Unique Gift Wrapping Ideas #MichaelsMakers

With the holiday season upon us, it is likely that we will all be doing a great deal of gift wrapping in the coming weeks. There are always easy objects to wrap, like books and items that come in tidy boxes, but have you ever found yourself scrambling to come up gift wrapping ideas for the challenging objects that come in all sorts of unwieldy shapes and sizes? Or possibly you’re wanting to really kick your gift wrapping up a notch so your gifts stand out from the crowd? Today, I’ve partnered up with Michaels to share some of my favorite tips for wrapping objects in unique ways. You are sure to garner some great ideas from this list, so read on for all the details!

Unique Gift Wrapping Ideas

This post is brought to you by Michaels in conjunction with the Michaels Makers. All opinions are entirely my own.

Idea #1: Utilize Cloth Bags

Paper gift bags are a standard for easy gift-wrapping, but they simply don’t cut it when a gift item is rigid and/or oddly shaped and won’t fit inside the confines of the bag. The good news is that gift bags don’t have to be made of paper! Cloth gift bags are a phenomenal way to use up spare scraps of fabric from your stash, and they can be made in any size to fit any gift, no matter how big or small. And–perhaps best of all–I have found over the years that cloth bags hold up after repeated use far better than their paper cousins, which means you will definitely get more bang for your buck! 

Wanting to try your hand at making some gift bags to use this year? I’ve got a couple of fun tutorials here at PS to get you started…

Drawstring Fabric Gift Bags

Reusable Felt Gift Bags

Or, if you would rather opt for the pre-made variety, Michaels has some fantastic and oh-so-cute ready-made cloth gift bags to choose from, too, and they range in size from teeny tiny (think edible gifts, or perhaps small items like jewelry and accessories) all the way up to extra-large to hold even the bulkiest gifts (think stuffed animals, handmade crocheted/knitted blankets, and more).

Idea #2: Use Upcycled Containers

Is it just me, or does it sometimes seem like gift wrapping can cost nearly as much as the gift itself? As a remedy for that very problem, I have come up with a clever, totally FREE solution: repurposing and dressing up old containers to present gifts in a fun, unexpected way. When it comes to containers to use, the sky really is the limit:

• Old coffee cans are perfect for wrapping small assortments of trinkets and toys. Simply wrap the outside of the can with pretty paper, washi tape and other embellishments, and then outfit the lid with a pretty bow before wrapping items in tissue paper and then stowing them inside.
• Empty chip cans are the perfect way to package up edible gifts like cookie when they are dressed up with pretty paper and other embellishments. (The full how-to for this particular idea is coming up later this month, so stay tuned.)

• Empty tissue boxes are a fantastic way to wrap up small objects (and prevent the little eyes from peeking before Christmas morning!). For this idea, either cover an empty tissue box with decorative paper (or leave it plain if the original design is fitting of the season). Place the gift(s) at the center of a piece of tissue paper, and the bring the corners of the paper up and around the item(s), twisting to secure. Tuck this tidy little package down into the top opening of the box with the tissue paper left sticking out of the top, and–voila! And instant and clever presentation for a gift.

• Cardboard beverage holders are incredibly handy for holding all sorts of hard-to-wrap items. I have used these for holding everything from school supplies for special teachers to an assortment of baby products for new and expectant mamas. Check out the full how-to’s for these ideas:

School Supply Gift Tote

Baby Gift Tote

Idea #3: Leave Pretty Objects Unwrapped

Instead of hiding pretty objects in a box, consider leaving them unwrapped. This really is a phenomenal idea when putting together gifts for a large number of people (think teachers, neighbors, etc. ). Many handmade gifts are completely lovely in their own right, which makes them a perfect candidate for presenting to recipients simply tied up with a pretty bow and a festive gift tag. These are some of my favorite handmade items that require absolutely no wrapping at all (and are as easy as can be to make):

Travel Manicure Kit

Portable First-Aid Kit

Scalloped Sunglasses Case

Travel Jewelry Case

And, for some fun, festive tags to attach to these gifts, be sure to grab my FREE printable Christmas gift tags:

I hope you’re inspired to think outside the box (or the paper gift sack) as you do your wrapping this year!

 

We all have stressors during the holidays, and this month the Michaels Makers were asked to come up with creative and fun holiday hacks and tips to help relieve some of that stress and make holiday entertaining and prepping fun! I just shared some of my favorite outside-the-box wrapping tips, but for even more great ideas, Michaels.com has tons of holiday project ideas and instructions, including gift wrapping, home décor, last minute gift ideas, hostess gifts and more!

Also, be sure to check out the other four holiday hack topics and the unique ideas all of the makers came up with on Michaels’ blog, The Glue String. There are tons of SMART ideas!

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