Ten alternatives to purchased gift wrap

Guest post from Dianna Scofield

Wrapping paper can be expensive. I hate spending money on paper when I’ve already bought the presents! What’s more, I hate buying something that I know is just going to end up in the trash.

Here are several things you can recycle or re-use as wrappings as an alternative to purchased gift wrap.

1. Packaging paper. I collect the brown and white blank paper that comes in shipping boxes and use it to wrap gifts. Sometimes the kids decorate it with markers, paint, or rubber stamps.
2. Maps. If you have outdated maps or if you can get them for cheap at the thrift store, they make interesting wrapping. I’ve been using an old atlas to wrap small gifts.
3. Paper grocery bags. Turn them inside-out and no one will see the logos.
4. Newspaper. Comics are an obvious choice, but text-heavy pages can look great too. Try sponge-printing pictures over the top of text with brightly colored paint.
5. Outdated sewing patterns. A torn strip of cloth makes a perfect ribbon to match.
6. Previously used wrapping paper. Some people carefully fold and save their used wrapping paper. I don’t, but I do re-use gift bags.
7. Cloth. You could use cloth to wrap your gifts (and re-use it practically forever!).
8. Boxes or tins. Hate wrapping? If you have any plain or decorative boxes or tins, you could place gifts in them instead of wrapping.
9. Sacks. When I was a child, my grandmother sewed Santa-style drawstring sacks to hold our gifts. We re-used them each year and they were one of our favorite Christmas traditions.
10. Clearance gift wrap. Sometimes only store-bought gift wrap will cut it. Check out the after-Christmas clearance sales—I have saved up to 90% on wrapping paper in the week after Christmas. Some Christmas papers are generic enough to be used all year.

Do you like to purchase gift wrap, or do you prefer to make do? Please share your ideas for saving money on wrapping paper!