Whenever I shop for wrapping paper at the supermarket, I always get more than I need. It is a habit that has stuck with me since my teenage years. If you are guilty of this, too, you may be wondering what you can do with all of that leftover wrapping paper.
My favorite part of the festive season is skiing in the snow; my second is wrapping gifts for my loved ones. What is Christmas without a display of love through sharing?
If I were to pick my third best activity during December, it would be repurposing leftover wrapping paper. It reawakens the child in me and helps me reminisce about the time Grandma used to teach my sister and me how to make origami from gift wrap.
Here are thirteen ways to transform unused gift wrap into something useful.
Make an Envelope
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
If you are among the 31 percent of Americans who still prefer handwritten letters to emails, do not throw away your wrapping paper.
Add a personal touch to your envelope using the unused gift wrap sitting on your desk. The colorful patterns on the wrapping papers make your letter feel unique and more intimate.
You don’t have to spend a dime on envelopes. You only need scissors and a glue tape roller to make an envelope from wrapping paper.
Cut, Stitch, and Hang Paper Bunting
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Paper bunting adds color and life to your parties. It is versatile and fun to make. It can be used to decorate venues for birthday parties, baby showers, Halloween, wedding ceremonies, and outdoor Christmas parties.
Aside from parties, paper bunting can also be used to decorate your little one’s room. Customize the triangle bunting with their name or whatever you are celebrating.
Shred It Into Homemade Confetti
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
The most memorable part of gender reveal parties and weddings is unleashing brightly colored confetti from their canons. Confetti is a part and parcel of birthdays, weddings, baby parties, holiday parties, and more.
With the aid of a paper shredder, you can make homemade confetti. Using the paper shredder is more straightforward than using only scissors, but either way, you get finely shredded confetti.
Make Origami
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Folding gift wrap into different shapes reconnects me with my child-like zeal to create without bounds, as there are endless origami models to try.
The word origami originated from Japan. It can be dissected into two words: oru and kami, which mean “to fold” and “paper,” respectively.
There are enough models to keep you busy, not just throughout the holiday but the whole year. Examples of Christmas-related origami creations include snowflakes, Christmas trees, and gnomes, but there are also plenty for others for holidays like Valentine’s Day and Easter. Or, make more practical items like origami pencil holders, phone stands, and mini-boxes.
Wrap Books With It
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Add extra protection to your books by wrapping them with gift wrap. Kids play a lot. While playing, they could spill their drinks on the books.
Wrapping books with gift wrap gives them an extra shield against moisture, drink spills, and wear and tear. Add additional stickers on the wrapped books to make them more appealing to your children.
Frame Gift Wrap
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
It is not totally uncommon to fit wrapping paper into picture frames. This combination exudes the spirit of festivity and lets your visitors know “what time it is.”
Ensure the wrapping paper is in great shape, and cut it using the appropriate measurements so they can fit into the frames. It is cool and simple to create.
Once the festivities are over, you can return the original pictures to their respective frames.
Decorate Plain Bookshelves
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Tired of your bland bookshelf? Jazz it up with beautiful wrapping paper. Do not underestimate what a cheap wrapping paper from Target can do. The result will wow you.
You need measuring tape or ruler, double-stick tape, adhesive spray, and scissors to line your bookshelf with gift wrap correctly. The same approach works for decorating plain drawers and trays.
Craft Paper Star Medallions
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Paper star medallions are perfect for New Year’s Eve parties. The combination of lit candles with walls decorated with paper star medallions is elegant. You don’t have to be a pro to pull this design off.
They are simple to make and resizable. Any beginner can make a beautiful paper star medallion with gift wrap, a cutting mat, a metal ruler, a pencil, a craft knife, a hole punch, scissors, twine, and tape.
Make Colorful Streamers
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Round dot streamers are the easiest festive streamers to make. Unlike the streamer chandelier, which requires lengthier cuts and endless arrangements, the round dot paper streamer can require a straightforward process. All you need is a hole punch and a bunch of strings.
Round dot decorative streamers, also known as polka dot streamers, pair perfectly with the window, doorway, wall, and furniture.
Beyond the festive season, you can adopt the round dot streamers as your home decor. My favorite colors are gold and silver. Experiment with different colors to get the perfect blend.
Spruce Up Plant Pots and Pen Holders
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Bring life to your plant pots and pen holders using gift wrap. Wrapping them with wrapper paper will make them stand out without much work at all.
Simply cut, fold, and glue the wrapping paper into the pot or container, and that’s it! You can swap out the paper for different holidays or whenever you want to refresh your space a little.
Make Bookmarks
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Do you find remembering the page you stopped while reading a book difficult? Instead of folding and damaging your book, use a bookmark. A bookmark is not just a tool but also your companion throughout your reading experience.
The materials required for making cool bookmarks are cereal boxes and wrapping paper. Cut a rectangle from the cereal boxes and cover it neatly in your gift wrap.
Make Cardboard Tube Art and Crafts
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Most Christmas decor materials won’t make it past New Year’s Eve. These items will end up in trash cans or packed away in garages.
Tube art, however, outlives other expensive Christmas decorations and turns trash into art. And its creation process is easy.
Use cardboard tubes, like the ones wrapping paper comes with, to make things like 3D art by pinning flowery tubes on a white canvas. Or let your crafty kids turn them into custom decor (or toys) for your home.
Adorn Floating Shelves with Vintage Boxes and Wrapping Paper
Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Floating shelves have a futuristic feel. Adding multicolored wrapping papers to the floating shelves gives them a flowery appeal. You cannot go wrong when you combine minimalism with art Nouveau-esque style material – just be sure the colors do not contradict one another.
To beautify your shelves with wrapping paper, all you need is a measuring tape or ruler, double-stick tape, adhesive spray, and scissors.