If you want your gifts to stand out this holiday season, try giving traditional wrapping paper and bows a pass in lieu of these fun, alternative ways of bundling your presents. Not only will your friends and family applaud your ingenuity but you’ll have less paper to throw out at the end of the day.
Decorate Those Jars
Photo: Dan Duchars - Living etc.
Rifle through your kitchen cabinets or recycling bin and rescue a few everyday jars to fill with small presents. With a bit of glue, some paint and a witty topper (think; stars, dreidels, snowmen, Christmas trees, and those little plastic animals your kids seem to have an overabundance of) you can easily transform a standard jar into an interesting and fun keepsake. If you’d like to keep the present under wraps, line the jar with a piece of opaque paper.
Look to Nature
Creature Comforts; The Way You Make Me Feel
Sometimes all it takes is a pretty twig or a collection of winter berries or nuts to transform a ho-hum present into something thoughtful and memorable. Burlap wrap is a great alternative to traditional wrapping paper and looks great when combined with some kitchen twine and simple decorations. Take a walk outside and see what interesting things you can find to top off your presents. You can even get your kids to help!
Decorate a Mug or a Bowl
Flora Douville; Alexandra Campbell
For all the teachers, co-workers and friends in your life who will be receiving presents this festive season, why not decorate a simple white mug or a bowl with a graphic, doodle-like pattern. The objects above were made with a porcelain pen that allows you to draw any design onto a piece of pottery or crockery. Filled with small treats like specialty tea or deluxe hot chocolate mix these personally inscribed objects are sure to put a smile on their faces.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Creature Comforts
Looking at the presents above, you’d probably never guess that they are decorated with net produce sacks you find around fruits and vegetables and plastic grocery bags. With a little ingenuity almost anything can be made into an interesting present topper. See tutorials on how to make the grocery bag pom pom and decorating with net produce bags.
Use a Map
Six0Six Design; Babble
If your car glove box is overflowing with unruly maps why not rescue a few and turn them into alternative wrapping paper. You might even trace the route you took on your last vacation as a sweet reminder of the good times you had. Small gestures such as this go a long way in telling your friends and family that you put some heart and soul into your gift giving this year.
Emma Reddington is the lifestyle maven behind the acclaimed blog, TheMarionHouseBook.com, where she experiments with interior design, cooking, baking and do-it-yourself projects.
Related: