Wrapping holiday gifts has become a well-established seasonal ritual. However, the costs associated with this tradition can hit especially hard during a time of the year when there are already so many other expenses. Buying gift wrap and bags can really add up.
Fortunately, there are alternatives to flashy, store-bought wrapping papers and glittery gift bags that are kinder to our wallets. Making your own gift wrap is an affordable and completely customizable option that gives gifts a personalized touch. It’s also a fun holiday activity to do with kids. Using recycled brown paper makes this DIY gift wrap a more eco-friendly choice too.
There are many ways to decorate your own wrapping paper. Using DIY potato stamps is one fun and easy option. Carve simple, festive shapes into potatoes to create your own stamps that you can use to make a variety of decorated wrapping papers and gift bags.
Materials:
- Cheap plastic tablecloth or large piece of cardboard to protect workspace (optional)
- Old t-shirt(s) to protect clothing (optional )
- Large potato(es)
- Sharp knife
- Acrylic paints, in desired colors
- Small paint cups or plate
- Paint brushes
- Cup of water to rinse paint brushes
- Roll of brown paper or brown paper bags
Directions:
- Protect your clothing and workspace. This may be particularly important if you’re doing this activity with kids, but even adults can be prone to spills and drips when working with paints. You may want to spread out a cheap plastic table cloth or a large piece of cardboard to protect the surface you’re working on. Big, old t-shirts make great “paint shirts” for kids, or just have them wear clothing that you don’t mind getting a bit of paint on.
- To carve your stamps, cut a large potato in half. Use a sharp knife to gently trace a pattern of your desired shapes into each half. Stick with simple shapes, like mushrooms and pine trees. They are easier to carve and make the best prints. Then gently cut into the potato, about a ¼ inch or so deep, tracing around the outline of your desired shape. If you’re doing this activity with little ones, you’ll want to carve the stamps for them.
- Pour your desired colors of paint into small cups or onto a plate. Use a brush to apply a thin layer of paint onto your stamp. Too much paint will result in prints that are goopy and smeared, and too little paint will result in prints that are too light. You will quickly get a feel for how much paint to use. You may want to do a couple test prints on scrap paper to practice before you start working on your wrapping paper and gift bags. You can also use a small brush to correct prints that don’t turn out exactly how you’d like.
- Now for the fun part! Press the paint covered stamp firmly onto the brown paper in one swift motion. Try not to wiggle or twist the stamp as you lift it up from the paper, as this can smear your print. Decorate pieces of brown paper or brown paper bags with your stamps, as desired.
- Set aside your decorated brown paper to dry. Once fully dried, your homemade wrapping paper and gift bags are ready to use.
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