5 Creative Ways To Gift Wrap A Houseplant

Let's take a guess: You've got a gardening enthusiast, a houseplant addict, and a friend who could just really use a little greenery in his life on your holiday shopping list, and now that you're home from the nursery, you're wondering how the heck you're supposed to gift wrap these awkwardly shaped potted plants. Sound about right? You're not alone. People love getting houseplants as gifts, but for the giver who loves to present a thoughtfully-designed package, these welcome gifts offer up a bit of a wrapping conundrum.

Gift wrapping a houseplant may not be as difficult as wrapping a new bike, but it's still a challenge. Popular Science has collected solutions for cylindrical tubes, small odd-shaped items, and even tennis racquets, yet they still don't seem to know what to do with a living plant. If you're stuck scratching your head as well, let us put an end to your worries with five creative ways that'll wow your audience with uniquely wrapped houseplants.

A plain burlap sack and some twine may not look like much when they're sitting by themselves on a table, but wrap them around a potted houseplant, and voilà! You've created the trendiest boho-chic gift wrap possible that will be absolutely perfect for the nature girl closest to your heart. Pair them with boxed items wrapped in brown paper, and your gift-wrapping skills will soar right over the bohemian edge. The completed look is spare and raw, yet warm and cozy — you'll have everyone at the gathering wondering how in the world you pulled off that combo.

DIY bloggers from Domestically Speaking suggest cutting a square of burlap so that each side is an inch longer than the height of your pot. Then you'll simply place the pot in the center (don't forget the saucer), gather the sides up and around as if you were wrapping a bouquet of flowers, and tie a length of twine to keep it secure. For a festive touch, you could use dyed raffia instead.

Boxes are easier to wrap than anything else, so why not simply place a potted plant inside a pre-wrapped gift box and leave the top open? Holiday-themed tissue paper would be a nice finishing touch. You could also use a decorative crate that could be kept and used as a planter or a wicker or rattan basket that would double as a second gift to be employed elsewhere around the house.

If you're wrapping the box yourself, start by removing the top flaps with a razor blade for clean cuts. Roll out your wrapping paper and cut a piece large enough to cover the bottom, all four sides, and a little extra. From here, you can either fold in the excess paper at each corner like you would in a standard wrapping procedure or, for a cleaner look, cut it away at 90-degree angles (via Doodle Craft Blog). Wrap each side up and over the top, so the paper continues down the inside walls of the box. Depending on the size of your plant, you can decide whether to wrap the entire interior or just a few inches down from the top. Insert your tissue paper first, then the pot saucer, and finally the gift plant.

What's great about clear plastic wrap is that the entire plant and decorative pot will remain visible and all of the potting soil and water drainage will stay off your clean party attire. You can find all sorts of cellophane wrap on Amazon: plain clear wrap, clear with candy canes, clear with snowflakes, and paw prints for the dog lovers. We're sure if you spend a few minutes searching, you'll probably even find an option with a gardening theme.

Situate the potted plant and saucer in the center of the cellophane. Use a large enough piece so that when you pull it up around the sides of the houseplant you can collect it all at the top for a decorative finish. On its YouTube channel, eHow Arts and Crafts suggests using a long piece of Scotch tape to tightly secure the bunched cellophane. If there's any extra cellophane that didn't make it up to the top bunch, fold it under the pot. Then use wider pieces of packing tape to secure them from the bottom. With a living plant, make sure there's room for it to breathe. If you've pulled the cellophane particularly taut, you might need to loosen it a little or poke a few air holes in the plastic wrap. Finish with raffia ribbons, bows, and gift tags. If it's a Christmas gift, red and green are the obvious standards, but a bit of purple would give it a royal flair.

Who's kidding who? Not everyone is a great gift presenter, and a lot of us just don't have the time to get a high-class wrapping job done before the party. For the gift-wrapping novice, we've got a quick and easy solution. Put the plant in a festive cookie tin, maybe add some recycled tissue paper that you just pulled from a gift bag you received from someone else, and call it a day.

Perhaps it's the other way around. You've been browsing the flea market on the hunt for the perfect vintage tin for your retro décor-obsessed friend, and now it feels sort of empty. Well, here's an idea — pop a succulent in there, and it becomes two gifts in one. This trick will also work for the inexperienced baker who loves the festive cookie tins but cannot for the life of them bake a dessert that anyone would want to consume. Who says you can only put cookies in those tins? Mix it up this year and give everyone at the office a little plant to decorate their desk.

If you've read through these ideas and you're thinking they're pretty good but just not enough for the bold statement you want to make, then it's time to go beyond wrapping only the pot and get to the point of decorating the actual houseplant. For an over-the-top gift exchange, first, go big on the plant; we're thinking something like a potted bird of paradise or a Chinese fan palm.

Start by using brightly colored and amusingly patterned wrapping paper for the plant's container — really find a theme that's sure to make the receiver laugh and smile. A big audacious bow stuck to the side never hurts. Now it's time to pull out all the stops: pinwheels shooting up from the potting soil, tinsel draped over the foliage, and multi-colored ribbon. On her YouTube channel, ClaCali can even shows you how to make a paper bowtie. For the super arts and craftsy folks, DIY ornaments are a great way to spruce up the plant and personalize the gift even more.