Maybe you want to save money on wrapping paper this year, or perhaps you just like to give gifts that look charming and rustic and old-fashioned. Whatever the case, this brown paper gift wrap idea is stunning, and you won’t have to spend a dime!
I always have paper bags on hand because we craft with them often in my daycare, so I often use them to wrap some of our Christmas gifts each year.
Wrapping a gift in a grown paper bag is a great way to give a gift a charming, old-time Christmas look and an excellent way to save money. I mean, the price of store bought gift wrap can be ridiculous, and you just end up throwing it in the garbage.
Because a gift wrapped in brown paper can look a little boring, I like to add pinecones and ribbon and greenery from the garden, or sprigs of artificial flowers, to make them really beautiful.
If you don’t have paper bags, you can use the brown paper filler that Amazon uses to stuff their boxes with when you order stuff.
Goodness knows, I accumulate a lot of that in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
I LOVE that brown paper. We use it for paper mache, group art projects, protecting the table when we’re crafting etc.
Ok… back to wrapping our presents.
To wrap a gift in a brown paper bag, I use:
- brown paper bag or craft paper
- wide fabric ribbon or raffia
- pinecones
- sprigs from our spruce tree
- assorted greenery from the garden: boxwood, holly, euonymus, etc.
- small artificial flowers
- glue gun
- tape
- sprigs of spruce, boxwood, holly, euonymus etc.
Wrapping the gifts:
Cut your paper bag open and trim the bottom off so you’re dealing with a flat piece of brown paper. If your paper bag is really wrinkly, you can iron the creases out with an iron set on low heat.
Wrap your gift as you would with normal wrapping paper, and then wrap your ribbon around the gift, criss-crossing at the top, and secure the ends underneath the package with tape or a glue gun.
Arrange a pinecone or two and some sprigs of greenery and blossoms on top of your gift, and play around with them until you come up with an arrangement you like.
Then, glue it all in place with a glue gun.
Add a handmade gift tag and you have an inexpensive wrap job that looks great!
Bet you never thought a package in brown paper wrapping could look this pretty!
Looking for more creative ways to wrap a gift? Check out:
- Tin Can Gift Wrapping Idea
- Gift Wrap Painted with Coloured Ice Pops
- Modern Art Gift Wrap for Kids to Make
Follow the Hooligans on Facebook
Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
Leave a Reply