How To: Make Christmas Presents Look Better with These Cheap & Easy Gift Wrap Hacks

For as long as I can remember, I've always sucked at wrapping presents. No matter how careful I am, my gift-wrapping usually ends up looking like a toddler did it, so I'm always looking for easy ways to spruce up my packages.

If you've got a lot of gifts to wrap, store-bought bows and tags can get pretty pricey, but there are tons of ways to make your own. Here are nine DIY decorations you can make with stuff you've got around the house.

1. Cupcake Liner Bow

Paper cupcake liners make cute flower-shaped bows for topping packages. Jill over on Create.Craft.Love made these with holiday themed liners, but you can just use the basic solid colored ones if they're all you've got.

You can also use the foil liners for a metallic look like these by Michaela and Lotta on Hey Look.

2. Tissue Paper Fringe Bag

You can beautify your gift bags and use up tissue paper scraps by making these DIY fringe bags. Just take strips of paper and cut them into fringes, then glue them onto the outside of your bag. Check out the tutorial by Lexy over on The Proper Pinwheel.

3. Paper Wreath Gift Topper

These wreath gift toppers are just colored paper wrapped around a circular frame and glued in place. These were made with a cardboard frame, but you could use whatever you have that's sturdy enough. Head over to A Subtle Revelry for instructions to make your own.

4. Printable Name Tags

Homemade name tags are an easy way to make a gift more personalized. If you're artistically inclined, you could draw your own, but for the rest of us there are plenty of printable templates to use instead. There are tons of different designs out there, like these from Sass & Peril.

You can find a few more examples on Spiced, or search for "printable holiday name tags" on Google Images. You can also check out Yumi's free holiday gift tags, as well as some of her DIY gift tag ideas.

5. Button Gift Topper

Everybody's got spare buttons lying around, so why not put them to good use? You can thread them onto a thin ribbon and tie it around a package like in the photo below, or just glue them on if you don't have any.

6. Accordion Name Tag

Make your name tags vertical and fold them into accordion shapes as a quick and simple decoration for your gifts. You can make them yourself for free, and they look a lot better than the generic store-bought stickers. You can design your own if you like, or download the printable templates from Sugar & Cloth.

7. Newspaper Gift Wrapping

Use old newspapers instead of buying wrapping paper to save a few bucks and make your gifts look a little more unique. You can easily make them more festive with a holiday themed bow or ribbon.

It's also a great way to wrap cylindrical or oddly shaped packages.

8. Upcycled Wrapping Paper Scraps

There's usually a piece at the end of a roll of wrapping paper that's not the right size to wrap anything, but those pieces can be cut into strips and turned into a cute little bow for the top of a package. The one in the picture is made from an empty foil candy package, but wrapping paper would work just as well. Check out the tutorial on Zakka Life to learn how to make one.

9. 3D Paper Snowflake Gift Topper

All you need is a piece of paper, a pair of scissors and some glue or tape to make a pretty 3D snowflake to use in place of a bow. You can use regular white paper or get colorful with wrapping paper or your own homemade designs. Head over to Life Sprinkled with Glitter for step by step instructions.

What's your favorite DIY gift-wrapping trick? Share with us in the comments below.

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