DIY and Crafts

6 alternative ways to wrap your Christmas presents

Article by Homes to Love

Avoid overloading your household bins this holiday season by trying these quick and easy gift wrap alternatives 

1. Recycled newspaper

Reusing newspapers is a great way to do something a little different with your wrapping as well as being kinder to the planet. Plus, if you don’t like what’s going on in the world, give it a whitewash!

Collect old newspapers or ask your local cafe for their leftovers at the end of the day.

Lay the newspaper sheets flat on a protected surface and give them a good whitewash with watered-down white paint. Let them dry.

*Tint your whitewash with a colour of your choice to create soft pastel hues.

2. Fabric Gift bags

Making fabric gift bags is a little more expensive than paper ones but they look amazing and we guarantee the receiver will not throw them away. They’re also great for awkward-shaped presents that might poke through wrapping paper.

Wrap material around the object to get a feel of how much to use.

Sew up all sides except top and pop in your present.

Tie up with a ribbon or a string of leather.

3. Knotted-fabric

Knotted-fabric wrapping is an on-trend way to present your gifts. It doesn’t have to cost a lot and you don’t need sticky tape or ribbon. Source scraps of material from an op-shop or buy cheap offcuts from a fabric store. Calico is great for the natural look. Remember, this method works best with boxed items.

Place a large piece of fabric pattern-side down on a flat surface. Make sure you have enough fabric to go around the gift and leave long enough ends to tie together. Place your boxed gift in the centre of the fabric on the diagonal.

Fold the fabric over the sides of the box just as you would with gift paper, and fold or roll the corner pieces over a few times in the middle. Flip over the box so the folded fabric is now on the bottom.

Neatly bring the two remaining corners up to meet each other, tucking in the rough sides to create a neat fold.

Tie the fabric ends in a knot and tuck the rough edges under to hide them.

4. Cute canisters

Canisters are great for presenting foodie gifts such as meringues and homemade biscuits or small items like jewellery or a beautiful ceramic ornament or candleholder (all carefully wrapped in tissue paper, of course). Kitchen canisters are easy to come by at homeware stores or keep an eye out at your local op-shop for ones.

Step one:
Give your canister a light clean, then line it with tissue or baking paper to prevent any sticky residue or damage to the inside.

Step two:
Arrange your gifts snugly inside, then close the lid and attach a nice gift tag with a ribbon or piece of leather cord.

 

 

5. A gift in a gift with tea towels

Tea towels are a great way to present a gift as they are easy to wrap with and double as an extra present. You don’t have to spend up large; look for specials and multipacks at homeware stores. A couple of bottles of craft beer wrapped together makes a nice gift.

For a wine or Champagne bottle, place your bottle on an angle at the corner of the tea towel and simply roll inwards, folding the bottom up as you go, like fish-and-chip wrapping. Secure with some ribbon or string at the top.

For beer bottles, place your bottles end-to-end at the corner of the tea towel, leaving about a 5cm gap between them.

Roll them up in the tea towel until you reach the opposite corner.

Stand the bottles up side by side and tie the tea towel ends together in a knot, creating bunny ears.

*It may take a few goes to perfect this one!

Mason jar cookie jar

6. Gift in a jar

Why not use everyone’s favourite vessel? A mason jar! It doesn’t have to be food either. You could create a DIY pampering kit, sewing kit, use it as a Santa stocking or create your own terrarium!

Pick an appropriately sized jar and fill away!


Photography by: Wendy Fenwick /bauersyndication.com.au.

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