Homemade Wrapping Paper

Use Maps as Wrapping Paper

This wrapping paper idea came from one of my friends years ago. Use outdated atlases and maps for colorful, cool-looking, and good quality wrapping paper. I use mostly for birthday gifts, but cut out a silhouette of Santa in his sleigh and/or reindeers and attach for Christmas gifts. If you like this idea but don't have any maps to use, pick up some free ones at travel and visitor's centers the next time you are traveling.

By Britt from Boston, MA

Make Inexpensive Gift Bags and Wrapping

I like to make inexpensive gift bags for year around use. Pillow cases from the thrift stores make great light weight bags, just fold down the top and run a drawstring through.

Yesterday I bought some flannel and felt for $1 a yard (bolt ends). I made up about 8 bags of various sizes and colors for $8, and used some yardage I had on hand (I first braided it) for the cording.

These can be used year after year, and saves the expense of wrapping paper.

We also use the funny papers for wrapping paper as well.

The kids like to take a brown paper grocery bag, cut it, turn it inside out and potato or rubber stamp holiday designs on the solid side, to make their own wrapping paper.

By April from Plattsburg, MO

Personalized Wrapping Paper and Gift Tags

There were a few years where money was very scarce, and I ran out of Christmas wrapping paper. I found white freezer paper, and made use of old Christmas cards and family pictures. I would also draw or paint on the packages. It was fun and creative, you can also add a poem or write something.

When I run out of Christmas labels now or just want to be creative, I will take a piece of the wrapping paper, cut it into a square, rectangle, or any shape and fold it over. I take pretty ribbon (wire ribbon works well), put a strip over the label, scissor a V at the end, and staple the top so it doesn't show, then put the name of the recipient inside the little card label. Makes a beautiful package and people enjoy the personalization as well.

By Anne from Dayton, OH

Craft: Make Wrapping Paper With Stickers

When you just can't find that perfect wrapping paper, use tissue paper and add some stickers. You children will love this!

By Tedebear from San Jose CA

Christmas Ads for Wrapping Paper

I find myself saving nice Christmas art from advertisements and special newspaper sections and brochures, etc. - which I can cut out and use for wrapping paper! (if the gift is small - use white computer paper and glue on the cut outs).

Make Your Own Photo Wrapping Paper

Here's a way to personalize all your gifts in a way no one else can.

1. Select your favorite photos or make photos that are meaningful to you (the giver) or the recipient. For example, select photos of you and your family, home, pets, etc. Or use photos of the recipients, their favorite celebrities, etc. This is easy with digital cameras. Or download pictures from the web and print.

2. Take these photos to a Kinkos or some place with a large color copier. Arrange the photos on scanning surface, close the cover and make as many copies as you want. Use the largest paper available, or shrink as necessary. Voila - you now have personalized wrapping paper.

You can also do this at home using your personal inkjet copier although the scanning surface is generally small. You can also scan or import the photos into graphics software, arrange the images and then print. Most home printers won't accommodate paper larger than legal size so go to a commercial copier if you want large sheets. Commercial laser copiers also produce glossy waterproof results while you'll need to be careful of moisture when handling inkjet printouts. Still, if you want to use racy or private photos, it's probably easier to do at home.

By Bryguyf69 from NYC, NY

Craft Project: Handprint Gift Wrap

Add that extra "touch" and make a gift more personal with this handprint gift wrap craft.

Supplies:

• Paint
• Long roll of paper or sheets
• Trays for paint
• Paint brush (optional)

Instructions:

Roll out a large section from a long roll of paper or lay out a large sheet of paper. I like to use the rolls from the ends of the newspaper that our local newspaper sells cheap.

Use different trays to set out different colored paints. I save the foam trays that come under groceries and use them for this, or you could use paper plates.

Either let the child dip their hand in the paint, or paint it on their hands using a paint brush. If using a brush, the foam kind works really well.

Randomly stamp handprints all over the paper. You may want to allow some time to dry between colors if you don't want them to mix too much.

When completely dry, roll it up and save for the perfect gift wrap to accompany any special gift! I save the rolls to purchased gift wrap which comes in handy to store the homemade gift wrap.

Variation: Try this with feet too!

By Jayme from Harrisonburg, VA

Scanned Christmas Card Wrapping Paper

Use cards to make x-mas wrap! We receive so many wonderful Christmas cards, that I thought it would be fun for those who are a tiny bit computer savvy to make their own custom Christmas wrapping paper from them for your special gifts. All you need to do is scan your favorite cards into your computer then cut, shrink and paste the parts you like of just one card repeated or many cards on to a single piece of 8 1/2 x 11" paper, then if you save this info into your computer, you can use it again and again!

Stenciled Gift Wrap

Christmas is traditionally family time, and here is a project that you and your child can do together. Using cookie cutters with Christmas shapes as your inspiration, make your own stencils from an old sheet of X-ray film, and then do printing with these stencils on inexpensive brown paper. A fun way to add a personal touch to gift wrapping!

Approximate Time: 20 minutes

Supplies:

• a roll of brown paper
  I used the type that one normally uses to cover school books.
• 2 cookie cutters with Christmas shapes
  I used cutters with a Christmas tree and a star, but any other shapes will do.
• pencil
• ruler
• one sheet of X-ray film for making the stencils
• sharp knife, or a sharp pair of standard scissors, to cut out the designs on the X-ray film
• 2 small sponges for the sponging
• acrylic paint in the following four colors: lumiere, white, pale gold, and true red
• red glitter
• a thin paintbrush
• 1 cotton swab
• 2 small plates to pour the paint into
• sticky tape
• a few sheets of old newspapers to protect the working area

Instructions:

1. Place the first cookie cutter on a piece of the X-ray film and trace around the edges. Use the knife or the pair of scissors to cut away the inside of the pattern that you have traced onto the X-ray film.

2. Using a separate piece of X-ray film, repeat step 1 with the second cookie cutter, so that you will have two stencils.

3. Cut the brown paper to the desired size. Lay it flat onto a table, you may want to stick the corners lightly to the table with sticky tape, so that the paper doesn't roll up while you are busy.

4. Use the pencil and the ruler to divide the brown paper into squares ~ I used squares sized 3.4 inches x 3.4 inches.

5. Now use the lumiere paint and the Christmas tree stencil. Place the stencil on the appropriate place. For this design, one would alternate between a block with a tree, and a block with a star. Hold the tree stencil down with one hand while painting, so that it will not move while applying the paint.

6. Dip the sponge into the lumiere paint and remove excess paint from the sponge by dabbing it on the sheet of newspaper. Then paint the stencil design onto the paper by repeatedly dabbing all over the design.

7. Carefully, lift the stencil and move it to the next appropriate place. Continue until every alternative block has been filled with the stenciled tree design.

8. Leave to dry thoroughly.

9. Now use the white paint and the Christmas star stencil to fill the open blocks. Dip the sponge into the white paint and remove excess paint from the sponge by dabbing it on the sheet of newspaper. Then paint the stencil design onto the paper by repeatedly dabbing all over the design.

10. Before removing the stencil, and while the paint is still wet, add some red glitter to the white star.

11. Then, carefully lift the stencil and move it to the next appropriate place. Continue until the rest of the open blocks have been filled with stars.

12. Leave to dry thoroughly.

13. Using the fine paintbrush and pale gold acrylic paint, draw a free-hand line over all the pencil lines that you have drawn when you divided the paper into squares.

14. Leave to dry thoroughly.

15. Repeat step 13, now drawing over the pale gold lines with the white paint.

16. Leave to dry thoroughly.

17. Dip the tip of the cotton swab in true red paint and make a small red dot at the top of each Christmas tree.

18. Leave to dry thoroughly before using to wrap a present.

By BessieBessie from Pretoria, Gauteng