Welcome back to Becentsable’s Holiday Boot Camp!
Gift buying can be challenging enough while maintaining your budget. Then, you have to add in the extra cost of the gift bags, wrapping paper, bows, ribbons, etc. Today we are going to talk about creative ways to save money on your wrapping expenses!
Let’s start off by learning ways to save on tags. This year try converting your old mismatched holiday cards into awesome gift tags. It takes minimal effort and crafting ability to cut an old card down to the size of a gift tag! Another idea is to make your own cards out of construction paper or anything else you already have on hand. Get the whole family involved and turn it into another memorable tradition! My favorite idea is to turn pictures into unique gift tags which will be treasured by the receiver. Simply laminate a picture and punch a hole in the top. If you are feeling even more creative, you can cut the pictures into holiday shapes before laminating. This is a great use for school pictures or all of the fabulous photo deals I post.
Ribbons and bows can be reused many, many times. So, you always want to be sure to hold on to them after everyone is finished unwrapping their gifts. You can also try coming up with creative alternatives for decorating packages such as pinecones or tissue paper flowers.
Wrapping paper and gift bags can also be reused over several holidays. Just be sure to remove any old tags first! Try looking around your home for boxes or containers. Oatmeal containers, jars and take-out boxes can all be converted into creative gift packaging.
It is also super simple to create your own gift wrap. Newspaper works great! The kids would love a gift wrapped in comics. Try decorating butcher paper with your stamping supplies or letting the kids decorate paper or plain bags with items you already have at home.
Another great tip is to frequent your local discount store. The Dollar Store and Big Lots often have great deals on wrapping supplies. I have even seen people sell brand new wrapping supplies at garage sales!
Gift baskets are always a huge hit. No one ever said the basket has to be new! Look around your house for baskets you no longer use.
Some gifts can be part of the wrapping. When giving a coffee mug full of coffee or hot chocolate, simply add some ribbon and the tag to the handle of the mug.
Lastly, be certain to stock up for next year. You should take full advantage of the post-holiday clearance sales. Items can go up to 90% off!
My daughter (age 11) has been wanting to learn to sew and I got an idea from somewhere a few years ago to make reusable fabric gift bags. Perfect match! We made a few from some dishtowels that we found on sale and some other fabric that we already had around the house. Checking out sales for other fabric that we can use and hope to stock up more in post-holiday sales. The initial cost is more but environmentally friendly and can be used more times than paper gift bags!
We’re keeping it very simple and just sewing a hem (if needed) and up the sides (like a simple pillowcase). If you wanted, you could include drawstrings and other decorations but we’re just planning to tie them with ribbon.