Last Minute Christmas Gift Wrap Ideas

Christmas is just a weekend away and if some of you have still not wrapped up your gifts, then its high time you finished doing the same. Here are some tips that will help you spruce up your gift wraps:

Photo Gift Wrap
Turn family photos into gift wrap for small packages. Arrange the color snapshots on a piece of 11 x 17-inch white paper and tack them in place with loops of adhesive tape. Copy the collage on a color copier as many times as desired for gift wrap. (Remember to choose the 11 x 17-inch paper tray when you begin copying.)

Jewelry Wraps
Required:
Wrapping paper in a solid color or small print, Tape, Ribbon, Scissors, Brooch

Cover a gift box with wrapping paper. Using a long length of ribbon, place the center of the ribbon vertically at the point where you want the ribbons to intersect on the front of the gift box. 2. Bring the ribbon tails around to the back of the package. Twist once and bring the ribbon ends horizontally around to the front. Knot the ends and trim the tails if needed. Pin a floral brooch to the knot in the ribbon.

Skip the Wrap

The fastest way to present a gift is to skip the wrapping paper altogether. This is the best solution for large items or gifts such as plants and flowers. Add a bow and gift tag and you're done

Basic Bow
Required:
Spool of wired ribbon, Scissors, Pipe cleaner

Fold ribbon back, making strands approximately 7 inches long, or another desired length. Fold until there are three loops on each end. After the final loop is made, bring the ribbon to the center of the bow and curl around in a loop in the center, leaving a tail hanging downward. While still holding center loop in place, insert a pipe cleaner into the center loop and around to the back of the bow, tying in place. Trim the ends at an angle and shape each bow loop uniformly.

Reindeer Bags
Required:
Crayons, Paper gift bag, Construction paper, Tracing paper, Pencil, Scissors, White glue, 2 chenille stems, Large and small pom-poms.

With crayons, draw two legs on the wide sides of the gift bag. Then draw the fronts and backs of the legs on the other sides of the bag. Trace the pattern. Cut out. Use the pattern to cut a construction paper head. Color in the details as desired. Glue the head to the top front of the paper bag. Bend the chenille stems into antler shapes and glue them between the bag and the paper head. Glue on a pom-pom nose and in the eye centers. Let the glue dry.

String and Tiny Trims
Keep a box of colored twine, string, or ribbons to use on small gifts. Embellish the boxes even more by gluing on miniature trees or tiny wooden cutouts from a craft store.

Quick Sparkle Wraps
Give your holiday gifts a special shine with glitter. Glue on shaped glitter or sprinkle it into a clear cello bag, right along with your gift. Sheer ribbon or tulle complete the look in any color or style you prefer.

Natural Gift Wrap
Required:
Red natural and cream handmade wrapping papers, scissors, sticky tape.
To Decorate:
Selection of red and green ribbons, pine cones, berry picks,mistletoe, red bells, brown chiffon ribbon, mache star shapes, red acrylic paint.

Use a selection of red, natural and cream handmade papers to wrap your gifts. Wrap ribbon around your gift and tie in a bow. Embellish with red, green and brown ribbons, mistletoe, red bells, berry picks and pine cones. Finish with a personalised mache star gift tag using the red acrylic paint.

Modern Cool Gift Wrap
Required:
White handmade paper, scissors, tape.
To decorate:
Blue handmade paper, lace ribbon, floral petites, gold card.
Use white handmade paper to wrap your gift.Wrap a band of blue handmade paper around the wrapped gift. Embellish with lace ribbon and floral petites, finishing with a gold gift card.

Ornament Garnish

Holiday ornaments make great package toppers. Simply wire or tie the ornaments to ribbons. You can also hot-glue them onto the gift box. Ribbon streamers add more shine.

Garnished Gifts
You'll find these clever boxes at craft stores. They match the look of the utilitarian take-out container, but are either clear, frosted, or printed with nice designs. Plop your gift inside and you have an instantly wrapped gift.