Unique Ways to Wrap Gifts for the Holidays, Birthdays, and Other Special Occasions

It's easy to spend a fortune on traditional wrapping paper for birthdays and holidays, not to mention all the extras available to adorn a package. According to Hallmark Consumer Research (2004), the gift-wrap industry's retail business accounts for $2.7 billion a year. You spend considerable time shopping, cutting and taping just to see it ripped away in a few seconds. With some thought and ingenuity, though, you can wrap gifts in unique ways.

Use non-traditional papers. Old maps are a unique way to wrap a gift and are especially suited to masculine tastes. You probably have some around the house already, and don't forget to look in outdated atlases. Paper grocery bags make sturdy wrapping paper and can easily be decorated by kids using stickers, crayons and markers. Save the colorful Sunday comics every week and use them to wrap gifts for kids of all ages. In fact, newspaper is another great wrapping material. Small paper bags with handles that you get from specialty stores are excellent for hard-to-wrap items. Just cover the store logo with construction paper or pictures from a magazine, and you're ready to go.

Use themes to your advantage. Wrap kitchen items in a tea towel and tie with ribbon. For bath and hair products, use a plush hand towel or an ultra-absorbent hair towel. Use a pretty makeup bag to wrap a variety of beauty products. Such bags are found regularly on clearance tables. During back-to-school season, purchase several pencil boxes and use to give art supplies, writing instruments, stickers, small paints, candies, small pads of paper or costume jewelry. In the winter, wrap gloves, a headband, and packets of cocoa mix in a knit cap. Summertime brings hot days, so use a colorful pitcher to "wrap" lemonade mix, straws, and matching napkins. Wrap baby items in a soft crocheted or fleece blanket or a baby tub. Pillowcases are wonderful for giving bedding supplies or other household items. Also, you can use the wide variety of baskets available today for every kind of gift.

Recycle everyday food containers. Save condiment jars, dressing bottles, cocoa tins, oatmeal containers, baby food jars, instant coffee tins and mint tins. Clean well, add ribbons or raffia, cover with paper or paint, and fill with gift items. Mason jars are popular for giving baking mixes such as for brownies and cookies. An Internet search yields many mix-in-a-jar ideas.

Think green. After all, wrapping paper, boxes, and accessories just end up in landfills. Consider giving gifts that do not require wrapping such as magazine subscriptions, memberships to clubs, tickets to sporting or theater events, or movie tickets. Nearly every retail outlet has gift cards available, and some are really unique such as. Make your own coupons for services such as lawn mowing, babysitting, or making dinner.

If you're really ambitious. Do like my wonderful, talented grandmother and sew your own reusable gift bags. This is especially useful for oddly shaped and difficult to wrap items. Grandma has given several Christmas gifts using her special bags, and now it has become tradition to give them back and forth within the family. These gift bags are so pretty and useful that I think even my own mother pleaded with Grandma to make gift bags that she could use for other occasions!

Gift recipients notice and appreciate unique gift-wrapping. Your thoughtfulness and creativity will be remembered longer than traditional wrapping paper, and you'll have fun thinking of unique ways to wrap gifts. Now go find that old atlas.