The holidays have creeped up on us once again (Seriously, where did the time go?) and for those of you who have saved shopping for the last minute, buying wrapping paper is the last thing on the endless list of to-dos that you want to make time for. In the holiday spirit of recycling (and saving you some time!) here’s a quick idea for a DIY rustic and personalized gift wrapping.

If you save gift bags and grocery store paper bags then you’re in luck!  We personally have a stash of Trader Joe’s paper bags that we keep around for multi-purpose use. But any large paper bag fits the bill.

1. First, you’ll need to flatten the paper bags the best you can and gently open up the glued bottom flap of the bag. 
2. Now flatten the bottom of the bag and the sides until you have a square shaped paper.
3. Pick a folded crease and cut open the paper bag, flattening it once again. Also pull off any handles or straps. 
4. Depending on the size of your gift, you’ll want to adjust the size of the paper accordingly. 
5. Place your thoughtful gift inside and wrap nicely!
6. For a personalized touch, use colorful stickers, ribbons, or even hand-drawn doodles to decorate your beautifully wrapped present. Here we went for a simple look but there are no limits to what you can design.

We found that even if we have the time to buy wrapping paper, we prefer doing it this way as it is 1) A great way to reuse and recycle, and 2) It looks awesome! You can even use the printed side of the Trader Joe’s bag since the art work is really pretty and wintery  and cover the “Trader Joe’s” with a gift label.

If you liked this post please follow us and share!