Last Minute Gift Wrap Materials You Already Have At Home

The tell-tale wrapping paper tubes have reappeared and the holidays are in full swing. You likely already have presents under the tree waiting to be opened, but as you're finishing up those last minute gifts, you may realize your tubes runneth empty. Rather than rushing out and fighting the crowds to replenish them, what if you can source wrapping paper from materials around your house instead? Not only is this a great way to be more sustainable, but coming up with creative alternatives is actually quite fun and satisfying. Whether you decide to repurpose fabric or newspaper, aluminum foil or brown paper bags you've upcycled with paint, there is a long list of items you can pull to wrap up your gifts and still make them look festive under the tree!

The first thing on your list will be to take stock of what you already have around the house. For example, if you have a lot of spare fabric from previous crafts, this can be a strong option that adds style and texture to gifts, also elevating your tree and décor layout. Use smaller scraps for tiny gifts including stocking stuffers, and larger pieces for those big presents. You can also use an old (clean) sheet that may have been destined for the trash. If your material is plain, why not grab paint stamps or stencils and fabric paint to add small embellishments to upgrade the sheet and make it more festive? Use holiday-themed stencils to really get in the Christmas spirit.

One hack is wrapping gifts with newspaper. While this standard practice is fine on its own, you can elevate it to make the wrapping chic and intentionally designed. Take a sheet of newspaper and stencils or stamps, printing decorative themes over the writing. This will transform the monotonous tone of the paper into a more immersive and engaging wrapping, one that looks custom-made and can be personalized to the recipients' interests and even color preferences. No newspaper? No problem. Try this upgrade on brown paper bags that you cut to lay flat. Decorate one side with various paint, stickers, or decoupage to make it less plain. 

Head to your kitchen and pull out parchment paper or aluminum foil if you don't have any of the aforementioned supplies. These are simple but effective ways to cover up surprise presents, and you can still make them exciting and festive. If you leave these blank, use ribbon, bows, or even foliage to elevate the top and make the whole piece holiday-ready. You could also use leaves from house or garden plants and dip them in paint, printing their outlines onto the foil or paper like a stamp. Allow the paint to dry properly before wrapping to avoid mess.

If you hold on to gift bags from other occasions or celebrations, why not reuse these by adding a few festive upgrades? Depending on the design on the bag, you can paint holiday-themed pictures on the existing décor, or you can use decoupage supplies to cover other holiday colors and designs. If you have plain bags, draw, paint, stencil, or sticker them, or simply add festive tissue paper to give them more pizazz. You can also combine mediums and make your own beeswax wraps at home with meltable wax and fabric — this may just become your go-to for eco-friendly wrapping paper. 

While there really are so many options for gift wrapping, it's coverings that can double as a second or third gift that really make sense. If you have unused tea or bath towels, you can wrap up your gifts in these so that when the recipient gets their gift, they can also use the towels in their home. Blankets also work for this trick, especially if you have oversized presents that need to be concealed until they're given away. It might be worth collecting inexpensive tea towels and blankets from local home good stores to use for this exact purpose, so you're wasting less paper. This is one of many ways to have a sustainable Christmas in your home, too!