6 Creative Gift Wrapping Ideas to Make Presents More Beautiful

The art of gift giving doesn’t end after picking the perfect present. No! You still have to wrap it up and put it under the tree.

Wrapping gifts is actually one of our favorite parts of the holidays. Picking the design of the paper and the accessories like ribbons, bows and tags, lets your personality shine and shows how much you care. Every year there is an unspoken competition in my family for the best-wrapped gifts.

Here are some of our best creative gift wrapping ideas to turn your present into a work of wrapped art. Psst! This Little Elf gift wrap cutter will make your presents look professionally wrapped.

Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Lauren Naru for Taste of Home

If you’re short on time, but still seeking some creative flair for your gifts, try making this reindeer-inspired wrapping idea. It’s super simple. Wrap your gift in some plain kraft paper, draw on antlers and eyes with your marker, then glue on a red pom-pom for the finishing touch. No pom-poms? A red marker works just as well for Rudolf’s nose!

What You’ll Need

• Brown kraft paper
• Black marker
• Red pom-pom or red marker
• Glue or glue sticks

Candy Bow

Lauren Naru for Taste of Home

Give them the gift of something sweet by adding a candy bow to your gift. It’s a quick, easy and tasty way to dress up any present. Try adding a small bag of your favorite sweets by pinching the bag of candy in the middle and tying string around to keep the shape of the “bow.” Add to your body with more ribbon, tape or glue.

What You’ll Need

• Wrapping paper
• Bags of candy
• Ribbon or bakers twine

Thumbprint Christmas Lights

Lauren Naru for Taste of Home

Get the kiddos involved in this hands-on wrapping paper project. Draw a few curly “strings” for the Christmas lights across a box wrapped in plain kraft paper. Then create the Christmas “lights” with fingerprints using washable paint or ink pads. If you have a few extra minutes, add a few pops of glitter to make the lights sparkle.

What You’ll Need

• White or brown kraft paper
• Black marker
• Washable paint or ink pads
• Optional: Glitter and glue

Cookie Cutter Sweetness

Lauren Naru for Taste of Home

This is one of our favorite creative gift wrapping ideas. Tie a simple holiday-themed cookie cutter with a ribbon and affix it to the box to quickly upgrade your gift wrap. It looks super cute and it’s totally functional. Even if the cutter isn’t used to bake Christmas cookies, it can be used as an ornament on the Christmas tree.

What You’ll Need

• Wrapping paper
• Holiday-themed cookie cutters
• Ribbon or bakers twine

Color Your Own

Lauren Naru for Taste of Home

This is a fantastic idea for anyone looking to fill a little time while they wait to open their gifts. Turn your gift into a DIY work of art with some blank paper and a few crayons. Coloring book pages and these festive printable wrapping paper templates from Etsy work great for smaller gifts.

What You’ll Need

• Kraft paper, coloring book pages or printable wrapping paper
• Crayola crayons
• Washi tape

Fabric Feels

Lauren Naru for Taste of Home

Skip the paper altogether and wrap your gift with a piece of fabric. Inspired by the art of furoshiki (the practice of wrapping presents with reusable cloths), this eco-friendly method is perfect for wrapping items of all shapes and sizes. Pick up fabric from your local craft store or use fabrics you may have in the house. Simply wrap your gift inside the fabric and knot the ends.

What You’ll Need

• Repurposed fabric like shirts, scarves, tea towels, or reusable fabric gift wrap

Up next, check out these Christmas gift baskets for everyone on your holiday list.