This year, lots of people will be looking for alternatives to wrapping paper. Whether it’s because of supply chain issues, a desire to waste less, or a need to save money, there are some ideas here for everyone. (And if you’re primarily looking to save money on Christmas, I’ve got you covered with some frugal gift ideas).
Luckily, Christmas decor trends have recently focused on the eco-friendly, minimal, and rustic look. This works out great for us, since it means we can make wrapping paper and decorations from random stuff in our house and backyard and still be “on trend.”
A quick glance on Amazon shows many of the ideas I’m going to talk about here are being marked up and sold for more than 10x what you should pay for them. Some of the best alternatives to wrapping paper are…
- Fabric
- Brown paper bags
- Aluminum foil
- Wallpaper
- Stockings
- Drawstring bags
- Regifted gift bags
- Treasure boxes
- Maps
- Jars
- Tins
- Sheet music
The whole purpose of wrapping paper is to build anticipation before the recipient sees their gift, look pretty under the tree, and ensure the gifter sees the person’s face when they open the present. All three of these objectives can be accomplished using a number of other alternatives to wrapping paper. So let’s get to it!
Tips when using alternatives to wrapping paper
Be tidy
Regardless of your intentions, some people assume anything ‘alternative’ is just insulting when it comes to Christmas. If you do a crappy wrapping job, you’ll only really insult them.
Instead, take your time when wrapping presents. You can watch gift wrapping tutorials online if you’re insecure about your skills, but there’s no need to get fancy. Just keep your lines neat and try not to use more than three or four pieces of tape (if tape is required).
Add embellishments
Some of these alternatives to wrapping paper might look a little…plain. To help them look a bit more festive, you can try adding embellishments– most of which can be found at the thrift store, grocery store, or your own backyard. Experiment with some of these to jazz your wrapping up:
- Cinnamon sticks
- Decorative name tags
- Herbs
- Mini pine cones
- Small squares of fabric
- Sprigs of pine
- Holly
- Ribbons or lace
- Bows
- String
- Pom-poms
For maximum frugality, try decorating with things the recipient can actually use. For example, if it’s a present for a someone who likes fabric headbands, try criss-crossing headbands in opposite directions for the decoration. If the recipient really likes cooking, use fresh parsley, sage, rosemary, or thyme as the decoration.
Personalize the wrapping
In general, gifts are best received when it’s clear you took the time to think about the present. This goes for the wrapping, too! Try thinking about the recipient’s hobbies, preferences, and any inside jokes you have when deciding on the wrapping.
Best Alternatives to Wrapping Paper
Brown paper bags
Brown paper packaging tied up with string is EASILY one of my favorite things. Fräulein Maria knew what she was talking about in The Sound of Music. There are SO many different ways to use brown paper bags as wrapping paper, and all of them look good. Best of all, they’re usually free or almost free from the grocery store. Here are some of my favorite ways to spruce up a plain brown bag wrapping job:
- Tied up with twine (the kind I used in the picture above, also great for gardening projects)
- Stamped with designs
- Doodled on by children (perfect for grandma’s gift)
- Decorated with a sprig of herbs
- Painted with white lines or polka dots
Aluminum foil
Aluminum foil, whether right from the roll or from something like a reused chip bag, will give your gift a nice metallic look. You could even dress it up to look like a little robot with some pipe cleaners and googly eyes.
Wallpaper
Have you recently completed a wallpaper project and you have a few scraps left over? Or has your neighbor? Wallpaper can make great wrapping paper in a pinch, though you might end up with a present that looks like belongs next to potpourri in your Great Aunt Ethel’s bathroom.
Because wallpaper can have additional coatings and layers, it’s not considered recyclable. That’s what using it as wrapping paper is a great zero waste option.
Reusable Wrapping Paper Alternatives
Jars
These can fall on various ends of the “wow, that looks cheap” spectrum, depending on your presentation. So keep things tidy and use those embellishments!
Personally, I prefer to use a small swatch of leftover fabric and place it between a canning lid and the metal seal around the edge, but you can also use bows or pom-poms to decorate.
When it comes to the jars, you can reuse nice, clean pasta sauce jars (the pasta sauce brand Classico actually sells their product in jars that fit a standard canning lid). I, however, prefer to get a flat of mason jars so I can use the leftovers for my own purposes. I’ve found they’re actually cheaper at Walmart (Ball mason jars are less than $1/jar) than in thrift stores or yard sales.
Stockings
These are the OG of all alternatives to wrapping paper. According to the legends, ol’ Saint Nick placed his gifts in literal socks that were hanging up to dry. So you don’t need to get fancy!
Obviously, some things will be too large to place in a stocking. However, if you know ahead of time that you’re trying to use stockings as your gift wrap, plan to buy smaller presents.
Sheet music
Are you giving music to a musician? Sheet music might be the way to go for wrapping paper. If you use the entire sheet to wrap the gift (no cutting), they can be part of the gift. If it gets really wrinkled, you can iron the sheet music flat by sandwiching it between two thin pieces of fabric and ironing out the creases.
Because tape might damage the pages, try folding as if you were going to tape it, but then wrap it tightly with ribbon.
Drawstring bags
Before you imagine I’m suggesting handing out presents in smelly gym bags, hear me out. Even Santa knows the value of a good drawstring bag, if the stories are true. They’re sturdy, forgiving, and can hold presents with weird shapes.
If you’re crafty, you can make your own gift bag. For the rest of us, I know a hack. If you receive packages from Amazon marked as “gifts,” they come in one of these drawstring bags, which are great for keeping and reusing in future years. You can order any random item and mark it a ‘gift’ to get the bag (for an additional $4.49).
Maps
Maps make fabulous reusable wrapping paper, especially if you’re giving a gift to a sentimental person. Did you go on a road trip together? Consider using a map from the places you traveled. Are they originally from a different state or country? Wrap their gift with a map of their first home. And my favorite idea- is your gift itself something like tickets for vacation or luggage? Try using maps to wrap the whole thing and see if they get the hint.
Best of all, tell the person to be gentle when unwrapping. Then, they can press the map flat again and frame it as a bonus gift!
Tins
Some common items you might pick up when saving money on groceries can double as an alternative to wrapping paper. The Royal Dansk cookie tins are a common favorite around here, but you can also reuse Altoids tins for smaller gifts. You can also get a reusable metal tin from places like Dollar Tree, usually with cute Christmas prints.
Saved gift bags
If you don’t have a box or bag of bags just chilling in some corner of your house, are you even a frugal person?
Obviously, something Christmas-y from one of last year’s gifts would be optimal, but if you only have wedding bags, baby shower bags, or “Congrats on turning 40” bags, those can still work for the right person.
Wooden Box
Little wooden boxes are incredibly useful, whether for storing jewelry, sewing supplies, or other small bits and bobs. Kids also love little these boxes as a place to store all their “treasures” like pretty rocks, stickers, or lego figurines.
Those with carpentry skills can quite easily make a little wooden treasure box with some pine, two hinges, and a hook clasp. You can get really fancy with stains, wood burning, and a chisel, too.
You can purchase wooden boxes online, though the roughly $20 price tag for a quality one makes them a better option as part of the gift itself (since it’s more expensive than traditional wrapping paper).
Fabric
Last but not lease, leftover fabric (or “cabbage” as it was once called) makes for an excellent wrapping supply. Not only is it very forgiving with awkwardly shaped items, but you don’t need to worry about getting all the creases perfect. And I’m not the only one who thinks so. Fabric wrapping “paper” seems to be the hot new trend this season, as Amazon is flooded with wrapping cloth. However, you can get the same effect by buying a yard of normal fabric or reusing fabric you have laying around the house.
Some kinds of fabric also work as reusable substitute for tissue paper: sheer curtains, tulle, and thin kinds of lace can all work to top a gift bag.
For those who need a visual how-to and would be interested in a chat on sustainability and eco-friendliness, I’ll introduce you to one of my favorite ladies on YouTube: Bernadette Banner.
So there we go! 12 alternatives to wrapping paper. What kinds of frugal gifts are you giving (and wrapping) this year? I’d love to know in the comments below. 🙂