Pretty And Frugal Gift Wrap Ideas
By Abigail Beal
Sometimes gift wrapping can be so expensive -- once
you’ve bought the paper, tissue and the card you’ve spent just as
much as you did on the gift. Here are some pretty and frugal gift
wrap ideas to help you save more so you can spend more on your gifts
and your loved ones.
When saving money on gift wrapping materials the most
important thing to keep in mind is your own needs -- and everyone’s
needs are different.
Think of what type of occasions are likely to come
up during this year. If three of your friends are now pregnant, you
are likely to go to three baby showers in the near future.
If two other friends have engagement rings on their
fingers, you will probably be invited to bridal showers and also a
wedding within the next year. You can’t plan for everything life has
in store for you -- but try to look at what is a strong possibility
and plan for that.
The next thing to keep in mind is your style. If you
are a crafty person that likes to make things you may be happiest
buying supplies where you need to create some of your gift wrapping
materials.
But if you are not a crafty person at all and you
just want to wrap your gifts and make them look pretty, focus on finding
pre-made gift wrapping materials. There’s no reason to re-invent the
wheel and it is really apples vs. oranges if you make your own gift
cards or buy them -- you are probably spending about the same amount
of money.
A great place to go is The Dollar Store. There is
one in most communities and usually they carry gift wrap. Sometimes
gift wrapping paper can be two rolls for one dollar and other times
it can be one roll for one dollar (depends on the store). The Dollar
Store is also a great location for other basic gift wrapping items
such as tissue, tape, scissors and even traditional cards.
The key to buying gift wrapping paper and cards at
any dollar store is to try to plan ahead for special occasions and
holidays that will occur within the next six months to a year -- because
stock at every dollar store changes over quickly and it may not be
there in a month or so.
Consider gift wrapping your item in non-traditional
paper. There are so many different kinds of paper out there that we
use in our daily lives that are attractive.
You can use something fun like the Sunday paper comics
or even the crossword section for someone who likes good puzzles.
A musician or composer would appreciate a gift wrapped in music sheets;
these can be found at any music store.
For a very artistic look try wrapping your gift using
magazine pages -- such as from a high fashion magazine or even a scientific
discovery magazine. A gift wrapped in National Geographic Magazine
pages would be perfect for someone who cares about animals and the
environment.
For someone who is learning a foreign language, wrap
their gift in a newspaper or magazine of that language -- you can
find this at a large bookstore or even an airport. Try to match the
gift wrapping paper style to the tastes of the person that you are
giving the gift to.
We all know that the day after every holiday, the
gift wrapping paper goes on sale. This is a wonderful time to stock
up but do so in a reasonable fashion.
Look for gift wrapping paper that you can use year-round
because even if you do hold the gift wrapping roll for a year, chances
are you are going to want to use several gift wrap rolls for a large
holiday or occasion.
Your best bet at after holiday sales are solid colors
and patterns that you and your friends like. Everyone’s tastes are
different -- so for one home that would just love polka dots, another
home would really love to use a roll of paper that had a plaid pattern.
If the pattern or color on the gift wrap roll doesn’t
appeal to you, don’t buy it, even if it is on sale, there is just
too much gift wrapping paper out there. Also remember if you are shopping
at a chain store to visit the chain stores that get less traffic because
they will have more of a variety of gift wrapping paper.
Store your gift wrapping paper in a sensible place,
somewhere cool and dry and where you will be able to find it easily
like a coat closet. This is probably one of the top ways to save money
on gift wrapping v and it works like a charm.
Another choice is to consider using very basic craft
white or brown paper and then to add some fancy finishes to this.
Add a large bow and a nice card. Or take a rubber stamp and stamp
a design on it.
Do something that is easily when you are doing this
v do something that comes naturally. If it is Christmas then buy some
inexpensive Christmas ornaments and tie one on each package with the
ribbon.
If it is springtime, pick some flowers and tuck them
under the ribbon to show spring’s bounty. This will make your gift
look very special, but it is still keeping your gift wrapping very
frugal.
With a little planning and some creativity you can
easily find inexpensive ways to wrap gifts for any holiday. Happy
wrapping!
About The Author
Abigail Beal is the author of two zines Creative
Crafts Teacher – for crafts teachers and Gift Wrap Goddess Wraps –
all about gift wrap. To subscribe: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GiftWrapGoddessWraps/
or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CreativeCraftsTeachers/
