15 Easy Christmas Gift Wrapping Ideas (1 Requires No Tape!)
Need some easy gift-wrapping ideas this Christmas?
Spice up your gifts this year! 🎁
Team bags or wrapping? You’ll love these frugal and easy gift wrapping ideas that make it seem like you went the extra mile…but with minimal extra effort.
We know you’re busy so all of these ideas are easy to create, stylish, and some require just one or no piece of tape! 🤩
1. This candy wrapper technique doesn’t require tape and is perfect for those long scraps of wrapping paper you have left over.
This easy Christmas gift wrapping idea is especially great for all of those long strips of leftover wrapping paper you have rolling around. You can wrap any cylinder shape item from bottles of lotion to toothbrush holders and so much more!
To get this look:
- Measure your paper to be sure it will go all the way around your cylinder shape and be sure to leave a few inches on each end.
- Center your item in the piece of wrapping paper and roll your item up in the paper.
- Hold the center of the cylinder shape while pinching both ends to keep your paper in place.
- Tie ribbon or string on each end to secure your package.
2. Use some holiday washi tape to quickly add a festive tree to your packaging.
Have a stash of decorative washi tape? Here’s a great opportunity to incorporate it into your Christmas gift wrapping! You can use multiple designs or one for a more streamlined look.
To get this look:
- Wrap your gift in a solid color wrapping paper. (We used a drawing paper roll.)
- Place pieces of washi tape from big to small to form the shape of a Christmas tree.
- Glue a little sequin, button, or other small decoration at the top for the star.
3. Make envelopes for cards with one of our gift wrapping ideas that only requires one piece of tape.
Have a few flat boxes you want to spruce up? This gift wrapping idea is perfect for books, clothes boxes, and literally any rectangular or square item that’s flat. Best of all, if requires just one piece of tape and you’ll end up with slots to stash away extras like your cards, scratch-off tickets, gift cards, and whatever other surprises you have up your sleeve. 😉
To get this look:
- Measure your wrapping paper making sure it folds down about 3/4 of the way down the front of your package and making sure there’s extra paper on the sides and end. (You’ll want about twice as much as you’d cut if wrapping traditionally).
- Fold your paper down the top of your package so that it’s covering 3/4 of the top of your package. (No tape necessary, but you can tape it down if it’s easier).
- Crease the right and left sides of your paper to create a triangle shape and fold over the top of your package. (You should see the start of two envelopes after this step).
- Grab the remaining two sides of paper and fold over the top creasing the edges and sides so your paper stays in place.
- Crease the right and left sides on the bottom of your package like you were folding the ends in traditional wrapping.
- Fold the top piece of the bottom down.
- Fold the bottom piece up and tape to the top of your package.
- Finish with a bow and add your card or other extras into the slots.
4. Use evergreens and other natural elements from outside to give your gifts an organic look.
Have a fresh Christmas tree or wreath? Clip some extra greenery from a wreath or fresh tree for a frugal and easy present topper that looks elegant! This is also such a frugal gift wrapping idea because the decorations will essentially be free if you already have them growing outside.
To get this look:
- Wrap your gift in kraft paper, solid color gift wrap, or you could even turn a paper grocery bag inside out and use that!
- Tie pieces of fresh greenery to the top using baker’s twine.
- Write on the package using a black Sharpie to add a personalized message.
5. Re-purpose greeting cards as toppers/tags.
Have pretty greeting cards from years past? The front of paper cards can be re-purposed into really cute tags or present toppers if you want a genius way to use those cards that are just laying around. This easy Christmas gift wrapping idea is especially great if you use some festive and fun 3-dimensional cards with paper embellishments.
To get this look:
- Wrap your gift in desired holiday wrapping paper.
- Cut the front of an old Christmas card to use as a present topper or gift tag. You could even use a cookie cutter to trace a fun shape to cut it into.
- Tape your repurposed gift tag to the front of the gift or punch a hole in it and attach it with ribbon or twine.
6. Use a festive dish towel or fabric to wrap a gift and it’ll double as two gifts in one.
Gifting a kitchen item to a new homeowner or want the perfect wrapping idea for a host gift? This is a beautiful and sustainable gift wrapping idea where you can use a towel you already have or scoop up a festive new towel for just a few bucks! Pictured above is a bottle of wine wrapped in a fun dish towel.
To get this look:
- Place your gift in the center of your towel making sure the decorative side will be on the outside.
- Gather excess material around the top and secure with twine or ribbon.
7. Doodle cars using a black marker and add a bottle brush tree for this cute and easy gift wrapping idea.
Love to get artsy? Grab a marker and doodle a car or other festive art to make your plain wrapping paper come to life. We love this easy idea and by adding a cute bottle brush tree on top, you’ll have some gift wrap your giftee is sure to never forget!
To get this look:
- Wrap your gift in plain paper. Be sure to pick a lighter color so the marker will stand out.
- Doodle a car on the front of a package.
- Tie a small bottle brush tree to the top using baker’s twine.
8. Make kraft paper stapled shapes.
This is a great idea if you have a soft item like a scarf, socks, or other clothing to gift! Stapling two pieces of wrapping paper to make a shape is a fun and clever way to conceal the present inside!
To get this look:
- Cut two pieces of wrapping paper in a stocking shape making sure they line up. (You could use a real stocking to easily trace this shape).
- Staple the edges together leaving the top open.
- Place your gift inside.
- Staple the top.
- Embellish and decorate the outside as desired.
9. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer makes for simple and cute gift wrapping ideas.
Get this super cute-looking Rudolph wrap by using a red craft pom, plain wrapping paper, and a black marker. We used drawing paper as gift wrap, but kraft of white paper would also be ideal too.
To get this look:
- Wrap your gift in a light, solid color like kraft or white paper.
- Use a black marker to draw simple reindeer features like eyes and antlers on the top of your gift.
- Attach a red craft pom using a glue gun or other quick drying adhesive.
10. Place your gifts in a jar to create a unique gift basket perfect for a host or new homeowner.
Jumbo storage jars make excellent gift “wrapping” ideas because you can fill them with whatever you’d like, just like a gift basket. They look so pretty when presented as a gift, and they can be used over and over by the recipient after Christmas too!
To get this look:
- Place a layer of faux snow or white tissue paper on the bottom of your jar.
- Fill with desired gifts.
- Place lid on top and finish with ribbon or a bow if desired.
11. Hide a gift card to your friend’s favorite coffee shop inside a plastic drinking cup.
If you love giving gift cards for coffee this is such a cute way to do it and will be a hit with teachers or can even be a frugal gift idea for groups. Simply hid your gift card inside a plastic drinking cup filled with Hershey’s Kisses to sweeten the gift even more.
You can order a pack of cups online for a group of friends or if you have just one to give, you can likely get a free cup when you buy your gift card. (Note this could vary by location, but it did pan out well for our gift above). As a bonus, your “gift wrap” for this easy idea will be free!
To get this look:
- Fill an empty Starbucks Frappuccino cup or plastic drinking cup halfway with candy.
- Add a Starbucks gift card to the center, and finish filling the cup with candy, concealing the gift card inside.
- Top it off with some white tissue paper to mimic whipped cream inside the dome lid.
- Put the lid on and finish with a bow around the straw.
Hip Tip: Check out these other frugal group gift ideas that cost well under $1 per person!
12. Teens and kids will love this candy gift topper idea for an extra sweet gift.
Know someone with a sweet tooth? Top a gift with their favorite candy for a sweet and easy gift topper that also makes a yummy bonus gift! You could even do this with wrapped baked goods like decorative sugar cookies or chocolate-covered pretzels – the options are endless!
To get this look:
- Start by wrapping your gift as usual.
- Use ribbon to tie a piece of candy at the top or slide your candy under the ribbon after it’s tied in place.
13. A paint can be a surprisingly pretty way to wrap your gifts!
Your local hardware store has a unique gift wrapping idea to consider – empty paint cans! You can grab them for about $3 each at Lowe’s and fill them with paint supplies for a new homeowner, tools and other odds and ends for dad, or whatever else the handyman or handywoman in your life will appreciate.
To really make your gift memorable, grab a couple of paint chip cards at the hardware store and cut them into a tree shape for a fun gift tag idea that keeps up with the paint theme!
Download our FREE Merry & Bright printable to complete your gift!
To get this look:
- Simply decorate your paint can with wrapping paper, scrapbook paper, ribbon, or any other materials you may have on hand. (Or download our free printable above).
- Fill with desired gifts.
- Tie our paint sample card or other gift tag to finish your gift.
14. Use zip ties for a gag gift or if you want the unwrapping to last a little longer than usual.
Looking for funny/silly gift wrapping ideas for that person who always has their gifts unwrapped in record time? Try wrapping their gift and then tying it up with some plastic zip ties! That ought to slow them down, and it’s one sure way to draw out the suspense of what’s inside! Ha! 😁
To get this look:
- Wrap your gift as usual.
- Tie zip ties around your package. (If one doesn’t fit around your package, zip multiple zip ties together until you have the length you need and secure the ends together.
- Cut the excess ends off for a more seamless look.
15. Give an unexpected game as your gift and leave your unwrapped gift somewhere else.
Instead of wrapping your actual gift inside consider coming up with a fun game like hangman where the answer will take them to their gift instead. This will be a fun and unexpected surprise for whoever you gift this to and is especially fun for kids. I do this often with my kiddos since we do the 4 gift rule so it makes our mornings last a little bit longer. Plus, it’s a fun idea that can make even mundane gifts feel over-the-top exciting.
To get this look:
- Decide on your game of choice.
- Grab a piece of cardstock, paper, or something to write on. A scrap piece of wood would also be good to make your gift feel heavier once wrapped.
- Place your game inside your package and wrap it traditionally or use any of our easy gift wrapping ideas above.
Love these ideas! Thanks for posting! This is one of those kind of posts that keeps me coming to Hip2Save all these years…I love to save money, but I also appreciate all the “hacks”, recipes, and creativity to keep my people happy! Blessings to all of you and yours this Christmas and for 2023!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this post, Materof6! Thank you for being such a valued reader – we sure appreciate you! Merry Christmas to you and yours. ā¤ļø
When my kids were younger we played #15 game. They loved the scavenger hunt with clues. Whoever found their gifts first was the first one to open their presents. Thanks for reminding me of the fun times we had!
That is so very sweet, Julie! Time sure does fly!
I truly enjoyed this post and Iām copying some of them. Hip2save always to the rescue, yay! Thanks a bunch!šā¤ļøšā¤ļøš
So glad you enjoyed this post! Happy wrapping! šā¤ļø
Such fun ideas! Thank you!
You’re so welcome, Gigi! š¤š