Wrapping presents can have a beautiful effect that looks so nice under a holiday tree. However, a lot of that wrapping is extremely wasteful what with the paper, bags, ribbons, and bows that will likely be thrown away after just one use. It is a wonderful (and cost-saving) habit to get into to reuse materials over and over again. Ribbons and bows are one such thing that you can use many times or craft into other things. (Tutorial on how to turn old wrapping paper into bows coming soon!)

If reusing wrapping paper isn’t your things, try this fun way of upcycling your own wrapping paper for a festive look that doesn’t rely on single-use items. Perfect for any holiday or event. And remember, if you have old wrapping paper laying around, use it up before buying more. Most people don’t care if the paper matches and all that.

For this, I used the sheets of brown paper that came as packaging when I ordered the gift.

Supplies:

  • Scissors
  • Sponge
  • Marker
  • Paint
  • Scrap paper/ thin cardboard
  • Large sheets of paper (newspaper, packing material)
1. Draw out your design on the scrap paper. These will be the basis for your stencils. Play around with negative space and shapes. Think about snowpeople, snowflakes, tress, etc. This also works for birthdays, graduation, etc.
2. Cut out your shapes.
3. Prep your sponge by pouring a bit of paint on your fancy pallet (or a scrap piece of cardboard if you’re too lazy to dig around for it) and lightly dab the sponge into it. Don’t drench the sponge, you just need a little bit.
4. Place your stencil on the desired location on the paper.
5. Gently dab the paint over the stencil.
6. Remove the stencil and repeat as desired.
7. Optional: You can also add some handwritten embellishments if you choose.
8. Once your paper is decorated and dried, wrap your present per usual.
You can also use this technique on paper bags to add some festive upcycling flair.
Happy holidays from this crazy crafter to you!