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 √ 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 √ 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!
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