Turn your holiday gifts into works of art with some easy gift-wrapping ideas.

Sometimes the most odious thing about the holidays is the present wrapping–it just seems like a such a chore. You work really hard buying (or making) all those presents and then there’s more work. Have a little fun with it by using one of these easy gift-wrapping ideas. From fun to elegant and many involve repurposing stuff you already have on hand–these are gift-wrapping game changers!

10 Gift-Wrapping Ideas for the Holidays

1. Repurposed Paper Bags – Cut open brown paper bags, turn them over so the plain side is facing up, and decorate with holiday-themed stamps. Wrap up your packages and tie with string for a vintage wrapping look.
2. Metallic Painted Tissue Paper – Repurpose tissue paper from holiday gifts past, but bring it back to life by painting it with gold or silver paint. Many home improvement stores carry the Martha Stewart line of specialty finishes that features several different metallic options.
3. Old Road Maps – Turn old paper maps (who uses them anymore anyway!) into fun wrapping paper this season.
4. Brown Paper Packages – You can buy rolls of brown wrapping paper that can be customized a billion ways. One of the simplest is to use gold and silver pens to draw stars or snowflakes on your packages. Tie them up with pretty red and white bakers’ twine.
5. Origami Wrap – Wrap packages in white paper. Cut shapes out another layer of colored paper and double wrap your packages for an easy but pretty effect.
6. Chalkboard Wrapping Paper – If you haven’t seen it before, Chalkboard wrapping paper is a thing. It’s super easy to customize your packages with just some simple white paint markers. You can find it online and at some craft stores.
7. Washi Tape – Decorate plain white or brown paper with colorful patterned washi tape. Washi tape is Japanese masking tape, but it comes in all sorts of colors and patterns and is available online or at craft stores.
8. Duct Tape Gift Bags – By the same token, turn practical duct tape into gift bags. Here is an easy tutorial.
9. Repurposed Magazine Bows – Top your packages with pretty repurposed bows made from the pages of old magazines. Here’s a how-to.
10. Burlap, Black Ribbon and Gold Spray Painted Pine Cones – Turn everyday burlap into an elegant package by adding black velveteen ribbon and gold painted pine cones. It looks impressive, but it’s actually pretty easy to pull off. Burlap is available at most fabric stores.

Related on EcoSalon

12 Simple, Elegant DIY Christmas Decorating Ideas to Deck Your Halls

16 Gift Wrapping Ideas to Take Your Holiday Prezzies to the Next Level

15 Clever Repurposing Ideas for Christmas Cards and Wrapping Paper

Image: Christmas Gift via Shutterstock

The post 10 Easy Gift-Wrapping Ideas and Solutions to Make a Wrapping a Breeze appeared first on EcoSalon.

10 simple holiday centerpieces that will outdo your cooking.

There’s more to Christmas than St. Nick and a Christmas tree. Case in point, the people who come over to your house to break bread and who will most likely sit down at a table to do it. You’re going to want to keep them there, enraptured with your superlative cooking. That’s where interesting centerpieces come in and keep them fastened in their seats.

Here are ten DIY table-top stunners that will make them want real estate in the very chair you assigned them.

Take a tip from Sweet Paul and spray paint wine bottles white. Pick some greenery from your yard and set the table with blues and whites. (top image)

Grab a branch or a piece of  driftwood and just add succulents.

Candles in a bucket with sand. Don’t forget the ribbon.

Bring on the ambiance with punched paper wrapped around glass vases.

Spray branches gold and insert them in a block of wood for a modern table. 

Any ornament or toy becomes special under a cloche bell jar. Just add snow.

Gather mason jars with a ribbon and keep the colors unified for a sweet look.

No need for a florist. Just gather winter greens and add a garland. Scatter pine cones and candles. Don’t forget the plaid tablecloth for a rustic feel.

Add some bling with ornaments and silver branches. Green, blue and silver lend a sophisticated look.

A Rosemary topiary tree from the home improvement store with homemade bunting is as easy as you can get.

Wrapped gifts make a clever centerpiece when covered in moss.

See also…

5 DIY Alternatives to Holiday Gift Wrap
DIY Alternatives to Traditional Holiday Gift Tags
11 DIY Alternatives to Traditional Christmas Trees
The Perfect DIY Gift: Mason Jar Photo Candles

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