Creative and Unusual Gift Wrapping Ideas for Christmas

When considering the subject of creative gift wrapping ideas, I cannot help but remember my father's advice on this subject. Yes, that's right, I said my father. His idea of the most creative and elegant way to wrap a present, no matter the occasion?

Aluminum foil.

"It needs no tape to secure it, it's shiny and beautiful, and reusable!" he'd reason. While Dad's idea may have been ahead of it's time, as he often was, I'm sure some more options are in order.

For large packages, sometimes the best wrapping material may be cloth. Consider the huge box or oddly shaped item that just needs to be wrapped. The dimensions of the gift in question might not make using traditional wrapping paper an option. In this case, purchase a new bed sheet in the color of your choice, place the gift in question in the center of the sheet, and gather up the edges on top. This doesn't have to be the best sheet money can buy, either; we're going for color and size of cloth here. Secure the ends with a bright, strong, wide ribbon or cord. For an ornate bow, try the trims section of your local fabric store. They will usually have a beautiful selection of colorful ribbon and cord-try velvet, satin, or braided metallic strands, and perhaps attach a tassel or small ornament to the tie. Once you've tied the edges together, the result should look like a large Santa sack. Trim off corners and odd shaped ends if you prefer a neater look. Send the sheet home with the recipient-everyone can use a drop cloth or extra length of fabric from time to time.

When giving an array of smaller gifts, try wrapping each one. One Christmas, I gave my mother a selection of expensive eye shadow she had been longing for, which came packaged individually. Instead of lumping them together in one box, I wrapped each little box by itself, using scraps of the most beautiful paper we had left over from the big boxes. I topped each one with tiny strands of curling ribbon, and labeled the gifts with pens that had very small nibs. What resulted was a pile of tiny presents that looked as if they had been prepared just for her by a sugar plum fairy. She was doubly delighted-not only by the contents of the gifts, but also by the careful wrapping job I had done. It made the gift that much more special.

And then there's the repeater box.

One Christmas, my grandma ran out of wrapping paper for a gift for me. So, she made a patchwork of different scraps of leftover paper, and secured the whole affair with clear packing tape. It was the last gift of the day, and it elicited many smiles and a few giggles from the kids because it looked so odd next to her other carefully wrapped items. Grandma was usually the master of grand fancy wrappings, so we wondered aloud what was up. Grandma told me with a grin on her face, "Honey, I ran out of paper on Christmas Eve, and I just couldn't give you this gift without paper on the box, so I did the best I could." I loved it, and to this day, one lucky person in our family receives the box each year, with a new present inside. The tradition is, the recipient of the repeater box must pass it on next year with a new present for a new recipient, and so on and so on, until the box wears out. Needless to say, we all look forward to receiving the repeater box each year.

With a little thought, imagination, and ingenuity, you'll have your gifts wrapped creatively in no time. And, maybe you'll create some new family holiday traditions of your own!