I like to come up with unique ways to wrap gifts. I also like to avoid spending money on expensive wrapping paper, since I'd rather spend more on the gift itself. So, if you're giving a baby shower gift, for example, you can wrap the gift in a receiving blanket. If you're giving a housewarming gift, you can wrap it in a pretty hand towel. You can make part of the gift into the packaging.
That's a really cute idea. Personally I suck at wrapping presents. As many times as I've done it, I can't seem to nail the art. It's still cute regardless to make a display out of a gift, especially with unique wrapping ideas. I like it a lot.
I'm really lacking when it comes to creative ways to wrap gifts. I have done the tea towel wrapping before and I used to wrap gifts in peoples favorite newspaper comics. Another thing I have found works is using beach buckets or some other inexpensive container to hold a gift because sometimes you can find inexpensive ones at Target or the dollar store and then the recipient can reuse it.
Yes, Forex, containers are great too. I love stuff like that. I would much prefer to give a gift in a beach bucket than in a gift bag. Tins are cool too, like those cookies tins. A mixing bowl filled with cooking gadgets would be good, or a baseball cap filled with baseball cards, a baby bathtub filled with baby shampoo and lotions... all kinds of stuff could work!
I am terrible at gift wrapping. I try to reuse old gift bags by cutting off the old tag and putting a new one on it. Wrapping with wrapping paper seems like a big waste to me, so I basically don't do it. On occasion, I will wrap with some colored paper I happen to have on hand, but not often. Most of the time I just stick the gift in the bag and cover it with some tissue paper. I'm probably considered la*y, but oh well.
I don't think it's la*y, Dancinglady. I re-use gift bags and such as well. I use whatever I happen to have on hand, if I can make it look nice. I just think it's fun to make part of the gift into the packaging. Plus, as noted, I would rather spend the money on making the gift more substantial instead of spending money on wrapping that will most likely end up in the trash anyway.
I think gift wrapping is quite an important thing to be done and make your gift look really special. Even if the gift is not very great, and gift wrapping is done with lots of great care and effort, it makes the gift look great. It also increases the amount of surprise as the gift is not revealed very easily.
You make a good point, Akiii, but I don't want to end up spending as much on wrapping as I do on the gift. I'd rather buy something more to add to the gift. I think with some creativity, you can have the best of both worlds, a nice gift that looks great and feels special.