The easiest Christmas gift wrapping that still looks like you tried is plain brown kraft paper, jute twine and one natural thing tucked under the knot, like a sprig of rosemary, a dried orange slice or a pinecone. A 30 inch roll of kraft paper wraps most boxes, a spool of twine goes a long way, and you can wrap gifts for the whole list at the kitchen table with scissors and tape. If you would rather skip paper, a scarf or a cloth napkin knotted around the gift costs nothing and gets used again. Pick two colors for the whole pile and even a small stack under a small tree looks planned.
10 Christmas Gift Wrapping Ideas to Make at Home
Styling idea: kraft paper, jute twine and one natural touch on every gift.
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How do I make my own gift wrap?
Start with a roll of plain brown craft paper, usually sold as kraft paper, and make it yours: stamp it, draw on it, or leave it plain and dress up the twine. A 30 inch by 150 foot kraft paper roll (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. is 375 square feet of paper, and it is also the paper for birthdays, mailing packages and covering the table for a craft night. Brown paper costs far less than printed Christmas paper, and it shows off whatever you tie on top.
For the finishing touch you need only two things. Natural jute twine (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. is 2 mm thick and comes in a 328 foot spool. Scissors and a roll of double-sided tape keep the seam clean, so no tape shows on the front. Paper tape or washi tape also works and is easier to recycle than plastic tape.
How much paper does one box take?
Measure the box and add a little. Cut the paper to this size:
| Direction | How to measure | Example: 10 x 8 x 3 inch book box |
|---|---|---|
| Around the box | 2 x (width + height) + 1 inch | 2 x (8 + 3) + 1 = 23 inches |
| Along the box | length + height + 1 inch | 10 + 3 + 1 = 14 inches |
A 30 inch wide roll covers any box whose two smaller sides add up to 14 inches or less, which takes in most sweater boxes, book boxes and shoe boxes. At 14 inches a cut, a 150 foot roll gives you more than 100 pieces. Fold the long edges over each other, tape the seam from the inside, then crease each end into a neat triangle and tape it flat.
10 Christmas gift wrapping ideas you can make at home
Each idea below is easy DIY Christmas wrapping that works on its own, and they mix well. A cost of $ means a few dollars or less beyond the paper you already have. $$ means you buy one extra thing for the whole pile.
1. Wrap in kraft paper, tie twine crosswise and tuck in a sprig
This is the classic, and it is the one that looks best with the least work. Wrap the box as above. Take about 5 feet of twine for a medium box, run it once around the length and once around the width, cross it on top and knot it. That means one 328 foot spool is enough for roughly 60 gifts. Slide a 3 to 5 inch sprig of cedar, pine, fir or rosemary under the crossing and tie a gift tag to the knot for a festive touch.
If you wrap ahead, dry the greenery for a day first, because fresh sprigs can leave damp spots on paper stored in a warm room. If a cat shares your living room, pick rosemary over holly or pine, since rosemary is non-toxic to cats and dogs. Cost: $.
2. Tie a dried orange slice onto the twine
A dried orange slice looks like a tiny wreath and smells like the holiday, and it costs almost nothing. Slice an orange 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick, dry the slices in a 200°F oven for 3 to 4 hours, and poke a hole near the rind. One orange gives you enough slices for several gifts. Thread the twine through the hole, knot it on top of the package and add a cinnamon stick if you like. Full drying steps are in our dried orange garland guide.
Make the slices several days before you wrap. A slice that is still a little damp can stain the paper or go moldy once it is tied on. Cost: $.
3. Knot a scarf or cloth napkin around the gift
Fabric wrapping is the Japanese furoshiki method, and a square scarf, a cloth napkin or a piece of old sheet works the same way. A square about 24 inches wide holds a gift up to 8 inches across, and an 18 inch napkin holds a jar candle. Lay the cloth like a diamond with the gift in the middle, bring the left and right corners over the top and tie a double knot, then do the same with the other two corners. Fluff the ends and you are done. The cloth is part of the gift, so tell the person to keep it.
Lay the cloth under the gift before you start. If the corners meet over the top with a hand’s width to spare, the cloth is big enough. For a bottle, stand it on the cloth and tie the corners over the top, then cross the other two and tie them behind. Cost: $, or free with a scarf you own.
4. Stamp the paper with half a potato
A potato stamp turns plain kraft paper into custom paper. Cut a potato in half, pat the cut face dry with a paper towel, and cut away about 1/4 inch around a simple tree or star shape so the shape stands up. Press it onto an ink pad or brush on a thin coat of paint, then stamp in rows across the paper. White or dark green looks best on brown. Test on a scrap first, because some inks bleed through thin paper, and let the stamped paper dry flat before you wrap.
Stamp the roll before you cut the pieces and the pattern runs across the whole thing. A kid can do the stamping while you cut the twine. Cost: $.
5. Draw a pattern by hand on brown paper
If you do not want to carve anything, draw on the paper. Rows of dots, small stars, tiny trees or the person’s name in big letters look like you spent an hour on it. Use a white paint pen or a fine black marker, draw on the paper while it is flat, and repeat one shape across the sheet so it reads as a pattern. A name drawn big across the front can replace the tag.
Finish with a yarn pom-pom in place of a bow. Wrap yarn around two or three fingers until it is thick, tie it tight in the middle, cut the loops and trim. Cost: $.
6. Wrap in sheet music, a map or the comics
Paper you already have makes the best wrapping. Print the music for a public domain carol such as Silent Night or Joy to the World. A road map or the Sunday comics works too, and the comics are a good pick for a joke gift. Choose pages with cheerful pictures and skip the bad news. Newsprint is thin, so use two layers around a heavy or sharp-cornered box. Tie it with red twine or a green ribbon.
Tape two sheets together to make one big sheet for a larger box. Cost: $, usually free.
7. Turn a brown paper bag into a gift bag
Soft Christmas presents like a sweater, pajamas or a pair of socks are hard to wrap. Put them in a paper bag instead. Line the bag with a sheet of white or cream tissue paper, set the gift in, and fold the top of the bag down twice, about 1 inch each time. Punch two holes through the folds and thread twine through, then tie a bow. Small bags suit small gifts and large grocery bags suit big ones.
For a nicer bag, stamp or draw on it first, like the paper in ideas 4 and 5. Cost: $.
8. Wrap a plant, a bottle or a basket
Odd-shaped gifts are where plain paper struggles, so wrap the shape you have. For a plant, slip the pot into a kraft paper bag or fold paper up around the pot, tie twine at the rim, and leave the leaves open so they keep getting light. For a bottle, use the cloth method from idea 3 or twist kraft paper around it and tie twine at the neck. For a basket, line it with a tea towel or cloth napkin, fill it, and tie a ribbon on the handle. The towel is part of the gift.
Wrapped this way, a hostess gift or a neighbor gift looks like more than it cost. Our hostess gift ideas and neighbor gift ideas have things to put inside. Cost: $.
9. Make tags from old Christmas cards and clip them on
Last year’s Christmas cards make gift tags with a picture already on them. Cut each card into a 2 by 4 inch rectangle, punch a hole near the top, thread a loop of twine, and write the name on the back. Or buy a pack of 100 blank kraft tags (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure., which are 2 by 4 inches and come with string. Mini wooden clothespins (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure., about 1 inch long, clip a tag to the twine or to the top of a gift bag.
Write the names on the tags before you start wrapping, and put each tag on its gift as you finish it. That keeps you from opening a package on Christmas Eve and wondering who it was for. Cost: $.
10. Pick two colors and carry them through every gift
Wrapped presents that match look like decor. Pull your colors from something already in the room, like a pillow, a blanket or the tree skirt, then use only those. A good starter is kraft brown plus one accent, like deep green velvet ribbon or cranberry, with cream tissue paper for bags and a small wooden ornament tied on top. Use the same ribbon on every gift, and save it after Christmas for next year. Ribbon you save and reuse is what keeps this one cheap.
Stack the finished gifts by the tree or on a bench, since wrapped gifts take up space and look better when they are grouped. A spool of velvet ribbon is the one thing you might buy for this idea. Cost: $$.
What can you use instead of wrapping paper?
A scarf, a cloth napkin, a paper bag, newspaper, sheet music, a map, a tin or a basket all work, and most of them are already in your house. Cereal and oatmeal boxes, clean shipping boxes and jars hold small gifts. Cover a clean shipping box with kraft paper and twine and it looks new. Make the wrapping part of the gift when you can: a basket, a mug, a watering can or a terra cotta pot can hold the present and be part of it. Our stocking stuffers for women and cozy gifts for her are the kinds of presents that go well in these wraps.
Which Christmas wrapping can you recycle?
Plain paper and kraft paper can go in the recycling bin, which makes them the eco-friendly pick. Shiny, metallic, foil and glitter paper usually cannot be recycled, so it ends up in the trash the next morning. Home Depot suggests kraft paper because it is durable and recyclable, and paper tape in place of plastic tape. Natural touches like pinecones, dried citrus and greenery can go in the compost. Save the ribbon, the twine, the boxes and the bags that came through in good shape.
How early can you wrap Christmas presents?
Wrap most gifts weeks ahead and store them somewhere cool and dry. Add fresh greenery last, a day or two before the gifts go under the tree. Dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks and tags can go on early. Hallmark’s tips are to wrap similar gifts in one session, so you get faster as you go, and to set up one table with the paper, tape and tags together.
Can kids help wrap?
Yes. Potato stamping and drawing on kraft paper are good kid jobs, and a child’s drawing makes a tag or a whole sheet of paper that a grandparent will keep. Give them a roll of paper on the floor, an ink pad and a potato cut in half, and you wrap while they stamp.
What to buy
Most of these ideas need only what is in the house. If you want to stock up, these are the basics:
- Kraft paper roll, 30 inches by 150 feet (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure., for the paper, the stamping and the drawing.
- Natural jute twine, 328 feet (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure., for tying every gift.
- Blank kraft gift tags with string, pack of 100 (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure., for names.
- Mini wooden clothespins, 1 inch (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure., for clipping tags on.
If you want a dried orange slice on every gift, our dried orange garland guide covers the drying.
