There are several more hours before Christmas Eve, and I just got back from the supermarket. Needless to say, it’s sheer chaos out there. My sister’s wrapping up her gifts at the last moment – sans traditional Christmas wrapping paper. If you’re tired of wrapping gifts the same old boring way, here are a few ideas which you can put to good use without having to buy new materials.

Dig into your old stuff and look for suitable materials. We have found widespread brochures and catalogs to be useful. They’re really colorful and perfect for Christmas gifts. Usually, the material is glossy, making it even more suitable for wrapping gifts. For wine bottles, I just get a big enough spread of material, wrap it up, and twist. Just tie a ribbon for added flair.

I also got a couple of gifts wrapped in plain brown paper – the kind that they use in meat shops. I really like it even though it’s just plain and not that festive, it does have an appeal of its own. What I was thinking was that if you have kids, you can ask them to draw or paint on the paper. That would make the wrapping even more special.

How about newspaper? For your eco-conscious friends, this would be the perfect choice. I am sure you have a stack of old newspapers somewhere – just get some tape and a pair of scissors and you’ll be done with your gift-wrapping in no time at all!