creative wrapping paper/ wrapping paper alternative?

[snappleapple]

Maybe you could use the sunday comics as wrapping paper. Its not exactly glamourous, but its fun.

[K8upL8]

The guy at the chinese take out restaurant saves me his old papers, they are cooler than your regular paper and they come in handy for lots of things, including wrapping gifts.(and I have an excuse to go get chinese... LOL )

[cheesedip]

On my birthday I got oodles of great presents from my friends, all beautifully wrapped. But at the end, an apologetic friend handed me a parcel and said 'Sorry it's wrapped like that, I had no paper left.@ She'd wrapped it in a newspaper. And I loved it! It was the best of all the gifts cos of the brilliant wrapping.

[SecretlyPunkBanker]

- Go to your local Chinese market (or Chinese take-out place) and get take-out boxes.  Insert gift.  Add ribbon, stickers, chopsticks, whatever. (I got 50 1/2 gallon size boxes at the local market for <$10.  If you ask the take-out guy nicely, you could get a few for a buck...)

- Decoupage both pieces of a shoebox or (for larger gifts) a paper box.  It doesn't get ruined when opened and can be reused, either as wrapping or decorative storage.

- I once wrapped a present for my brother in law in a free t-shirt i'd gotten.  The bonus (for me) was that it was a "make 7... up yours" T.  he's not my favorite b-i-l.   

- Pages from oversized magazines or catalogs.  I get a gorgeous catalog from a high-end chocolate place, and can't resist using the pages for wrapping.

- Use shredded paper (junk mail, etc.) as filler instead of tissue paper.  Tissue paper is my nemesis!!!  You can also use plain popcorn, though that's a bit messier.   The shredded paper works really well for gift bags.  And it's still recyclable and reusable!

- Put 'em in a record bowl!

[bookgirl]

Large sheets of Kraft paper and potatoes...and/or whatever else is lying around!

As someone who doesn't trust her drawing abilities to do very much, I love making prints of things.

I can't draw for crap, but I love doing potato prints!  I usually use brown paper grocery bags, cut open and laid flat, for wrapping.  I'll stamp names, initials, seasonal-type shapes (snowflakes, trees, whatever).  Half the time I can't find paint in the house, but we always seem to have red wine around, so I'll boil wine (usually the oxidized dregs in a mostly empty bottle) until it's reduced by at least half or more.  It makes a beautiful, subtle "ink", and complements the brown paper really nicely.  Then a little raffia or ribbon to tie the package and wah-la!

Btw, artgeek, those links were great.  I can't believe some of those drawings were potato prints -- so elaborate!

[SecretlyPunkBanker]

You can also fold your own gift boxes.  I've used cereal boxes that I've flattened, then fold so the blank side faces out, and decorate.  Can also cover in fabric, which looks very luxe when complete.

Milk carton:
http://www.thriftdeluxe.biz/projects/carton.asp

Many different kinds:
http://www.ruthannzaroff.com/mirkwooddesigns/templates.htm