Gift Guides & Inspiration
How to wrap your Christmas presents for FREE
Reuse, recycle, rejoice this Christmas – as craft influencer Christine Leech shares her best bargain gift wrapping tips for a luxe, low cost yuletide
Love it or dread it, Christmas gift wrapping is a feature at this time of year – and yet, the best wrapping paper ideas needn’t cost the earth.
Whether you’re budgeting or looking to shop more sustainably, there are heaps of ideas to help you gift wrap more cheaply – from the most expensive-looking wrapping paper that costs £0 to the smart, fuss-free styling trick that experts swear by.
And who better to help you wrap like a pro than craft legend Christine Leech, co-author of Zero Waste Christmas? Here are her tips.
The wallpaper one
‘Wallpaper leftovers are great for wrapping funny-shaped gifts as it’s stronger than tradish wrapping paper. Struggling to fold it? Make it into an envelope first, then pop the gift inside.’
The gift tag one
‘Using up wallpaper leftovers? Try cutting out the teeny tiny bits too – here I’ve cut out leaf motifs to make luxe-looking, affordable gift tags.’
The one to do with kids
‘Roll out a load of Kraft paper, and get them to scribble on it with chalk (OOLY Chalk-O-Rama Chalk Crayons, Pack of 12). It’s brilliant fun, kids love it.’
The (really) fancy one
If you really want to wow people with your wrapping, think furoshiki – a Japanese art using cloth to wrap goods so they can be easily carried. Perfect for boxes or books, it looks chic but is simple to master. How? 1) Use a square scarf or napkin (or buy a metre of fabric and cut it up) and place your gift in the centre on the diagonal. 2) Fold the top corner and tuck it under your gift then repeat with the opposite corner. 3) Tie the other two corners in a reef knot et voilà, all wrapped up! ‘The scarf can be part of the gift too,’ says Christine.
