by Stacia Elizabeth Whitbeck

Created on: November 18, 2010

While wrapping paper is colorful and convenient, you can save money this Christmas and make your own.

Every Christmas there is always someone who gathers up freshly torn Christmas wrap to salvage for the next year. We usually roll our eyes, but I’ll bet they never spend any cash on Wrapping paper.

Not only is making homemade wrapping paper a fun craft idea for the kids, it adds a personal touch to the gifts you give.

Fabric comes in a variety of textures and colors. It’s versatile and can be reused later for a table runner, scarf or quilting scrap. Many fabric stores and craft centers have sale racks where you can get a yard of fabric for as little as one dollar. You can use fabric paint, medical tape or fabric tape to fasten the corners of your fabric wrap.

If you’re handy at sewing, make an assorted batch of stockings ranging in color and size. They are fairly easy to make and all you have to do is stuff your gift inside and conceal with a puff of tissue paper. Your recipient will most likely love having extra stockings to display for the next holiday. If sewing isn’t your thing, there are plenty of discount stores that sell stockings for as little as a dollar. You can add your own pizazz with fabric paint. If you have a hot glue gun you can bedazzle your stockings with an endless list of baubles ranging from mini pine cones to candy and holly sprigs to small ornaments.  

For larger gifts, use butcher’s paper. It comes on large rolls and is useful for many things. Paint the paper any color you chose, add stickers, glitter, magazine clippings or printed photos of your loved ones. You can be as simple or sophisticated as your taste and time allows.

Newspaper, especially the comics and magazine pages from Christmas editions make great wrapping paper. You might have to tape several pages together before wrapping, but it beats spending money on something that is just going in the garbage.

Tissue, or crepe paper comes in a rainbow of colors and is relatively inexpensive. Use it to wrap your gifts then cover with a layer of colored food wrap.

Save the cardboard rolls from wrapping paper, and paper towels to use for storing your homemade wrap.

This Christmas, be the weird one who collects all the wrapping paper scraps to add to your collection. You’ll be glad you did.

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