12 Simple Gift Wrapping Ideas for a Beautiful Christmas

One of my favourite parts of Christmas has always been wrapping the presents.

I know for some people it’s one more job on an already very long Christmas list, but I genuinely enjoy it. There’s something lovely about taking even the simplest gift and making it feel a little more special before it goes under the tree.

And beautiful Christmas gift wrapping certainly doesn’t have to mean expensive paper, enormous bows or hours spent creating perfectly wrapped presents.

Some of my favourite Christmas gift wrapping ideas start with nothing more than plain paper and a few inexpensive or handmade details.

Over the years I’ve used everything from fabric scraps and old doilies to greenery, family photographs, gumnuts and even candy canes to decorate our gifts.

Plain brown or white paper is often my favourite starting point because it’s inexpensive, timeless and incredibly versatile. Instead of buying different wrapping paper for every occasion, you can simply change the ribbon and embellishments to create a completely different look.

So if you’d like to make the gifts under your tree look a little more special this year, I’ve gathered together 12 simple ideas that are easy to recreate — and many can be adapted using things you may already have at home.

1. Fabric Christmas Tree Gift Wrapping

This is still one of my favourite ideas because it has such a soft, handmade and slightly vintage feel.

You’ll need:

• thin cardboard
• Christmas fabric scraps
• small twigs
• double-sided tape
• hot glue
• scissors

Start by cutting two identical triangle-shaped Christmas trees from thin cardboard.

Cut your chosen fabric slightly larger than each cardboard tree and use double-sided tape to hold the cardboard in place.

Attach a small twig to the bottom of one tree using hot glue to create the trunk, then glue the second tree on top.

Trim the fabric neatly around the edges. I gently roughed up the edges of mine using a small rolled ball of fabric, which softened the finish and gave the trees more of the relaxed look I wanted.

Wrap your gift in simple paper, add some string or ribbon and attach your little fabric tree.

The lovely thing about this idea is that the tree itself becomes part of the gift. You could even add a loop so the recipient can hang it on their Christmas tree afterwards.

2. Snow and Gumnuts Christmas Gift Wrapping

I particularly love this one for an Australian Christmas.

The combination of soft white faux fur and natural gumnuts gives you that lovely hint of a snowy Christmas while still incorporating something that feels very much at home here.

You’ll need:

• plain wrapping paper
• white faux fur
• Christmas ribbon
• a small gumnut sprig or greenery

After wrapping your present in plain paper, cut a strip of faux fur and wrap it around the centre.

Layer a beautiful Christmas ribbon over the top and secure everything at the back before tucking in a small sprig of gumnuts or greenery.

There’s very little work involved, but the combination of textures makes it look quite special.

3. Brown Paper and Candy Cane Gift Wrapping

You really can’t go wrong with brown paper at Christmas.

It’s inexpensive, easy to find and provides the perfect neutral background for whatever colours you’re using that year.

For this version you’ll need:

• brown kraft paper
• natural Christmas ribbon
• thin ribbon or string
• candy cane
• small Christmas verse or gift tag

Wrap the gift in brown paper and add your wider ribbon around the centre.

Gather the ribbon slightly with a thinner piece of ribbon or string and use this to attach a candy cane and small Christmas verse or tag.

It’s simple, cheerful and would be particularly lovely for teachers, neighbours or small gifts for friends.

And I’m fairly certain adding a candy cane to anything automatically makes it feel more Christmassy!

4. Lavender Wreath Christmas Gift Wrapping

This is such a pretty way to add something natural to a gift.

I used lavender, but rosemary would be beautiful too — and has the added bonus of smelling wonderful.

You’ll need:

• plain white wrapping paper
• florist wire
• lavender or rosemary
• hessian ribbon
• string
• hot glue

Once your gift is wrapped, wind string around the centre several times.

Create a small wreath by gradually attaching short pieces of lavender or rosemary to florist wire until you’ve formed a circle.

Attach your little wreath to the gift and finish it with a Christmas tag or verse.

Fresh lavender will dry naturally over time, but faux greenery is an easy alternative if you’d like to prepare your gifts well ahead of Christmas.

5. Christmas Bauble Gift Wrapping

This one looks far more complicated than it actually is.

You’ll need:

• white wrapping paper
• patterned Christmas paper
• faux greenery
• double-sided tape
• black marker

Start with a gift wrapped in simple white paper.

Cut bauble shapes from scraps of patterned Christmas paper. You can use a template, trace around something circular or use cookie cutters if you have suitable shapes.

Add a little faux greenery across the top of the present and position your paper baubles beneath it.

Use a fine black marker to draw strings from the greenery down to each bauble.

It’s such an easy way to use leftover pieces of beautiful Christmas paper that might otherwise be thrown away.

6. Doily Christmas Tree Gift Wrap

Paper doilies aren’t something you would necessarily associate with Christmas wrapping, but that’s exactly why I love using them.

For this idea you’ll need:

• red wrapping paper
• white paper doily
• twine
• small star
• Christmas tag

Fold a white paper doily into a simple Christmas tree shape and position it in the centre of your wrapped present.

Secure it with twine, add a little star to the top of the tree and finish with a gift tag.

Against the red paper, the white doily really stands out and gives the whole present a sweet handmade feel.

7. Rustic Christmas Tag Gift Wrapping

Sometimes you really don’t need very much at all.

For this rustic Christmas wrapping idea I used:

• striped wrapping paper
• string
• faux or fresh greenery
• gift tag
• small wooden Christmas tree embellishment

Wrap the gift, wind string around the centre and tie it into a simple bow.

Add a wooden Christmas tree to your gift tag and tuck a couple of small pieces of greenery underneath.

It’s a good example of how just two or three little details can make simple wrapping feel much more thoughtful.

8. Jingle Bell Christmas Gift Wrapping

If ever there was an excuse to add a little bit of gold and a few bells, surely Christmas is it.

You’ll need:

• gold wrapping paper
• paper doily
• ribbon
• small jingle bells

Wrap your gift in gold paper, then position part of a white paper doily across one corner or edge rather than centering it perfectly.

Tie ribbon around the parcel and attach a few little jingle bells beneath the knot.

I love the contrast between the metallic gold, delicate white doily and playful bells.

And, of course, you’ll hear this present coming before you see it!

9. Vintage Crochet Gift Wrapping

This one might be my favourite of the twelve.

I love vintage linens and crochet, so finding another way to use them at Christmas was always going to appeal to me.

You’ll need:

• brown paper
• old crochet doily or tablecloth
• string
• greenery

Wrap your gift in brown kraft paper.

Cut a strip from an old or damaged crochet piece and wrap it around the centre of the gift. Add simple string and tuck in a small piece of greenery.

The combination of brown paper, aged crochet and greenery gives the present such a warm, old-fashioned Christmas feel.

This is also a lovely way to re-purpose damaged vintage linens that aren’t suitable for their original purpose anymore.

10. Tartan Christmas Gift Wrapping

Tartan and Christmas are a match made in heaven.

For this one you’ll need:

• tartan wrapping paper
• timber beads
• white string
• thin red ribbon
• markers

After wrapping the gift, wind white string around the parcel several times.

Then create a tiny snowman using timber beads threaded onto string.

Add a little red ribbon scarf and use markers to draw on the snowman’s face and other details.

Attach him to the parcel and suddenly your gift has its own little Christmas character.

This would be especially cute for children’s presents.

11. Family Photo Christmas Gift Wrapping

This idea is probably the most personal of all.

You’ll need:

• white wrapping paper
• string
• pom poms or faux snowballs
• black-and-white family photographs

Wrap the present simply in white paper and tie string around it.

Add a few soft white pom poms to one corner and tuck a family photograph underneath the string.

You could use current photographs, but I particularly love the idea of digging out old Christmas photos.

Imagine wrapping everyone’s gift with a photograph of them as a child — or using photos from Christmases spent together years ago.

The wrapping becomes a conversation starter before the present has even been opened.

12. Pom Pom Trim Christmas Gift Wrapping

And finally, something bright, cheerful and very easy.

You’ll need:

• red wrapping paper
• white ribbon
• pom pom trim
• Christmas embellishments

Wrap your gift in red paper and add a length of pom pom trim around the centre.

Layer white ribbon over the trim so the little pom poms peek out along the edges, then add a festive embellishment or gift tag.

It’s playful, colourful and particularly lovely for children’s presents.

Simple Ways to Make Christmas Gift Wrapping Feel Special

You certainly don’t need to recreate all twelve of these ideas.

In fact, one of the easiest ways to make your Christmas gifts look beautiful together under the tree is to choose just a few elements and repeat them.

You might use the same brown paper for every present but change the embellishments, or choose two or three ribbons that work with your Christmas decorating colours.

A few things I always like to keep on hand are:

• brown kraft and plain white wrapping paper
• string and twine
• beautiful ribbon
• greenery
• gift tags
• fabric and paper scraps
• small Christmas embellishments

Then you can mix and match what you already have rather than buying completely new wrapping supplies every Christmas.

It’s less expensive, creates less waste and gives you so much more freedom to be creative.

Making the Gift Part of the Christmas Magic

Beautiful gift wrapping isn’t really about making every parcel look perfect.

For me, it’s another little part of the Christmas ritual.

It’s putting on some Christmas music, spreading paper and ribbon all over the table and taking a little time to think about the person who will eventually open each gift.

Some presents might get an elaborate handmade decoration. Others might get brown paper, string and a sprig of greenery because that’s all I have time for.

Both can be beautiful.

Because ultimately, it’s not the paper or the ribbon that makes a gift special.

It’s knowing that someone chose it, wrapped it and placed it under the tree especially for you.

And I think that’s worth celebrating.

If you’re planning your Christmas celebrations, you might also enjoy my Christmas Tablescape Ideas and other Christmas entertaining posts for plenty more inspiration for creating a beautiful and welcoming Christmas at home.