90+ DIY Christmas Gift Wrap Ideas
A beautifully wrapped present really shows someone you care. These clever do-it-yourself ideas are sure to impress everyone on your Christmas gift list without breaking the bank.
Wrap It Up
For most gift-givers, taking the time to beautifully wrap presents is as much a part of the gift as the package's contents. Whether you're shopping for family, friends, pets or coworkers, follow our tips for gorgeous gift wrap looks that are easy to replicate — even for a gift-wrapping novice.
Photo By: Derek Trimble; Styling by H. Camille Smith
Creatively Gift Cash
Full disclosure: What many of the folks on your gift list really want this year is cash — but just sliding it into an envelope may feel a little impersonal. To give this always-welcome gift a bit more oomph, try one of our three clever packaging ideas, below.
Photo By: Jason Kisner
Stamp It On
Give inexpensive craft or butcher paper an artistic update with a woodblock stamp and white ink. Add the recipient's name with a white paint pen and tuck a bit of fresh greenery under the bow for a woodsy scent.
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Photo By: Marian Parsons
Put Vintage Finds to Work
Gift exchange surprises have never looked so good. Give a plainly wrapped gift a touch of holiday magic by sliding on a vintage pin. Easy to source at estate sales, church bazaars and thrift stores, these Christmas cuties can typically be found for a few dollars or less (We paid just 50 cents for this adorable enamel and rhinestone brooch!).
Photo By: Derek Trimble; Styling by H. Camille Smith
Give Potatoes New Purpose
Instead of purchasing a roll of wrapping paper at the store, bring your kids around the table to make custom hand-stamped paper with potatoes and paint. This old-school craft project is a great way to get kids involved in the season of giving.
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Photo By: Marian Parsons
Pick a Palette
Layering gift wrap and toppers in various patterns featuring the same color family, like the cool blues and greens here, is a foolproof trick for creating great-looking gifts.
Photo By: Emily Kate Roemer (styled by Matthew Gleason)
Say It With a Stencil
Sturdy white butcher paper creates the perfect blank canvas for stenciled-on holiday designs; the paper's thickness ensures that it won't pucker and wrinkle from the moisture in the paint. To get this look: Cut paper to the size you'll need and plan the stenciled design's location. Position stencil, then apply acrylic craft paint using a stencil brush or pouncer. Allow paper to thoroughly dry flat before wrapping gift.
Photo By: Marian Parsons
Pop In a Pic
A handmade tag makes a beautifully wrapped gift even more special. Print our free template onto white card stock then top with a 2" x 2" family photo for a uniquely personal tag. Tip: Add a bit of glitz by glittering the edges of the photo before attaching.
Photo By: Picasa ©ten22 studio 2013
Opt for Au Naturel
Sometimes the holiday inspiration you're looking for can be found in your own backyard. Why not turn this nature-inspired gift topper into an afternoon activity for you and the family. Pinecones, acorns, berries and pine clippings are all fair game, and when clustered atop a wrapped present, they add a fragrant, woodsy touch.
Have Fun With Candy
Often, the most clever DIY projects are the simplest to create. With that notion in mind, we created a garland that’s perfect for tying onto presents, and that’s just as precious to look at as it is delicious. To craft it, just thread baker's twine through a large needle, then poke the twine through the gumdrops' base and knot the twine around the gift's underside.
Spell It Out With Soup Noodles
That's right, those tiny letters are actually dried soup noodles — which can be found in the pasta aisle of many grocery stores. This is one project where you can get an assist from the kids who'll have fun sorting through the tiny pasta letters while working on their spelling skills. Just glue your chosen phrase to a large paper gift tag for a fun way to add pizzazz to any gift.
Add a Paper Posy
Patterned red card stock, folded in half, then cut into basic flower petal shapes is an easy way to create a beautiful stand-in for a poinsettia. Use your completed posey as a gift topper or make several and string them together as a colorful holiday banner.
Photo By: Emily Kate Roemer (styled by Matthew Gleason)
Wow With Wired Ribbon
Head to your local craft or fabric store for spools of fabric ribbon with a handy, hidden secret: thin wire tucked into each of the ribbon's sides. The wire adds stiffness that allows you to create three-dimensional bows for a pro-wrapped-gift look. Complete the look by tying on a sleighbell or sliding in fresh-clipped greenery.
Photo By: Derek Trimble; Styling by H. Camille Smith
Weave Paper
This gift wrap technique is an inexpensive way to jazz up a simple gift using colored card stock that you have on hand. To make, cut 1/4" strips of card stock in white, black, red, dark green and light green. Lay 20 strips right next to each other on a table. Tape down one end of the strips. Using 20 more strips, weave each strip under and over the taped strips. Continue until you've created a pretty woven pattern. Wrap the ends of the woven paper piece around a gift box wrapped in white paper, and secure it with tape on the back.
Raid Your Sewing Stash
Use leftover fabric trim, like rickrack, gimp or bullion, instead of ribbon, to give your gifts a fashion-forward finish. Tuck in a few sprigs of fresh greenery or glittered pinecones before presenting to the recipient.
Think Beyond Red + Green
Our friends at HGTV Magazine swapped regal purple hues for standard holiday shades to create this sophisticated twist on the traditional red + green pairing.
Photo By: Emily Kate Roemer (styled by Matthew Gleason)
Upcycle Empty Shipping Boxes
If like most of us, you have a recycling bin filled with cardboard shipping boxes, pull out a few to display as pretty porch gifts. Wrap them in leftover gift wrap, then stack by a well-sheltered front door as nearly free holiday decor. If you're concerned about porch pirates, only set the empty boxes out right before holiday guests arrive — or try one of the hilarious pirate-revenge videos online to teach sticky-fingered thieves a lesson.
Photo By: Derek Trimble; Styling by H. Camille Smith
Mix In Some Metallics
'Silver and gold' aren't just lines from a classic Christmas cartoon, they're also the perfect neutral to add a little sparkle under your tree. Create visual interest by mixing the different metallics like gold, silver, copper and bronze.
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Add One of Our Free Printables
Kids will love these cute printable tags that feature the Head Elf himself. Just print them onto white card stock and cut them out.
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Photo By: Picasa ©ten22 studio 2013
Tie on a Pom-Pom
Kids will love helping you make these colorful yarn pom-poms that are easy to craft and are a playful substitute for a traditional bow.
Go for the Glam
Don't limit playful colors, like hot pink, to spring and summer use; this happy hue will add just as much kick to your holiday packages. Paired with fashion-forward black, white and gold, the look-at-me color is gorgeous, not girly.
Photo By: Emily Kate Roemer (styled by Matthew Gleason)
Make a Monogrammed Gift Topper
Forget traditional ribbon bows and top your gifts with a yarn-wrapped initial instead. Older kids and crafty teens will want to try this easy project to create personalized packages that stand out from the pack.
©Brklyn View Photography
Top Gifts With an Ornament
Instead of a standard bow, swap in an ornament for a fun gift topper that they can then hang on their tree. From flamingos to llamas to Scandi-inspired Santas, ornaments are readily available to suit every Christmas collectors' fancy so it's easy to find just the right ornament to suit their style.
Photo By: Rustic White Photography
Upcycle a Pillowcase
Large and oddly shaped gifts present a problem — how to wrap them without giving away what's inside. Enter the Santa sack: an embellished pillowcase that can be used year after year to disguise your hardest-to-wrap gifts. Learn three ways to craft one with our video and tutorial, below.
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Photo By: Jalynn Baker
Turn a Paper Bag Into Pinecones
To create pinecones, cut a tall triangle out of brown paper bag or grocery sack. Trim one long edge with scalloped scissors, then darken it by running a brown marker along the edge. Fringe the opposite, non-scalloped long edge. Glue the short base of the triangle to a piece of paper-wrapped floral wire, then wrap the triangle around the stem, scrunching the fringe as you continue to wrap, creating the pinecone shape. Next, secure the tip of the pinecone with glue and use a thin strip of craft paper to wrap branches and pinecones together, securing them with glue.
Try a Playful Palette
Cheery colors, like pink, coral and turquoise, are sure to add some pep to your presents. Top with holiday items like candy canes or unbreakable ornaments in coordinated colors for a seasonal finishing touch.
Photo By: Emily Kate Roemer (styled by Matthew Gleason)
Try Envelope Style to Wrap Flat Items
Easily wrap large, flat items, like coffee table books or a cutting board, with dollar store poster board. Just place the item in the center of the paper and trace around, leaving about an extra inch on all sides. Then, draw radiating lines out, away from your traced shape and to the poster board's corners. Cut along the radiating lines; place your item back in the center and fold in the cut flaps to test placement. Using a pencil, note where the cut sections of poster board overlap. Round the four flaps so they resemble a standard envelope and bring the four corners together, securing the edges with a glue stick. For a festive finishing touch, add a bit of colorful ribbon.
Splurge on Velvet
Nothing takes a wrapped gift from ordinary to extraordinary quite like velvet ribbon. Available in a wide range of colors, widths and oh-so-touchable, the tactile topper only costs a few more cents per gift but is sure to make a big impression on the recipient.
Photo By: Derek Trimble; Styling by H. Camille Smith
Give It an Initial Stamp
Traditional wax seals signify the recipient of a lovely gift. Use kraft paper to wrap your gift, and tie twine in both directions. Drip melted wax on top of the twine and press with a metal wax seal stamp with the first initial of the recipient.
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Make It Monochromatic
Go ahead — wrap all your gifts in your favorite color. But to add visual appeal to your gifts, pick patterned wrapping paper. Group similar gifts together by tying more than one gift with the same piece of flat, solid-colored ribbon — in your go-to hue, of course.
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Go for a Color-Block Look
Mod and minimal, this gift wrapping technique relies on a variety of papers and ribbons in different intensities of the same color. Learn more about this look, plus get tips for nine other gift wrap options, below.
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Make It Mod
Give your gifts a hip, retro vibe with inexpensive jewelry findings and vintage ornament cut-outs. Our free printable ornament templates and step-by-step instructions, below, show you how.
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Wow With Washi Tape
You can actually skip the wrapping paper, ribbon and bows with this clever take. Just place gifts in plain white boxes, then decorate with patterned washi tape. Select tape in classic Christmas colors and patterns — or mix it up and opt for non-traditional, instead.
Create a Layered Effect
Designer Marian Parsons layers organic elements and textured ribbon to create wrapped gifts that are a step above the rest. Her tips: "Create pretty packages using items you can find around your house and in nature. Petite pinecones and sprigs of greenery embellish layers of ribbon while vintage sheet music is the perfect custom wrapping for a small gift."
Spell Out Their Name
Repurposed game tiles and a bit of twine are all you need to craft playful gift tags they can later hang on the tree as an ornament. To create it, simply loop a long piece of twine then attach the tiles to the twine loop with glue, leaving enough room above the tiles to act as a hanger and a bit of twine below the letters for attaching a tassel. Make the tassel by cutting six small pieces of twine, gathering them together in the center and then knotting onto the bottom of the twine below the tiles.
Personalize With Pics
A holiday gathering of close friends and family wouldn't be complete without a few trips down memory lane. This year, kick off the nostalgia by incorporating childhood photos into gifts to indicate who the recipient is — and the goofier the images, the better. Tie off with decorative ribbon for a spin on the traditional gift tag that's festive, sentimental and sure to evoke a laugh or two.
Cleverly Wrap Cookies To Go
Homemade holiday treats are even more thoughtful when they're packaged creatively. Entertaining expert Kim Stoegbauer cleverly wraps cookies in inexpensive paper CD sleeves; bundled up with baker's twine and a cute tag, they're the perfect way to surprise coworkers and neighbors with a sweet treat.
Repurpose an Old Sweater
Let's face it: We've all accidentally shrunk at least one wool or cashmere sweater. It's a painful learning experience: wool + hot water + agitation = a felted sweater that, on the downside, is now too small to wear. On the plus-side, felted fibers don't fray when cut. So, turn those felted gems into a clever way to package jar candles by sliding a candle into one of the sweater's felted sleeves then marking how much you need and cutting it off. Embellish with a coordinating ribbon, bell or ornament and your gift is complete.
Photo By: H. Camille Smith
Upcycle Jars
Everyone loves to receive homemade goodies during the holidays but creatively packaging pounds and pounds of treats can be a bit tricky — and expensive. To cut down on costs and give friends a container they can use again: give large glass jars you've saved throughout the year a good cleaning and paint the lids with chalkboard paint. Instead of a basic ribbon, wrap with twine or yarn then slide on a handmade pin or hair clip — so your gift is actually two gifts in one.
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Photo By: H. Camille Smith
Get Creative With Paper Only
That's right, you can actually skip the ribbons and bows and rely on decorative paper cuts and origami-inspired folds to make your gifts stand out from the pack. Our ideas and tips, below, will have you wrapping gifts like a pro in no time.
Add a 3-D Tree
This three-dimensional topper is so charming that no bow is needed. To create the tree, cut a pie shape that is 1/3 of a large circle out of green card stock. Score the center of the pie shape then accordion-fold the paper outward at evenly spaced intervals. Glue the edges of the folded paper tree down onto a wrapped gift and embellish with a paper star, rickrack garland and a brown paper trunk.
Try a Tin
Surprise! Vintage Christmas cookie tins aren't just for cookies. Think of them as reusable decorative boxes that are available in a range of shapes and sizes and can often be found at estate sales and thrift stores for pennies on the dollar. Sure, you can fill them with tissue paper and homemade goodies — or you can place a wide variety of non-food gifts inside, then just top with some ribbon and a tag for the easiest gift wrap ever.
Add a Playful Pennant
This year, give your wrapped presents a preppy, collegiate feel with pennant gift flags made from inexpensive felt and a small wooden dowel or chopstick. In lieu of the standard tied-on paper tag, these flags can be inserted into gift bags of any size and let your holiday message or the gift recipient’s name stand out loud and clear. Best of all, rather than getting tossed, they can live on as a decorative detail for many years to come.
Top It With a Paint Chip Gift Tag
Put leftover paint chips to good use as cute and colorful gift tags. Use a Christmas-shaped die or punch to cut the paint chip into a shape you like, then add the recipient's name with a stamp or permanent marker.
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Stitch Up a Paper Ribbon
Using a round paper punch, cut two sizes of circles out of three similar colors (we used orange, red and pink) of card stock. Stack punched circles together and pierce with an awl or nail. Using a needle and thread, string paper circles together, alternating colors and sizes, to create a colorful strand. Finally, wrap around gift, securing ends to the bottom with tape. Design by Morgan Levine.
Gift a Treat-Filled Jar
Hot cocoa warms even the chilliest of days. Share the warmth this holiday season by packaging ingredients for delectable hazelnut hot cocoa into a canning jar and handing them out as sweet gifts. The recipients can even repurpose the jar as an oversized mug to enjoy their seasonal sip. Get the recipe and packaging instructions, below.
Use Vintage Containers
This vintage copper bundt pan is proof that practical can be pretty. Too pretty, in fact, to hide away in a box. Filled with spices, tea towels, wooden spoons and other kitchen essentials, this collection will put a smile on any foodie's face. Bonus: The beautiful bundt pan is actually part of the gift, so no boxes, bags or wrap to dispose of later. Browse 14 more vintage-inspired gift ideas, below.
Turn Trash Into Gift Wrap Treasure
Yes, really. You won't believe what we used to make these pretty packages. We took commonly discarded items and transformed them into beautiful (and sanitary!) gift wrap. So, what are you waiting for? Check out our ideas, below, then raid your recycling bin.
Photo By: Cassidy Garcia
Give New Life to an Old Shirt
Scour your closet (or local thrift store) for old clothing items that can be upcycled into Christmasy covers for lidded boxes. To create them, just use a glue stick to secure the fabric to the box's lid, tightly folding in the corners and gluing the ends under the lid's rim. Finish by attaching satin ribbon and a bit of faux greenery for a beautiful box you can use year after year.
Photo By: Cassidy Garcia; Styling by H. Camille Smith
Tie It up With Faux Floral Garland
'Tis the season for beautiful holiday florals and greenery, and contrary to popular belief, favorite blooms need not be confined to wreaths and mantels. This year, get crafty to create colorful garlands to wrap your gifts, instead of standard ribbon. Using silk flowers and floral wire from the craft store, it's easy to weave sprigs of holiday greenery together in a flash. Whether you're a seasoned floral designer or simply an enthusiastic gift-giver, these garlands are sure to add a dose of holiday cheer to your presents.
©Buff Strickland
Make It Fuzzy With Yarn
This sweet gift wrap comes together in a snap. Just place gift in a pretty box then top it with a paper doily held in place with double-sided tape or glue dots. To make the pom-pom, wrap several loops of yarn around your fingers, knot the loops in the middle, then trim the knotted yarn into a rounded pom-pom shape.
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Photo By: H. Camille Smith
Customize Envelopes With Our Free Printable
Wrapping flat and folded objects can be a bit of a gift-wrapping conundrum. Rather than sliding around in boxes or getting lost in gift bags amid heaps of tissue paper, items like books or scarves nestle cozily into these gift envelopes. With a custom design on the front and spaces to write the gift-giver and recipient's names, these offer a chic and easy alternative solution to gifting small, flat items. Learn more, plus download our free printable, below.
©Buff Strickland
Use One of Our Free Printables
Both kids and nostalgic adults will love this cute graphic tag featuring Santa's favorite reindeer. Wrap gifts with red ribbon and top with a brown yarn pom-pom for a consistent color scheme. Check out our other free printables, below.
Put Their Name on It
You can wrap gifts with customized paper without the high cost. Surprise the gift recipient by using paper with their name on it. Use software like Photoshop or Word, and type out their name to create a pattern and then print it. Wrap your gift, and top it with a whimsical honeycomb. This works best for small gifts that can be wrapped with letter-size paper.
Make It Sparkle
Metallic wrap and ribbons make any gift shine. Trendy metals such as gold, silver, copper and bronze add seasonal sparkle when paired with other colors or used alone for a monochromatic scheme. To keep your gifts from looking too matchy-matchy, combine metallic papers in different patterns — like chevron, damask, trellis, pinstripes and polka dots.
Stick With a Theme
Give the gift wrap as part of the gift! Tie a vintage Christmas cookie cutter using gold ribbon to the gift box. Stick with the theme by gifting a cookie recipe book, festive sprinkles and a rolling pin.
Paint On the Paper's Pattern
A great kids' craft, this fun gift wrap can be created with materials you probably already have on hand. First, wrap gifts in blue construction paper. Dip the eraser end of a pencil in slightly thinned-down white craft paint or tap it onto a white ink pad and stamp dots onto the paper. Create snowflakes by starting with a center dot and then working your way out in symmetrical lines and rings. To create the snowman, overlap white dots to build up his body, then finish with an orange paper nose and a black marker mouth, eyes and arms.
Add Some Seasonal Sparkle
After all, what are the holidays without a little sparkle? Top craft-paper-wrapped gifts with a glittered paper doily, self-adhesive rhinestones, metallic rick-rack and a glittering mini pinecone.
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Photo By: H. Camille Smith
Wrap It In Fabric
Cover an inexpensive cardboard mailing tube in trendy, graphic fabric for an eye-catching holiday gift wrap idea. Best of all, the fabric-covered container can be used for year-round storage.
Photo By: H. Camille Smith
Use Leftover Fabric as Gift Tags
When wrapping a gift for someone extra special, don't stop at just tying on a bow — add a topper. Good choices are candy canes, fresh greenery or an ornament — like this easy-to-make fabric ornament that covers one of our free ornament printables in a small bit of leftover fabric.
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Photo By: H. Camille Smith
Make Snowflakes
Another great craft for kids, these felt snowflakes can be created in any size you like. First, fold the paper into a small triangle and cut out sections to create a snowflake to use as a stencil. Lightly coat the stencil's back with spray adhesive to prevent it from shifting, then place on felt. Use a sponge or sponge brush to lightly pounce white craft paint over the snowflake stencil. Once the paint has fully dried, remove the paper stencil and use scalloped scissors to cut around the edges of the snowflake design. Top wrapped gift with the felt snowflake, instead of a standard bow, and secure with twine.
Don't Forget Our Free Gift Tags
Adding a graphic finishing touch to your gifts is easy. Just print our free gift tag onto white card stock, then cut it out with scissors or a tag-shaped cutter. Leave the tags as is, or add glue to each of the ornaments and dust them with glitter for a bit of glitz.
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©ten22 studio | Rennai Hoefer
Opt for an Outdoorsy Look
Trendy menswear-inspired red flannel ribbon and a few fresh spigs of greenery give this gift a wintry, woodsy feel. To make the rustic topper, cut a small and medium circle out of upholstery webbing and pull on the outer fibers to create a frayed edge. Use an upholstery needle to stitch the two layers together then sew on a single glass bead. Glue an alligator clip to the back so the topper can be easily clipped onto the gift then later reused by the recipient as a hair or scarf clip.
Wrap It in Confetti
Create a cool effect by floating metallic confetti between two layers of wrapping paper. First, wrap the gift in solid white paper. Next, wrap the gift in a layer of clear cellophane leaving one side open. Put confetti between the cellophane and wrapping paper layers. Close the open side with tape. You can try this technique with a variety of colors for any special occasion.
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Roll It Up
Rather than attempt to disguise oddly shaped gifts with wrapping paper only barely secured with layer upon layer of tape, artist Denise Sharp simply places the gift inside a cardboard tube then covers the tube in colorful fabric and secures the ends with ribbon.
Can It
Place small gifts inside lidded metal tins, like film reel canisters or old snack tins, then stack together for this creative presentation. To keep the tins from shifting, place magnets between each layer. Image courtesy of Design Dump.
Make the Container Part of the Gift
When giving homemade treats as a gift, think outside the basket. A colorful bowl, platter or tray does the trick and is more likely to be reused by the recipient. Shop estate sales, flea markets and antique markets to find vintage transferware, hand-painted porcelain and cut crystal.
And, Try These Tips for Shipping Goodies
Everybody loves receiving a box of homemade treats. Packing them up in a way that's pretty yet still ensures that your cookies arrive in one piece is the key to a successful gift. Our tips, below, will show you how to pack homemade goodies like a pro.
Photo By: Sam Henderson
Delight Your Favorite Globetrotter
Maps continue to be a trendy decorating theme and, better still, many are large enough to wrap several small gifts or one large one. To make the wrap more personal, select a map that shows the recipient's birthplace or a favorite travel destination.
Paint On the Gift Tag
Though no longer the crafting new kid on the block, chalkboard paint remains popular, especially when used in a clever way, like this chalkboard gift tag which is painted directly onto the craft paper wrap. Thanks to craft paper's thickness, you can paint it and the wrinkles will flatten out as the paint dries.
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Photo By: H. Camille Smith
Stamp Brown Craft Paper
Kids will love creating this gift wrap that's as easy to craft as it is cute. First, wrap gift in newsprint or butcher paper. Then, create a lightbulb-shaped stamp from a wine cork by cutting away the sides with a craft knife to leave just a pointed oval shape. Brush a light coat of paint onto the lightbulb portion of the stamp, then firmly press it onto the wrapped gift. Continue adding stamped bulbs in a line, alternating colors, until you're happy with the design. Allow paint to dry then add the string with a permanent marker.
Craft a Tissue Paper Topper
Instead of a traditional ribbon bow, top gifts with a flouncy pom-pom. Create them in a variety of sizes by varying the dimensions of tissue paper you use. Cutting the paper to 5" x 5" is a good starting point for your first try, then enlarge or shrink the dimensions once you get a hang of the technique. To start, stack 15-20 sheets (the more you use, the fuller it will be) of tissue paper and cut a square in your desired dimensions. Fold the stacked paper back and forth accordion style, folding and creasing the paper every 1/8" to 1/4". Secure the center with wire, then fringe the paper's edges with scissors. Finally, carefully unfold and separate sheets till you have a flat-bottomed pom-pom. Attach to ribbon with wire.
Cut Out Some Coffee Filter Snowflakes
Who could have guessed that in just a few simple steps, a standard coffee filter could be transformed into a one-of-a-kind snowflake? Get in the holiday spirit by creating cut-out flakes and adhering them to already-wrapped presents. This is a great project for the kids to lend a helping hand.
Embellish With Scraps of Sewing Ribbon
A neatly tied ribbon is a staple when it comes to gift wrapping, but instead of reaching for a traditional satin option or a ready-made sticky bow, raid your craft stash or stock up on a variety of festive fabric trim at your local craft store.
©Buff Strickland
Use Flowing Silk Ribbons
The trick to making your ribbons look professional is double stick tape. After you tie a bow around your gift with wide satin ribbon, use double-stick tape to attach the long ends of the ribbon to the box for a flowing look. The ribbon will look like it’s permanently flowing instead of falling flat.