by Lynette Thrasher

Created on: December 15, 2008

For many of us the Christmas season is about giving and family. However, when the economic times are tough, the giving can add a lot of stress to the holiday season. This is especially true when you take into account the additional costs of gift wrap, ribbon, and gift tags. With a little creativity though, wrapping your Christmas gifts can become a fun festive activity and not a drain on your family's budget.

We all know that it's suppose to be the thought that counts and not the price of the gift, this is also true with gift wrap. And not only will these tips help you save your pennies during the holiday season, they will make your gifts unique and let the recipient know how special they are to you.

1. Put all those old Christmas cards to use

Every year our mailboxes are filled with beautiful Christmas cards and holiday greetings. There are a variety of ways to put those cards to use for adding sparkle and cheer to your holiday gifts. By simply cutting the front flap of the card and using a hole punch and some ribbon these old cards can make beautiful gift tags. If your cards are a little too large for your package, simply cut out an image from the card that you particular enjoy. Get even more creative and use your Christmas cookie cutters as a stencil over a portion of the card and cut that out.

If you're feeling a bit more creative you can put multiple cards together to make your own unique gift wrap.
This can be done with clear packing tape over the seams joining two cards. For a more crafty look, take a hole punch and create a series a holes down the sides of the two cards you wish to join and use yarn or ribbon to sew them together. Just make sure you pull your yarn tight so the cards stay together.

2. Newspaper

People having been saving money for years using newspaper for their gift wrap.
This makes a unique looking package and comics can be especially fun for kid's packages. Put a unique and personal spin on this idea and make your newspaper gift wrap a little more unique.
You can use the traditional black and white packages and add a decorative design by drawing or stenciling festive images in a bright color with paint, markers, crayon, or even glitter.

3. Get the kids involved

Making your own wrapping paper can become a fun holiday tradition for your kids by purchasing plain butcher paper or a roll of brown packing paper. To be even thriftier, use those old brown grocery bags or lunch bags. To create paper, just cut along the seams of the bag until you have

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>