Easy Gift Wrap Hacks That Are All Pretty and No Pressure

A collection of gifts wrapped creatively with various gift wrap hacks.

We’ve all been there: You think you have what you need to wrap that gift at home, but turns out you’re woefully short on tape. Or someone used the last of the wrapping paper and didn’t tell you. Or you do indeed have a gift bag ready and waiting, but it’s wayyyy smaller than you thought.

Before you grab your car keys and resign yourself to making yet another trip to the store, check out these cute and easy gift wrap hacks. We’re betting one of them could solve your gift wrapping woes. 

And even if they don’t, you’ll likely learn a trick or two that’ll come in handy later.

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No tape? Wrap it with ribbon!  

Running out of tape is robably the most frustrating wrapping problem. But you can totally wrap your gift without tape by using ribbon instead. Just wrap as you usually would, using the ribbon to secure everything as you tie a bow. 

Not only will they not notice that you wrapped your gift without tape, they’ll probably love how fancy the ribbon feels. Don’t forget to slide in a card! 

Use stickers instead of tape  

This is a great way to secure your gift wrap AND personalize your gift! Using nothing but gift wrap and stickers, you can create a cute envelope that’s a great way to wrap a clothing gift or items that are not in a box. 

You could even use it to wrap a printed piece of paper, like tickets to the symphony or a homemade gift certificate.

DIY gift bag for odd-shaped gifts  

Have a weird-shaped present you need to wrap? Use gift wrap to make a little (or big) bag that will fit anything.  Just a few folds and some tape are all you need!

This idea is great for stuffed animals, clothing, non-boxed items, or even a collection of objects. We think the ribbon handle makes it extra clever and super cute.

Use a bottle bag for long, skinny or stackable gifts  

Guess what? You can use a bottle bag for more than just wine! Hallmark has fun bottle bags for every occasion or season. We use them all the time for tall, skinny gifts, or as a fun way to stack items together. 

Think a tea towel and wooden spoon bundle or two stacked jar candles for a house warming gift. Or a few pairs of fun socks and spa masks for the tween in your life. Fancy coffee and cute mug for the friend who’s like caffeine for your soul. Tall, skinny gift wrap problem, solved!

Out of gift wrap? Add a bow!  

If you’re facing an oddly shaped gift and you’re out of gift wrap and gift bags, just put a bow on it! It’s a great way to make a “just because” gift extra special. 

That good luck coffee before a final exam? Put a bow on it. A surprise takeout lunch for a busy coworker? Put a bow on it! Plants, baked goodies, anything that you can’t quite wrap? Yup…PUT A BOW ON IT.

Short on gift wrap? Make an accent band!  

So you’re down to the last bit of your roll wrap or your wrapping paper is too short. Or you want to keep the gift in its shipping box. You can use that strip of wrapping paper to create a pretty accent band to wrap around the box! 

Just wrap it snuggly and secure it in place with some double-sided tape. Finish with a tag and a bow for the extra special touch.

Want more gift wrap ideas? C’mon, you know we’ve got them all: