Your Christmas décor theme isn’t complete without carrying it through to the smallest details—like the gifts under the tree. These presents, waiting to be unwrapped, are a key element of your home’s holiday look and deserve just as much attention as the tree topper.
Draw inspiration from jewel tones, embrace natural beauty with fresh winter foliage, or add a whimsical touch with playful miniature bells. Looking for more creative ideas? Regardless of the gift’s size or wrapping challenges, you can make your presents stand out with these favorite Christmas gift-wrapping ideas, tips, and tricks. They’ll look so beautiful, they might just outshine the excitement of opening them!
Wow With A Wreath
Skip the traditional bow and add a charming, unexpected touch to your packages with outdoor elements like a twig wreath tied with a festive plaid ribbon. Not only does this make your gift stand out, but it also gives the recipient a lovely wreath to take home and use to decorate for the holidays.
Opt For Pastels
Pastels bring a fun retro vibe, especially when paired with a vintage Christmas tree. Soft sea greens and pinks blend seamlessly into a beachy home, adding a unique and fresh touch to your holiday décor.
Add Dried Fruit
Dried fruit is an often-overlooked yet charming holiday decoration, perfect for adding a natural, rustic touch to your gift wrapping. Designer Maggie Dillon elevates her presents by tucking slices of dried oranges beneath the ribbon, creating a simple yet eye-catching embellishment that feels both unique and festive.
Shine With Gold And Silver
Skip the traditional tree skirt and embrace soft metallic glamour for your Christmas presents. The shiny wrapping will reflect the shimmering lights and ornaments on the tree, adding a gleaming finishing touch to your holiday décor.
Craft Custom Crackers
Thorpe orders cracker snaps and repurposes bath tissue rolls to create her own handmade Christmas crackers. She fills them with special gifts, making the Christmas Eve celebration even more exciting as everyone opens their personalized crackers.
Paint Your Wrap By Hand
One of the best ways to make your gift wrap truly unique is by painting it yourself. Designer Julie Neill and her daughter have turned this into a holiday tradition, hand-painting the wrapping paper for their gifts. This personal touch adds a special, heartfelt element to each present, making them even more memorable this season.
Embellish Packages With Rosemary
Rosemary, rich in Christmas legend as the herb of love and remembrance, makes a thoughtful addition to your gift wrapping. Tuck a handful of fresh sprigs beneath the ribbon just before delivering your packages. The sprigs can then be placed in a vase for a lovely holiday touch or dried for use in festive cooking.
Use Textures And Accents From Nature
Go all out with a nature-inspired wrapping palette, focusing on earthy greens and browns. Add a personal touch with Southern elements from your local florist, nursery, or even your own backyard—such as a single cotton boll, eucalyptus flowers, or glossy Elaeagnus leaves. These natural accents bring a rustic, charming elegance to your holiday gifts.
Tie Ornaments On Packages
Instead of using stockings, incorporate ornaments directly into your holiday gift wrapping. Tie sparkly baubles and stars onto packages with ribbon for a festive and eye-catching flourish that adds extra charm to your gifts.
Bring in Blue
Introduce a beautiful winter blue into your traditional color scheme for a fresh, seasonal touch. Use it in snowflake or snowman-themed wrapping paper, and carry the color throughout your other packaging with coordinating bows and gift tags. This adds a cool, wintry vibe to your holiday gifts while maintaining a cohesive look.
Create A Golden Glow
For a touch of elegance, opt for gold. Metallic gift wrap combined with a wide wired ribbon that you can fluff up creates a stunning and refined look, making your presents stand out with sophistication and charm.
Keep it Simple
Choose a primary color for your wrapping paper and a secondary one for the ribbon to create a polished, cohesive look. For a refined touch, try pairing bold red wrapping paper with a simple white ribbon. The subtle contrast adds just the right amount of detail, making each gift feel thoughtfully wrapped.
Keep Them Guessing with Gift Wrap
“This sprang from my own laziness!” says Birmingham designer Iris Thorpe, explaining her clever approach to gift wrapping. She assigns a specific color of paper to each family member and uses it to wrap all their gifts. The personalized paper is then revealed at Christmas Eve dinner, when everyone receives a homemade Christmas cracker made from “their” paper, adding a fun and thoughtful twist to the holiday celebration.
Take Inspiration From The Coast
Instead of buying gift tags, get creative and forage for unique materials. Here, oyster shells serve as charming gift tags that evoke a coastal theme. Use a metallic marker to outline the edge of the shell and write the recipient’s name, adding a personalized and natural touch to your holiday wrapping.
Match Your Home’s Color Scheme
Wrapping paper doesn’t have to stick to the traditional red and green. Kristin Gish of Austin, Texas, wraps her gifts in paper that complements her living room’s color scheme, creating a harmonious look. Sprigs of fresh greenery are added to bring life and a lovely aroma, making the wrapping as delightful as the gifts inside.
Use A Pine Sprig
Solid-colored paper, paired with a bright ribbon and bell trim, makes for a festive and holiday-ready gift wrap. For an extra touch of cheer, add clippings from a tree or garland into the bow, creating a merry and natural accent for your presents.
Mix and Match
Embrace the magic of the season by playing with paper that brings classic, cozy holiday symbols to life. Layer colorful bows and create a delightful stack of presents, each one more exciting than the last. All that’s left is to enjoy the festive anticipation!
Make Gift Tags With Magnolia Leaves
For a simple yet elegant touch, use a silver or gold paint pen to write someone’s name on a magnolia leaf and attach it to a present with double-sided tape. This delicate detail adds a sophisticated charm, especially when paired with an all-white color scheme.
Make Them Merry and Bright
Preppy and playful pops of green and red pair beautifully with less traditional colors, like pink, for a fun and fresh twist. Once you’ve nailed down your color palette, mixing complementary patterns becomes a breeze, adding a stylish, personalized touch to your holiday gifts.
Line The Steps With Christmas Gifts
Scatter packages along the staircase to build excitement for the holiday season. Add festive accents like silver jingle bells and satiny ribbons to each gift. By repeating variations of the same colors and patterns, you can create a coordinated and visually appealing gift display that enhances the holiday ambiance.
Coordinate Your Colors
Gift wraps in different patterns can look perfectly coordinated when they share the same color palette. A complementary color scheme allows you to mix plaids, patterns, and solid prints seamlessly, creating a visually cohesive and stylish presentation for your presents.
Conclusion
No matter your style, there are countless creative ways to elevate your holiday gift wrapping this season. From natural elements and metallic accents to bold colors and personal touches, each detail can enhance the festive spirit and make your presents truly memorable. Let your wrapping reflect the warmth and joy of the season, and add a personal, thoughtful touch that will delight everyone who receives them.
