Gift Packaging - Making Your Frugal Gifts Look Expensive

Copy the ideas that the high end shops use when packaging up their gifts by using one special signature paper to wrap all their goods. Wall paper is great for this as it is thick enough to make into bags and to use as labels and wrapping paper. Wall paper is easy to buy from thrift shops and Re-Stores. This roll cost $2. If you look through the discard bin at decorating stores you might find wall paper that has had it's edges damaged selling for a few dollars.

Look for wall paper that has a good feel to it, some are feel more like paper than others. Ideally find wall paper that is not pre-pasted as you will be using your own glue to adhere it. Before you start packaging up anything co-ordinate your wrap with a matching or contrasting ribbon, plain paper for the labels and tissue paper. Here we used a cream colored ribbon, pink paper and white tissue paper with our dusty pink wall paper.


These bags were easily made by using a box as a form and wrapping the paper around them. (See Making Paper Gift Bags).You will have to use a good glue, possibly a glue gun, if you are placing heavy objects in the bag. Also re-enforce the bottoms of the bags by gluing in a piece of cardboard. I folded 3 inches down on the carry bag and glued a piece of cereal cardboard under the fold before making the bag. This gives a sturdy place to put the handles. Punch two holes for the handles on each side of the bag and insert a decorative cord and tie knots on the inside of the bag. With the wine bag I folded the top down twice and punched two holes that I pulled a ribbon through and tied it in a bow.

You can make labels from your wall paper using them as the background for a printed label you make you your computer. These labels read, "From Ingrid's Garden Enjoy" but you can print anything that is appropriate.
I saved plastic boxes that holiday crackers came in  and using a glue stick pasted the label to the front. You can also do this with plastic bags. The top of the plastic bag is tied with the ribbon that was co-ordinate with the wrap. Saving plastic boxes and bags from stores will give you a lot of options to chose from when you start packaging your own gifts.


Saving lidded boxes and wrapping the top lid with the wall paper is another great way to package up a gift. I used white glue to adhere the paper. Since the wall paper is thick you have to carefully fold the paper on the inside of the lid so it is not thick and bulking making it difficult to place the lid back on the box. The bottom of this box had no print on it but if yours does then it is easy to cover with a piece of card stock or wall paper. This box was also tied with the coordinating ribbon.



If you are using glass jars to present your gift instead of just gluing a label to the front try wrapping the paper around the jar and then gluing the label to that.  This was then capped with a round disk of paper that was secured with an elastic band and then covered with curling ribbon that was the same color as the coordinating ribbon. (As the original lid of the jar was yellow I probably would have chosen a yellow paper to do the whole project in so when the paper cap is removed it still would look good. The lid also had a logo on the top that I would cover it by gluing a disc of paper on in).

For small gifts you can make these cushion boxes and either print a label to glue on or wrap a ribbon around them. These can be sized up or down on the dimensions that you need and then be filled with all manner of items. If you are going to be using them for food like nuts or candies then the food should be placed in a separate plastic bag as wall paper is not food safe. Made from wall paper these boxes are not very strong but are good for a one time use. If you want to make stronger boxes then glue the wall paper to cards stock.

To make them  take a piece of wall paper 6 inches by 6 - 1/2 inches and over lap the long edges by one inch and tape. Flatten it so there is a seam in the back (you are making a flattened tube). I found taping this seam was stronger than gluing it. Take a round disk that is 4 inches across (I used a plastic lid) score an outside curve on both ends of the flattened tube. Cut away the excess and then score a inner curve on both ends. Expand the tube slightly and push the scored curve to the inside. Do this on all the curves.

When you take a variety of these packaging ideas and put them in a coordinating bag then you will have a presentation that looks very pulled together and professional. You can use these for homemade gifts or to spruce up garage sale or thrift store finds. While I did this with a very pretty pink wall paper using solid colored paper will give it a totally different and modern look.