Wirecutter - No wrapping paper? No problem.

Marki Williams

It’s a funny recommendation coming from The New York Times, we know. Newsprint may not seem like ideal wrapping material. It can tear easily, it isn’t necessarily festive-looking, and it tends to smudge—but there are easy workarounds for those concerns. Here’s how to make the most of it:
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• Wrap with three layers of paper. This can help prevent against rips.
  
  
• Reduce smudging by using paper with tiny type. The more your paper is filled with small type, rather than large headlines or photos, the less ink will transfer to your fingertips as you wrap.
  
  
• For color, turn to the funnies, food, and fashion sections. Look through whichever sections contain the most vivid photography, graphics, or advertising (think: comics, cooking, travel, and style).
  
  
• Trim with twine and twigs. Colorful twine, like this Target red-and-white-striped baker’s twine, is our favorite way to tie a literal and figurative bow atop a newspaper-wrapped present. We also suggest topping the finished package with a sprig of clipped pine or a candy cane.

Marki Williams

If you’re looking for a super-cheap, eco-friendly gift wrap that works for any occasion, Kraft paper (sometimes called brown packing paper, craft paper, or sack paper) is a great option. It boasts a minimalist-chic look on its own, but it can also be gussied up a bunch of different ways: Doodle on it, add stickers, let your kids scribble on it, or inscribe your gift recipient’s name across the box in lieu of a gift tag. Even better, it costs about 60% less than gift wrap (and it’s often made from recycled and recyclable materials). Here’s what to keep in mind:
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• Choose the right weight. Kraft paper is often sold in different basis weights. We recommend looking for 40 lbs. (or “40#”), a medium weight that’s good for wrapping—not so thin that it will tear, not so thick that it won’t crease neatly. Here’s one we like.
  
  
• Opt for a heftier adhesive. Because brown paper is thicker and heavier than regular gift wrap, your usual transparent tape may not hold it together. Try Scotch Double-Sided Tape (look for the yellow plaid pattern), which uses a more glue-like, acrylic-based adhesive compared to other tape products. (The double-sided tape also hides itself, making your finished product look more professional.)
  
  
• Consider different colors. Kraft paper doesn’t just come in brown; We also like black Kraft paper for an edgier look, especially when paired with twine. A similar gift-wrap alternative we love is this pink butcher paper, which actually comes off as high-end-looking when used to wrap a gift.

Marki Williams

Used tissue and wrapping paper is certainly fine to use again. The key is to lean into the creasing to make it seem purposeful. Here’s how to do it.
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• Use crinkled paper on soft, unboxed gifts. Scarfs or a pair of gloves make excellent candidates for this. Just fold the paper around the soft gift like you’re creating a little envelope. Tie with string or ribbon and there you have it.
  
  
• Go for multiple layers. Same as newspaper, your used tissue paper may be a little weak, so buff it up by using two or three layers at once. (Each sheet can be a different color or pattern for extra pop.)
  
  
• Repurpose gift-wrap scraps as “ribbon.” An easy way to add visual interest to a wrapped gift is to take thin strips of gift wrap you’d otherwise discard and tape them vertically and horizontally across the box, in the same way you’d wrap a piece of ribbon around the box.

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What are you wrapping, though? Gift ideas galore, here.

Happy wrapping (and unwrapping!), all.