Wrap Christmas Presents in a Giftpaper Designed by You!

I don’t have plain paper, stamps, or ribbon—what can we use instead?

Use brown kraft paper, newspaper, or a large sheet of printer paper instead of the plain paper, make stamps from halved potatoes or sponge shapes and use crayons or colored pencils in place of markers, and swap ribbon for yarn or twine when tying the bow.

The paper ripped/cut edges don’t meet or my designs smudged—how do we fix that?

If the paper rips or won’t cover the gift, re-center the gift, re-measure allowing the instructed two inches overlap and cut with sharp scissors, and if stamps or marker ink smear, let the ink and stamp impressions dry fully before wrapping and press the clear tape firmly or use double-sided tape to secure the meeting edges.

How can we change the steps for different ages?

For toddlers, have an adult complete the ‘measure the paper’ and cutting steps and let them decorate with stickers or large crayons; school-age kids can measure, cut with supervision, stamp, and fold each short end into neat triangle flaps themselves; teens can design complex patterns, tie the ribbon into a bow, write the gift tag message, and share the finished creation on DIY.org.

What are some ways to make the wrapped gift more special or creative?

Layer tissue paper under your decorated plain paper, use metallic or glitter markers and homemade stencils for patterns, glue a small ornament or jingle bell to the ribbon before making the cheerful bow, and add a personalized message on the gift tag.