12 Affordable Alternatives To Wrapping Paper That You Already Have

From holidays to birthdays, picking out the perfect gift for someone you love is a classic way to celebrate. No gift is complete until it's wrapped, but traditional wrapping paper often falls flat. Boring prints and thin paper that tears easily put a damper on gift wrapping. Not only does buying gift wrapping supplies eat into your budget, but it also contributes to the waste problem — it's estimated that Americans toss out 2.6 billion pounds of wrapping paper annually, according to San Diego State University. The solution? Repurposing items you already have at home to make eco-friendly, affordable wrapping paper.

The options you have on hand might vary. For example, if you're not much of a crafter or DIYer, you might not have fabric scraps or wallpaper on hand. But if you're a fashionista or amateur interior decorator, you might have plenty of unused tea towels, scarves, pillowcases, and fashion magazines you can upcycle into gift wrap. Consider the recipient of the gift when choosing a wrapping material they'll appreciate — a musician will surely appreciate a gift wrapped in sheet music, for example. These 12 alternative wrapping options are perfect to pair with budget-friendly DIY holiday gift ideas for your family and friends.

Dig into your craft supplies to grab old pieces of fabric left over from those quilting, clothes-making, and decor projects. Fabric is ideal for wrapping items of all shapes and sizes because of its strength and flexibility — you can wrap it around anything, as long as the fabric is long enough. The range of colors, patterns, textures, and thicknesses lets you personalize the wrapping. It also looks much more elegant than mass-produced wrapping paper. If you don't have a stash at home, old fabric is also an affordable and sustainable wrapping paper alternative you can get at the thrift store for cheap.

To wrap an oddly shaped or round item, place it in the middle of the fabric, and bring all of the sides around it, securing it at the top with a string or ribbon. Or, dive into the furoshiki method of tying fabric around gifts. There are multiple tying methods — for a basic option, turn the fabric at an angle so it looks like a diamond. The top and bottom points are folded over the gift, and the two side points are brought together and tied.

Is your linen closet a little too full? Grab those extra hand, kitchen, and tea towels to make more space. There are many creative ways to use tea towels around your house — one of them is to use towels as gift wrap. Like piece of fabric, towels mold to various objects easily and come in many different colors and patterns. Plus, towels have finished edges that give the wrapping a tidy appearance. And the recipient may love the towel so much that they add it to their collection — think of it as a bonus gift.

If a decorative tea towel is part of the gift you're giving, use it as the wrapping. Otherwise, find cute towels you no longer use (or snag some at the thrift store), wash them well, and use them like you would a piece of fabric. You can gather the towel around the object and secure it with ribbon or tie the towel using furoshiki wrapping methods.

Another place to check for fabrics that you can use for wrapping purposes is the closet. Fashion scarves work particularly well for wrapping gifts because they're often thin enough to wrap around items easily, and they usually have colorful patterns on them that result in a pretty package. Like towels, decorative scarves have hemmed edges, so they won't fray, and they look finished. You can also cut pieces of fabric out of T-shirts and other fabric items — cut out the logo on a band T-shirt that's not the right size or is too worn to wrap a gift meant for a music fan.

This is another method where the wrapping can become part of the gift. If you don't have your own collection of scarves you're ready to part with, keep an eye out at thrift stores and estate sales for patterns and designs that fit the styles of upcoming gift recipients on your list. When wrapping the gift, use tying methods. Or, gather the ends around the package to secure with a rubber band, and then tuck the tips into the rubber band to create a bow-like shape.

The next time you get groceries, request paper bags instead of plastic — the brown paper is easy to cut into small pieces and use as wrapping paper. Gift wrapping is also one of the clever ways to repurpose packing paper if you're ordering holiday gifts that come with the brown paper cushioning. It's similar to using a roll of brown kraft paper, which offers a simple, rustic look under the tree. Grocery bags are tough enough to hold several heavy food items, so the paper also makes a durable wrapping material.

Using paper grocery bags is often ideal for smaller items that don't need much wrapping material. Use unprinted sections of the bag. Or wrap it so the print is facing on the inside and doesn't show on the finished present. Or lean into the bag idea — some retailers, like Trader Joe's, use special holiday paper bags with seasonal scenes printed on them, which adds a decorative touch to the present. Wrap the present like you would with regular wrapping paper, and embellish it with bows, florals, or designs painted onto the paper. You may need tape with a stronger adhesive since the brown paper is often heavier than regular wrapping paper. 

Add gift wrapping to the list of clever ways to use your leftover wallpaper — it's much more durable than traditional wrapping paper, and it comes in an assortment of unique patterns. Wrapping gifts with your wallpaper scraps is better than throwing them away or storing them forever in hopes that you'll find another project for them. Decorative shelf liner is a similar option — you may have partial rolls left after organizing your kitchen.

If you use wallpaper or shelf liner like regular wrapping paper, you'll need a strong adhesive to hold the wrapping in place. Another option when you're wrapping thin objects as gifts is to craft a pouch from the thicker material. Cut a rectangle of the material that's twice as long as you want the finished pouch. Fold it over, leaving one side about 2 inches longer, and hot glue along the side edges to form the pouch. Then, slide the gift inside, and fold the flap over. You can use double-sided tape or pieces of self-adhesive hook-and-loop tape to close the pouch.

If you dig around the house, you'll likely find some type of white paper — a roll of white wrapping paper, a package of freezer paper, or the roll of paper on your child's easel. Think of it as a blank slate for designing custom gift wrap for the recipient. When choosing the paper, consider how thick it is and whether or not you can see through it to avoid giving away the surprise of the gift.

You can use almost anything to decorate the paper: stickers, vinyl cutouts, paint, stamps, ribbon, and markers are all good options. Think about the recipient's style and interests when creating a design plan. Or go with a theme related to the occasion or holiday — balloons for a birthday or trees for Christmas, for example. For a simple design, dip a cotton swab or small round sponge in paint and make a polka dot pattern, or use colorful washi tape to make stripes. Stamps and ink often make it easier to create a detailed design with lettering.

Those piano lessons might not have paid off, but the old sheet music tucked away in a folder works as gift wrap. It's particularly well suited to someone who loves music or if you're giving a musically themed gift. Sheet music has a unique pattern, and it's eco-friendly if you're using up an old set of music that no one wants. Plus, it's easy to personalize by choosing a song that's meaningful to the recipient. 

If you don't have any sheet music sitting around, print some off with the notes to the recipient's favorite song. Or, if you have an old piece of sheet music passed down from a family member, photocopy it to use for wrapping paper to keep the original safe. Another option is picking up sheet music at a thrift store. To make new sheet music look old, soak it in brewed tea or coffee for a few minutes, and let it dry between paper towels with a few heavy books on top. Use the paper like wrapping, or cut a strip of the sheet music to layer on top of brown kraft paper wrapping. You can also make a topper by rolling small rectangles into cones and gluing them in a circular pattern on top of a wrapped gift.

Tissue paper is common in gift wrapping, but this time we're taking it out of the gift bag and using it as the main wrap. It's a good choice for wrapping presents because you likely already have it in your wrapping stash, and it comes in a variety of colors and patterns, so you can have fun with the packaging. Even if you have to buy tissue paper, it's relatively inexpensive, especially if you stock up at Dollar Tree. And, the thin paper is very flexible, which makes it easier to mold around oddly shaped items.

Since tissue paper is thinner than regular wrapping paper, you'll want to layer up a few pieces to make it more durable and to keep the present from showing through. Use it like regular wrapping paper, taping it around the gift. Or, mold it around an object and tie a ribbon around it at the top. For example, if you're looking for creative ways to gift wrap a houseplant, wrap tissue paper around the pot, leaving the plant sticking out of the top. You can also use the tissue paper as a liner in a clear plastic bag, class jar, or other clear containers.

Back issues of old magazines you won't read again offer a colorful way to wrap presents. Magazine pages are glossy and thick, so they'll hold up well as wrapping paper. You can flip through the print copy to find images that speak to you or match the recipient's interests. For example, a fashionista will appreciate images from the pages of a fashion magazine, while a digital nomad might love the photos from a travel magazine.

When you're wrapping a gift with magazine pages, consider its size. A small item can be covered with a single page. For larger gifts, piece together multiple magazine pages to create one large sheet that will cover the entire item. Once you have a large enough glossy sheet of magazine print, wrap the gift as you would with regular wrapping paper — center the item on the paper so the best parts of the image show. You can also cut strips from magazines to layer over plain wrapping, almost like a ribbon.

Creative ways to repurpose old or unwanted items can include gift wrapping with those random containers you no longer use. Glass jars, plastic food storage containers, boxes, and tins are just a few examples of containers that will work. They're ideal for small, fragile items because they have a rigid shape to protect what's inside, and the recipient can reuse the containers after opening the gift.

When choosing a container, pay attention to the opening to make sure the gift will fit through it. For clear containers, decide if you want the gift to show or if you want to block the view. You can do that by adding tissue paper or shredded paper inside the jar and putting the gift in the middle where it can't be seen. Or, wrap the outside of the jar with fabric, a doily, or other materials. You can also decorate the container with paint, stickers, and other craft supplies. Tie a bow around it before giving it as a gift.

Don't throw out old pillowcases — there are clever hacks to reuse them, including to wrap gifts. It's easy to end up with way too may pillowcases. That works to your advantage when you need gift wrap in a pinch. The pillowcase already has a pouch-like shape, so it works sort of like a gift bag. Even if the pillowcase is older, the fabric is much sturdier than paper and can be reused for gift wrapping. Some pillowcases come in colorful colors or patterns to add to the display.

This option is ideal for larger items that are slightly smaller than the pillowcase itself. Arrange the item inside the pillowcase and bunch the fabric up at the opening end. Then, tie it to keep the pillowcase closed. Add a big bow around the top. If you're handy with a sewing machine, you can also turn a pillowcase into a drawstring bag by sewing in a ribbon at the top. You can also decorate the pillowcase with fabric paint, patches, stitching, or other fabric-decorating methods for a personalized touch.

One of the creative ways to repurpose shredded paper to use in your home is to make homemade paper. And once you make that paper, you can use it to wrap presents. The resulting paper is sturdy, which helps it hold up well as gift wrap — it's often used in card making too, so you can match a homemade card to the wrapping paper for a coordinated look. Adding acrylic paint to the paper blend allows you to customize the color. You can even make the wrapping paper plantable by mixing in seeds with the paper pulp.

To make homemade paper, you'll need a screen with a frame — attaching a sheet of screening to an empty picture frame works well. Then, you'll tear up any type of old paper you have into tiny pieces, put them in a blender with warm water, and blend to make a pulp. That pulp gets spread evenly in a thin layer onto the screen mold. Blot with an absorbent cloth to remove as much excess water as possible. Remove the homemade paper from the mold and let it dry completely. Once the homemade paper is finished, use it like regular wrapping paper, or cut out shapes and glue them to an already wrapped package.