No More Tape? Use These Tapeless Gift-Wrap Hacks on Last-Minute Christmas Presents

Every year I wait until the last minute to wrap Christmas presents. I always tell myself I'm going to get it done ahead of time, but it never happens. And the worst thing that can happen when you put it off is running out of Scotch tape.

If you find yourself in this predicament, there's no need to give up or run to the store. Here are a few ways to wrap your gifts without any transparent tape.

1. Use Glue

Liquid glue and glue sticks work just as well as tape, with the added benefit of being invisible. Just apply a thin later to the inside of the paper's edges. But make sure to only put glue on the edges where the paper overlaps—you don't want it to stick to the gift.

No More Tape? Use These Tapeless Gift-Wrap Hacks on Last-Minute Christmas Presents — *Image by JimmyMac210/Flickr*

2. Tie It Up

Wrap your gifts like usual, but instead of taping the ends, tie some ribbon around the package to hold the paper on. If it's a large gift, you can wrap the ribbon around twice to make sure it stays, and it works well for cylindrical packages, too.

3. Use Nail Polish

Nail polish can be used in painted onto the edges of the paper to hold it together if you don't have any glue. Use clear if you want it to be invisible, or use glittery or colorful polish if you want to show it off.

4. Furoshiki It

The Japanese gift-wrapping technique called furoshiki doesn't require any kind of adhesive, just a piece of paper. The name refers to the cloth traditionally used to wrap the gift, which makes it a eco-friendly alternative to paper. Check out the video to see how it's done.

5. Fold Strategically

If you fold the ends just right, you can get wrapping paper to stay on a package all by itself (although some ribbon for good measure definitely won't hurt). Head over to My Plastic-Free Life to learn how to do it.

6. Use Stickers

If you've got any stickers lying around, they work well as a substitute for tape. Obviously holiday-themed ones are best, but anything you have will work. You can even kill two birds with one stone by using self-adhesive name tags.

7. Give Up—Use a Bag

If all else fails, you can always use a gift bag instead of wrapping paper. If you don't have any holiday bags, you can use a solid color or even a plain brown paper bag and dress it up with stickers, ribbon, or another DIY decoration. You can even use plastic shopping bags!