12 Ways to Upgrade Your Gift-Wrapping Using Office Supplies
Mondrian
Align a few sticky notes (cut some in half), then add blacktape lines to cover the intersections.
Tip: Our secret moneysaver is bulletin-board paper! We got a 4x50-foot roll for $16 on Amazon. Use it to do the basic wrapping ahead of time (be sure to label the backs), then let your children get creative!
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Mandalas
Arrange adhesive flags in a circle, then add a layer of flags in a contrasting color on top of them.
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Mod Tree
Trim notes into triangles, fringe the edges, and layer on top of one another. Top with a foil star.
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Little Gifts
Place a few notes on your package, then layer on black-tape ribbon and bows.
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Great Garland
Draw a few curves of “string” across the gift, then dot the stickers along them.
Tip: Have your child use dots in one or two color families for a pro look—or don’t, for a wilder feel!
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Ribbon Run
Cut hole reinforcements in half, then arrange them in a line down your gift.
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Confetti
Place stickers in a random pattern, starting in one corner.
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Snowflake
Begin in the center and build out a symmetrical pattern using dots and reinforcements.
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Fireworks
Cut labels into strips, then crisscross them into starburst shapes.
Tip: Your child can draw anything she likes (think: the recipient’s portrait or a winter scene) to adorn a special present. The artwork is half the gift!
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Santa’s Belt
Wrap your present with a strip of black paper or tape, then stick on a label with the center cut out.
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Citrus Slices
Draw circles and spokes on labels, then cut them out and place on your present.
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Starry Sky
Draw patterns onto labels, Zentangle-style, then cut them corner to corner to get triangles. Arrange into stars.
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Meet Jean
Jean Van’t Hul is the founder of the blog ArtfulParent.com, full of arts-and-crafts activities for kids. She has written two books, The Artful Parent and The Artful Year, and lives in Asheville, NC, with her family.