Midwest Living
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Christmas
Easy Christmas Gift Wrapping Ideas

Easy Christmas Gift Wrapping Ideas

July 15, 2013

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Dress up your packages with fresh ideas for paper, ribbon, tags and other decorations.

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Chalkboard tags

Trendy chalkboard tags add a personal touch to any gift. Use purchased chalkboard tags, cut tag shapes out of chalkboard paper, or create your own paper with chalkboard spray paint. Write message with chalk or a white chalk pen.

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Sticker style

Cover your package with kraft paper, then wrap with white raffia. Embellish with purchased scrapbook stickers in any shape you like.

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Easy tag update

Decorative and functional, a festive cookie cutter upgrades a simple gift tag.

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Quilt-style gift wrap

Modern geometric motifs join with traditional quilting patterns and fabric for high-style, hand-pieced Christmas decor. Use stamps to create custom wrapping paper; turn precut paper coasters into ornaments or tags with a single stamp of ink and an embroidery floss loop. More information on quilt-style projects.

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That’s a wrap

When you're short on wrapping time, turn to one of the most versatile items in any crafter's tool box: baker's twine. Multiple layers of the peppermint-striped string add a handmade feel to any gift.

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Wood chip tags

Use purchased wood chips or cut your own (if you cut your own, wait at least two weeks before painting). Drill a hole in the top. Decorate either with paint (we used painter's tape and stickers to help with lines and lettering), or simply write on the wood with a Sharpie.

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Make a stacked-loop bow

Finish off any present with a pretty homemade stacked-loop bow. See step-by-step instructions in our slideshow or in a short video.

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Cinnamon accents

To create this easy wrap-especially appropriate for food gifts-just use washi tape and string to tie cinnamon sticks to your package.

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Rock, paper, scissors

The coolest wrapping papers are ones you make yourself. For a spattered effect, flick diluted chalk or craft paint with a toothbrush onto kraft paper. To marbleize your paper, follow "Marbled Effect" instructions at the link below. The finishing touch? Use a pigma micron pen to write on predrilled stones (LakeHouseBeachGlass, Etsy.com).

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Sweet idea

Folded cupcake liners, plain paper and twine go together for a simple but striking wrap, especially for kitchen-related gifts. Use a mini liner for the top.

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Natural colors

Burlap and feathers are unconventional trimmings on beautiful packages. TIp: Wrap gifts early and use them as holiday decor!

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Out-of-the-woods snowman

This wood snowman present topper can get a second life as a Christmas tree decoration once the gift is opened.Glue three wood slices together to form a body. Cut out a green felt hat and a scarf and glue onto the snowman. Glue a sprig of greenery and artificial berries to the hat and the scarf. Attach two stick arms and then paint a thin layer of glue on the body and sprinkle glitter on it. Shake off the excess.

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Print package

Wrap packages with plain kraft paper and decorate with velvet ribbon, gold twine and tissue paper printed with old-fashioned typewriter type.

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Felt and pompoms

To add color to a package wrapped in kraft paper, hot-glue a series of felt triangles to the front. (Cut triangles from a red felt sheet.) Wrap a coordinating ribbon around the sides without the triangles. Finish with a pom-pom on top.

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Vintage-feel wrap

Vintage-look papers, brown ribbon, buttons and lace make great handcrafted packages.

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Charmed, I'm sure

For a charming homemade gift tag, cut a doily piece to fit a portion of a white tag and glue to the tag. Glue or tie a red button to the doily. Thread a key-shaped charm onto baker's twine. Fold twine in half and tie onto tag, making sure the key is in front.

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Recycled wrap

Use newspapers to wrap packages, then mix black, white and red ribbons for stylish bows.

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Patterned tree

Create a unique tree on your package with washi tape and strips of patterned paper.

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Feathered friends

These cute gift tags double as ornaments after the presents are opened. Cut out tags from cardstock. Cut out birds from glitter paper and glue them, glitter side up, on the top half of a tag. Draw eyes, legs and feet with a black pen and draw dots with a white gel pen for snow. Punch a hole, add string and tie to your presents.

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Paper strings

String tiny paper cutouts of Christmas trees and stars on metallic thread to give Christmas packages a special tie-up.

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Top with a doily

Instead of using a traditional bow, top a present with a small doily. Cover the gift in brown kraft paper, then tie on the doily with festive ribbon.

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Let it snow

Sweeten a plain gift tag with a few embellishments. Cut a doily piece to fit a portion of the tag and glue the doily to the tag. Punch or cut a snowflake from red cardstock and adhere the snowflake to the tag. Fold baker's twine in half and tie onto the tag.

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Fuzzy accents

Wool balls and different styles of yarn give charm even to packages wrapped in plain white paper.

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Winter scene

Create a winter wonderland on top of a wrapped package. Use a few dots of hot glue to attach mini packages and bottlebrush trees. Glue metallic beads to the trees for extra sparkle.

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With bells on

Jingle bells glued and tied on these packages add a finishing touch to pretty papers and ribbons. Let your creations decorate the mantel until Christmas morning!

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Stylish accents

Accent a gift with decorative ribbons. For added embellishment, use embroidery thread and a needle to create a cross-stitch and/or running stitch design. Make the bow out of a cardboard paper towel tube. Flatten the tube lengthwise, then cut it into five pieces of equal width. Hot-glue ends together to form a bow.

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Wallpaper wrap

Looking for something a little different, or have leftover papers in the house? Think outside the box for wrapping paper. Wallpaper, art paper, even shelving liner can all become pretty Christmas wrap.

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Kid-inspired wrapping

Any kid at heart will tell you that the wrapping often is just as much fun as the gift. Get children involved in holiday gift-giving by offering them plain wrapping paper to decorate. Their drawings, cutouts, stamps, glued-on pom-poms and scrawled letters promise personal touches no wrapping-paper company can match.

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Draw a pattern

Take a fine-tip permanent marker to kraft paper (before wrapping your gift), and draw a fun freehand pattern, such as loose figure eights that don't have to be perfect. Layer on ribbons to one side so they don't hide too much artwork. If you like, first adorn ribbons with decorative stitching.

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Recycled tags

Dress up a package with tags recycled from pretty holiday cards. Use a tag punch to create the shape, then trim with chenille stem or other embellishments. Punch a hole near the top, and if you like, finish with a metal eyelet.

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Pine cones on top

A wide burlap ribbon, pine cones and tinsel add both natural touches and sparkle to this present wrapped in kraft paper.

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String and stitches

To create this pretty gift, wrap holiday-theme yarn, string or cording five or six times around your package. Cut or punch out three felt circles to layer on top of the yarn. If you have the time, stitch simple holiday shapes, like stars or trees, on the felt circles before hot-gluing them on.

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Jeweled boxes

Vintage jewel-encrusted brooches and belt buckles slipped over ribbons sparkle on these gifts.

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Spice stamp gift wrap

Handmade paper purchased at an art store and sheer tulle tied as ribbon give gifts a texture that's hard to resist. Add a personal gift tag and unique spice stamp. To make the stamp, sand one side of a star anise, dip it in glittery ink and press it on the tag.

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Sprig of greens

Tuck a greenery twig under a ribbon for a fresh look just before you give a package (or use artificial greens for long-lasting appeal). Wire small ornaments to the sprouts to look like a miniature Christmas tree.

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More

Easy Christmas Gift Wrapping Ideas

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Chalkboard tags

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Sticker style

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Easy tag update

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Quilt-style gift wrap

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That’s a wrap

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Wood chip tags

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Make a stacked-loop bow

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Cinnamon accents

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Rock, paper, scissors

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Sweet idea

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Natural colors

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Out-of-the-woods snowman

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Print package

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Felt and pompoms

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Vintage-feel wrap

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Charmed, I'm sure

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Recycled wrap

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Patterned tree

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Feathered friends

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Paper strings

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Top with a doily

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Let it snow

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Fuzzy accents

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Winter scene

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With bells on

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Stylish accents