It’s time to unearth your sharpest scissors and stickiest tape. Gift wrapping time is here! Do your handmade gifts justice and outfit them in something special. Read on for ten packaging ideas for gift toppers, note cards, and wrapping to make your handmade goodies extra special and tantalizing to open. Happy holidays to you!
Gift Toppers
The full tutorial by How About Orange can be found here. (Free printable gift tags can be found here!)
The full tutorial by amarshall for Art Mind can be found here.
The full tutorial by Design by Night can be found here.
Cards
Make a Carved Holiday Card With Kids
The full tutorial by Shawn and Finn Hazen for Readymade can be found here.
The full tutorial by Jodi Kahn can be found here.
The full tutorial by Indie Pretty Projects can be found here.
Gift Wrap
The full tutorial by annekata can be found here.
The full instructions by Stacey Brook can be found here.
Make Bags from Envelopes and Pretty Tape
The full tutorial by How About Orange can be found here.
Make Reusable Fabric Gift Wrap
The full tutorial by furochic can be found here.
What are your packaging tips? Let us know in the comments below!
109 comments
Sign in to add your ownEarleyimages says:
These are beautiful
1 year ago
ornamentalprojects says:
Super cute!!! I just love good, pretty ornaments :)
1 year ago
outofline says:
I love the snowflakes and pom pom toppers, great ideas!
1 year ago
ThreadandJam says:
Handy list! Thanks!
1 year ago
paramountvintage says:
i love the snowflake. well who am i kidding, i love them all!
1 year ago
princessdoodlebeans says:
oh yes! The poms are FAB :)
1 year ago
thestapeliacompany says:
These inspire me to make my gifts more beautiful, even if most years I'm wrapping at 3 in the morning the day before Christmas! ;)
1 year ago
odiliafu says:
So lovely!!! Love all the tutorials. Thanks!!
1 year ago
rozzie says:
Awesome 'index' of many of the holiday how-to's I'd sure like to try out the bow making and felt brooch over the holiday break :D
1 year ago
MegansMenagerie says:
Beautiful! I love this! =)
1 year ago
JudiPaintedit says:
Way to spruce up a boring box.. I like it!!!!
1 year ago
beliz82 says:
Love the Fabric Paper Tape Great Ideas thank you for sharing !!
1 year ago
RomanceCatsAndWhimsy says:
So pretty - love the ideas!
1 year ago
vKnit says:
I adore wrapping presents!! thanks for the ideas Etsy!! xox
1 year ago
EverybodyElse says:
Gorgeous idea!
1 year ago
GiRLStreetVintage says:
So very, very beautiful! Great job. GirLStreetVintage
1 year ago
VivaGailBeads says:
these are so beautiful!
1 year ago
LyBly says:
Great ideas... they're all lovely!
1 year ago
buysomelove says:
LOVE it! Totally inspiring.
1 year ago
OnceMoreAround says:
I think i'm going to have to try out all of these. All are so nice and creative!
1 year ago
miasole says:
These are fun!
1 year ago
norajane says:
wow! thank you so much for featuring my bee in stamp in this awesome article! i am honored!
1 year ago
SilverSistersStudio says:
cool! LOVE the red snowflake! That will def be used at my house sometime very soon.
1 year ago
baconsquarefarm says:
Great ideas here for making your packages unique~ thanks for sharing julie...xo
1 year ago
budgEtsy says:
I love these! So creative and beautiful! :)
1 year ago
Pinkpjs says:
Presentation is everything!
1 year ago
Pinkpjs says:
Presentation is everything!
1 year ago
pulpandpaisley says:
I LOVE wrapping presents!! Great ideas:)
1 year ago
WhisperingOak says:
I was already planning hot cocoa and gift wrapping tonight. Now I have tons of ideas
1 year ago
metalicious says:
ooh, the snowflake gift topper is genius!!
1 year ago
HandmadeHandsome says:
Thanks for listing these great ideas in one post.
1 year ago
ArtMind says:
Great tips! Love the handmade fabric tape - must try this soon! Thanks for posting Amy's fab tutorial here - I think every package should have a paper spike bow this year! :)
1 year ago
ExQuisiteInVitation says:
Oh how I adore, special packaging!
1 year ago
Verdurebydesign says:
What a gifted and generous community. Thank you!
1 year ago
ExQuisiteInVitation says:
Oh, how I adore special packaging!
1 year ago
Floreal says:
Awesome tips.. thanks..:)
1 year ago
AshleyPahl says:
This is a fantastic roundup of DIY gift wrap! I really love the red snowflake. Thanks so much for including my post from Indie Pretty Projects!
1 year ago
DayDreamerVintage says:
Beautiful ideas!
1 year ago
mousesong says:
It might be better to quietly flag or email regarding an offensive item that you feel is inappropriate for Etsy than it is to drive traffic to it by posting the link in a highly visible place. I am cutting snowflakes as we speak thanks to this post, and my scissors, I am sad to say, are letting me down. As are my design skills! Practice, practice, practice...
1 year ago
BingoBox says:
Wonderful ideas - Cheers !!
1 year ago
spiritcleanslate says:
Wonderful gift wrapping ideas. Thanks
1 year ago
VianneyCreations says:
I love everyone of them..thanks for the ideas!
1 year ago
ylimepulp says:
Loving the spike bows. Here's how I wrapped my gifts this year... http://emilyguystudio.wordpress.com/2010/12/16/decorative-gift-wrap-how-to/
1 year ago
chasedreams says:
Oh, wow - what great activities for me! Thanks for sharing all of these wonderful projects.
1 year ago
Parachute425 says:
Lovely ideas. Thanks!
1 year ago
doveandflower says:
Swoon & Double Swoon. I love to go all out on wrapping! That stamped wrapping paper is die for! And I defintely am makeing me some of that awesome fabric tape! Thanks Julie for all the great ideas and tutorials.
1 year ago
jibbyandjuna says:
wow - lots of great ideas here! thanks!
1 year ago
pinkbijou says:
Love your ideas!!
1 year ago
kissadesign says:
The spiked paper "bow" is based upon a tradition Polish style of ornament, often referred to as a porcupine ball (due to its spiky form). They were originally made from tissue paper, and flat-sided forms like these have been adorning packages for more than 100 years. As with many traditional arts and crafts, versions of these bows are currently being machined/mass-produced for pennies a piece, so it is nice to see the handmade methods of construction becoming popular again. When more layers are sewn together, they can be transformed into ornaments for the tree (as shown in Etsy's other tutorial today...) and make a nice family-oriented craft for the holidays.
1 year ago
kawaiiktsch says:
love the stamps idea!
1 year ago
shop1848 says:
Wonderful ideas! So creative and fun!!
1 year ago
GrayDesign says:
What wonderful ideas, I'll defintely have to try some of these out! Thanks for including my pom pom gift toppers! :)
1 year ago
ecovintagevegan says:
Traditional folded boxes are an American style and technique. From the turn of the century where women congregated in their parlors to fold greeting cards for re-gifting and decorating the tree. Box folding isn't origami....scissors are not involved in the ancient tradition of origami. Very nice attempt at gift wrap. aka crudeco
1 year ago
breadandroses2 says:
Hand carved potato stamps are easy, quick & lots of fun for the whole family to decorate brown craft paper or tissue for wrapping. Love the paper snowflake embellishment! Swell ideas.
1 year ago
DalkullanJewelry says:
Very pretty, thanks for the info!
1 year ago
accentonvintage says:
Beautiful ideas to wrap a special package!
1 year ago
myhandmadecrafts says:
NICE! Looks fun and interesting! Thanks for sharing these great ideas! :)))
1 year ago
stylesupplier says:
Pretty items, like them so much! Great
1 year ago
redemptionart says:
Love these, especially because I am always so last minute!
1 year ago
LittleWrenPottery says:
Lovely roundup! My favorite How about Orange tutorial is the gift bow from a magazine.
1 year ago
myvintagecrush says:
How cute, love the colorful snowflake cutout!
1 year ago
VintageStarrBeads says:
Very Beautiful packaging, Kudos to those who have the time, the craft and the inspiration. -Rachelle
1 year ago
FOYI says:
Omg! I'll never buy a ready made bow ever again. Thank you very much. :)
1 year ago
polkadotmagpie says:
Love all the ideas. I used punched out paper shapes on all my order boxes to customers. A little piece of baker's twine, and they are ornaments. When my kids arrive for Christmas we are having "craft day." Making relief prints from our own hand cut blocks and printed on cotton towels and cards from Etsy sellers.
1 year ago
BLinkDesign says:
Everything is so cute!!!! I love it!
1 year ago
girltuesdayjewelry says:
Thanks for this article! I need to make a fun card and I've been drawing a complete blank--until now! Great ideas!
1 year ago
prendasbyenid says:
Great ideas!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
1 year ago
GreenGardenStamps says:
Thanks so very much for including my heart stamp! What an honor! :)
1 year ago
brillosito says:
I'm loving that fabric paper tape.
1 year ago
Vintagecabaret says:
I love these!!! So creative and beautiful!
1 year ago
GreenGardenStamps says:
I also put together a potato stamp wrapping paper tutorial on my blog if anyone is interested. I hope it's ok for me to share the link here. A fun thing to do with kids! http://greengardenstamps.blogspot.com/2010/11/getting-in-christmas-spirit-family.html
1 year ago
MirandaGabrielle says:
Fun, fun, fun! I'm knitting wash cloths for my family and friends to go with some homemade goat soap from a local vendor. An idea for presentation for the wash cloth that I got online - roll the wash cloth up diagonally. Fold 9in half so that the 2 ends are pointed upwards. Use some holiday ribbon to tie a bow about an inch-and-a-half to two inches down. These make bunny ears. Then take the middle corner (in the middle of the diagonal roll) and bring it through the loop to make the bunny's nose. See examples at: tp://rachelsknittingroom.blogspot.com/2009/12/our-2009-dishcloth-pattern-day_22.html Another fun washcloth pattern is the fold and decorate them into boo boo bunnies. :)
1 year ago
SomethingSeaBlue says:
great ideas! everyone loves to get little surprises :) and pretty ones..amazing how a quick little note card can go along way to building a great friendship!
1 year ago
TheImmortalKey says:
oooh. I love the spiky one! I'm going to put one of those on my mother's gift. Course, the cat will probably try to eat it before Christmas morning! LOL.
1 year ago
alejandracc says:
I love packaging, beautiful! thank you
1 year ago
TheImmortalKey says:
I just spent the last hour and a half making spiny bows! lol. Made a little one to get the hang of it, then I found some round coffee filters in my scrap stash. Colored with red and pink and made a huge one. I love these. Thanks! :)
1 year ago
Prittyfy says:
Lovely presentation!
1 year ago
SimpleJoysPaperie says:
Great ideas ~ thank you! :)
1 year ago
frenchtoastfriday says:
Pretty packaging! For my niece's birthday, I tied the gift to the end of the string of a helium-filled balloon before putting them in a cardboard box. I put a ribbon around the box and tied it with a bow.
1 year ago
AbundantLifeDesigns says:
love em all!
1 year ago
NaturalBamboo says:
love this idea
1 year ago
adarshaked says:
great ideas! love it!!!
1 year ago
SweetlyScrappedArt says:
How awesome. Gift wrapping is definitely not my specialty so it was nice to find this :) it will inspire me to try again
1 year ago
SimpleScentsByKeisha says:
I love the snowflake idea! It adds the perfect personal touch! Happy Holidays!
1 year ago
HadaraTLV says:
I will surely use these ideas. I love especially the snowflakes wrap.
1 year ago
Duliadesign says:
I love it! Great ideas! Thanks!
1 year ago
splanglish says:
These are just wonderful. I wish I'd read this BEFORE Christmas - can't wait until my friends' birthdays!
1 year ago
Jewelry4Change says:
LOVE the snowflakes... great ideas!
1 year ago
skltnsinmycloset says:
i kinda wish i read about this before christmas too but i'm still going to bookmark this article anyway for the future! i really like the spike one. .
1 year ago
KimBalee9 says:
Thanks for inspiring
1 year ago
leahkl says:
I love the snowflakes too, gorgeous!
1 year ago
buildforfun2007 says:
I need to bump it up a little... I love your simple and pretty ideas
1 year ago
InspirationsbyMelani says:
very cute ideas!
1 year ago
liluchic says:
:D
1 year ago
clareyclayworks says:
Once again a great article! Thanks and keep 'em coming!
1 year ago
ciskaAeYo says:
so lovely....like it
1 year ago
BluKatDesign says:
Great ideas!
1 year ago
loveshappyhour says:
great ideas! so simplistic, but still adds a punch!
338 days ago
sesideco says:
So great ideas!!! Thanks for sharing!
221 days ago
smile4menow222 says:
love these ideas!
221 days ago
pirifool says:
A flower and a nice ribbon can do the difference!
221 days ago
joannastrycharz says:
Thank you for including these!
221 days ago
Paperjacks says:
Love love these clever packages. Thanks for sharing!
221 days ago
sofisticata says:
LOVE the ideas!! Thank you for sharing :)
221 days ago
librarianbird says:
love it!
221 days ago
Thamburan says:
Beautiful :) love it !..
221 days ago
pennny says:
wonderful ideas! thank u !!
221 days ago
SimplyUniqueByRLosco says:
Thanks so much for the great tips!
220 days ago
TechnoChic says:
So Fun! Love the carved holiday card. Will definitely be trying it!
146 days ago