by Ruth Belena

Created on: November 18, 2010   Last Updated: November 29, 2010

One of the best things about Christmas is that you can be creative and thoughtful with your gift giving. This applies equally to your Christmas wrapping paper ideas as much as it does to deciding what goes inside those packages. It is not always necessary to go out and buy rolls of cheap paper, or to pay for more expensive types of wrapping paper.

• Recycling paper, ribbon and bows from gifts you are given

The wrapping often gets thrown away immediately after gifts are opened on Christmas Day, but good Christmas wrapping paper ideas encourage recycling and use of leftover materials.

Saving Christmas wrapping paper is just one way to recycle wrapping removed from bigger gifts, when paper can be carefully flattened and stored safely. Another way of recycling is to keep all the ribbons, bows, glittery cords or threads that can be used again when wrapping gifts next Christmas. Bags, boxes and cardboard envelopes can also be saved for re-use, or cut up to decorate your own wrapping paper next year.

• Creating your own Christmas wrapping paper and tags

Handmade wrapping paper can be created from sheets of plain paper, small rolls of white paper or even pieces of unused wallpaper. Pages from magazines or sheets of newspaper can also be used and decorated with paints, glitters, gold thread or sprigs of real holly.

Images cut from old Christmas cards and used wrapping paper can make a festive collage. When seasonal pictures are glued all over plain paper it becomes instant Christmas wrapping paper. One sheet of wrapping paper could be made with images of Santa, another with pictures of snowmen, and others could feature pictures of Christmas trees, robins or reindeer.

• Adding decorative ribbons and bows

Whether the wrapping paper is homemade, cut off a roll or a sheet of foil, Christmas wrapping is never complete without ribbons, bows and tags. When wrapping gifts for men, it is best to stick with plain red or dark green ribbon, and not to use too much glitter. Gifts for girls could have gold thread braided or twisted with silver or white cord, and tied into a pretty bow.

A big bow can be designed to match, or contrast with, Christmas wrapping paper. Matching one of the colours in the pattern or picture on the paper will make a nice

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