxes could mean that wrapping paper will cost more than the gift, so you need a better plan! One solution is to spray paint the box. Be sure to do your spray painting in a well-ventilated room or basement (outdoors if weather permits), and protect the surrounding area with newspaper or a drop cloth.
A huge, painted box is a fine foundation for creative gift wrapping ideas, such as an original design applied with stencils, rubber stamps, paint or stick-on decorations.
A vinyl tablecloth is my favorite choice for wrapping oversized gift boxes, because it’s strong and holds tape well. Plastic-backed paper tablecloths, while extra large and inexpensive, tend to be fragile and won’t stand up to careless handling or abrasion. A shower curtain liner could be another suitable option.
A length of printed fabric or a tablecloth, flat bed sheet or even a curtain will do, if the fabric is opaque. But you will probably need to pin the seams, so be sure to warn your recipient!
Creative gift wrapping ideas will occur to you if you let your imagination out of the box. For small unboxed gifts, a gift bag or tissue paper pouch is a smart choice. But what about those large, odd-shaped items that no box or bag seems to accommodate? Like that rocking chair for Granny? Or the bike that you want to present already assembled? Here are some creative gift wrapping ideas for presents with no container:
The Direct Approach: Why Hide the Fun?
If your gift seems impossible to contain or disguise, why fight it? The direct
approach is useful when the gift is exactly what your recipient has been asking for, or when you're not trying to keep the gift a surprise. For example:
Diane presented the non-mystery gift in this photo to my 2-year old grandson, Andrew. He and his dad had a ball tearing off the wrapping paper, even if the shape and presentation had already let the cat (I mean the horse) out of the bag!
The teddy bear nicely complemented the wrapping paper and added a very special touch. Diane enjoyed lots of kudos, and everyone else seemed to get a kick out of this creative gift wrapping idea.
Consider your gift from various angles and see what occurs to you. Here, for example, are three creative gift wrapping ideas that have added extra fun at our Christmas tree:
- A 5-ft. tall, hook-shaped wrought-iron flowerpot hanger for the garden became the world’s largest candy cane.
- Three bottles of wine came dressed as the Three Wise Men.
- A wok with a long handle was turned into a giant lollipop.
Sometimes the best creative gift wrapping ideas do not involve wrapping your gift at all. Here’s an idea that maintains an air of mystery around an unboxed mega-gift.
At gift-opening time, present your recipient with a card marked "Follow Me," attached to a long ribbon or cord. The cord leads to the gift – behind a hallway door, out in the garage, or even next door at the home of a cooperative neighbor. A bow and gift tag are all the wrapping it needs.
A variation on this theme is the Treasure Hunt. Prepare a series of written clues, one leading to the next, and plant them here and there around the house (and yard, if weather permits). The final clue leads to the gift, wearing only a bow and gift tag.
For added encouragement, you can place a treat or small prize (a coin, flower, party favor, or whatever) with each clue. If you feel extra creative, write funny or sentimental clues in rhyme.
Diane and I love the creative part of wrapping a gift... to make it beautiful, or to disguise it in a way that piques a recipient's curiosity and challenges the imagination. We hope you'll check back often as we grow our collection of creative gift wrapping ideas.
For starters, our 4-part tutorial covers basic wrapping techniques:
- Gift Wrapping 101 contains illustrated instructions on the use of gift bags, tubes, and tissue paper pouches for small items without containers.
- Gift Wrapping 102 gives step-by-step instructions with pictures for the basics of wrapping rectangular boxes, be they flat, tall or cubic.
- Gift Wrapping 103 delves into the mysteries of round boxes and guides you through the wrapping process one illustrated step at a time.
- Gift Wrapping 104 takes up hexagonal and octagonal boxes with striking results. As the illustrations show, it's not as hard as it looks.
Gift wrapping materials run the gamut from standard wrapping paper to versatile tissue paper, to foils and Mylar wrap and more, each with its own personality. Gift Wrapping Papers: What You Should Know will help you select the best material for the project at hand.
So many gifts are presented in boxes that we've added a special page - Creative Gift Wrapping Ideas for Boxes will help you generate ideas to make your boxed gifts distinctive.
Most gift bows are not difficult to make yourself! We invite you to review How to Tie a Gift Bow and Gift Bows and Gift Ribbon Techniques and select a way with ribbons that gives your wrapped gift the perfect look.
Last but not least are Gift Tag Tips & Techniques. This small detail gets noticed, so make it a well-coordinated part of your gift presentation!
If you have comments or suggestions, or if you’d like to share a creative gift wrapping idea (or alternative!), we would love to hear from you. Please Contact Us and you will receive our prompt attention. We won't divulge your email address to anyone, for any reason. Promise!
Thanks, and enjoy your
gift wrapping adventures!
Marjorie
Creative Gift Wrapping Ideas
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