When it comes to gift giving, it’s usually the thought that counts. But when it comes to giving Christmas presents, presentation is definitely on the scorecard. Gorgeous, glittery wrapping paper, a perfectly curled bow, a “to and from” tag that you sneakily sign “Santa Claus”, and perhaps a box of chocolate or tea attached to the outside as a teaser for what else is in store.

I have always loved the art of gift wrapping. There’s something about going the extra mile and delivering a gift from the heart in spectacular wrapping that makes the present feel even more special. And as with anything else in life, gift wrapping can be taken to the next level with just a pinch of creativity.

Below, we’ve gathered a list of some of the most creative and fabulously wrapped gifts to inspire you to channel your very own Christmas elf this December. Be sure to upvote the presents you find too beautiful to even open, and let us know in the comments if you have any out of the box tips for how you like to present a present. Then, if you’d like to check out another Bored Panda article featuring cleverly wrapped and presented holiday gifts, you can find more here and here!

#1 Our Son Wants A Duffel Bag For Christmas. We Decided To Give Him Cash And Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients As Well

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#2 How My Mom Wrapped My Sister’s Rug For Christmas

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#3 My Husband Always Got Colored Pencils For His Birthday And Christmas Growing Up And He Hates Them Cause He’s Colorblind. He’s Wanted An iPhone Forever So Today I Bought Him One And This Is How I Wrapped It

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What’s your go-to method for wrapping Christmas presents? Do you perfectly measure out wrapping paper, delicately fold each corner to keep boxes perfectly shaped, and tie beautiful bows on every package? Or are you more of a “purchased a festive bag and tossed the present inside” person? No matter where your skills lie when it comes to gift giving, I’m sure your loved ones appreciate the time and energy that you put into picking out the perfect present. But there’s just something nice about lovely packaging, so why not go all out this year and put in a little extra effort?

If you’re wondering where the tradition of gift wrapping came from in the first place, you might be surprised to know that it’s been around for thousands of years. Better Homes & Gardens explains that people who practiced traditional Korean folk religions during the Three Kingdoms Period believed that, “Wrapped items were a symbol of protection and good luck, so giving a gift wrapped in cloth was a way to bestow protection and good fortune upon the recipient.” Gift wrapping was also a tradition in Japan during the Tokugawa period in the 1600s, and even baby Jesus received wrapped gifts from the wise men back when he was born. Although fabric and small treasure chests were the go-to “wrappings” during those times, the tradition was the same, and I’m sure people loved receiving a thoughtfully presented gift.  

#4 “No Wrapping Paper, No Problem”, Says My Brother

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#5 Told My Boyfriend I Was Getting Him A Burger For Christmas

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#6 My Girlfriend Has Problems Opening Gifts Early. I Have A Problem With People Opening Gifts Early

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Gift wrapping today is a bit different than it was thousands of years ago, all thanks to the invention of Christmas cards. In the mid-1800s, Christmas cards began to be sent all over Europe and the United States, and as printing became easier and more accessible, card manufacturers began selling wrapping paper that matched some of their cards. But Hallmark can be credited for creating the classic paper gift wrap that we all know and love today. According to Better Homes & Gardens, the Hall brothers were running a stationery store in Kansas City in 1917 when the first wrapping paper was born. 

Apparently, the brothers had run out of the tissue paper that was popular for wrapping gifts in at the time, so they started to print huge rolls of the patterned wrapping paper we’re familiar with today. Cut to two years later, and Hallmark was pumping out huge quantities of gift wrap to be sold all over the country. Nowadays, Americans spend over $3 billion on gift wrap each year, so it’s safe to say that the trend hasn’t slowed down.  

#7 My Kid Has An Unhealthy Obsession With Who Got The “Biggest” Present. Gift Wrapped 32gb Microsd Card. Banana For Scale

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#8 Concert Tickets, Wrapped!

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#9 How One Of My Coworkers Wrapped His Secret Santa Gift

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We now know a bit about the background of gift wrapping, but you might still be wondering why we do it, from a psychological perspective. Is a gift really more exciting or more cherished when it’s presented in packaging? As it turns out, it may be. According to a 2019 study exploring the impact of neat gift wrapping, the way a present is presented might provide insight into the relationship between the gift giver and the giftee. Scanlux Packaging further explained these findings, “Nice gift wrapping is a symbol that the gift giver is setting a price on the relationship with the recipient. As a result, it creates a more positive experience overall for the receiver.” The more effort one puts into wrapping a gift, the more important the relationship seems to that person.

#10 Inspired By All Your Wrapping Posts, I Dug Out This Old Travel Brochure And Ripped Out The Beautiful Photos To Wrap Up My Gifts

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#11 Bought My Wife A Tablet For Christmas, This Is How I Wrapped It

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#12 Locked Gift For An Escape Room Gift Certificate

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Humans are pretty simple creatures. We like attractive things, including presents that are wrapped beautifully. And one study found that wrapping is one factor that affects how attractive we consider a gift to be. Have you ever played a game of White Elephant? The most fabulously wrapped presents tend to be snatched up first. The same study also found that participants were even more likely to express joy when given a wrapped gift than when they were presented with an unwrapped present. “The gift’s wrapping and outer appearance have a lot to do with creating the joy of anticipation in the recipient,” Scanlux Packaging explains. “This joy, together with the surprise of the gift itself, will not be present if a gift is given unwrapped, and this will be immediately noticeable.”

#13 Our Family Has A 35+ Year Tradition Of Disguising Christmas Gifts. This Took Over 80 Hours To Build

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#14 100 Zip Ties And Definitely Worth It!

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#15 I Wrapped A Canvas Into A Toilet

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If you’re on a tight budget this year or you’re trying to wrap gifts in a more sustainable way, have no fear! You are still capable of presenting beautifully wrapped gifts without having a huge impact on your wallet or the environment. First of all, don’t underestimate the power of newspaper. It can certainly be used to wrap a present with, and it might even be more charming than store-bought wrapping. In the same vein, if you have a stack of brown paper bags from the grocery store piled up in your home, now might be the time to put them to use. They can be cut and used just like wrapping paper. Or if you’d like to present your gift in another component of the present, many stores sell cute, reusable tote bags for less than the cost of gift wrapping, so that’s always an option as well! 

#16 In My Family Its Not About The Gift, Its How You Wrap It

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#17 Hogwart’s Trunk And Gift Wrap For Christmas Presents

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#18 I Had To Wrap A Golf Club So I Turned It Into A Giant Lollipop

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If you have any old maps, pamphlets or fliers hanging around, those can be upcycled into cute wrapping paper as well. Don’t be afraid of presenting gifts in objects either. Have too many jars or cookie tins taking up space in your pantry? Dress one up with a bow, and it can be the perfect home for a holiday present. Also, I assume this goes without saying, but gift wrapping can often be recycled. If it’s paper that you’re gentle with and don’t tear, you can likely trim it to be used for a future present. And if it’s a bag with tissue paper, no effort will be required other than storing it in your closet until the next holiday season. Presenting our gifts beautifully is a great thing to do, but it should never cause stress or make you wonder if you’ll be able to afford rent that month. 

#19 Gift Wrapping For My Neice

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#20 My Friend Wrapped Up A Toilet Plunger For Our White Elephant Party

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#21 The Best Way To Wrap An iPhone

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Another creative way to spice up your gift wrapping game is to go foraging for decorations. Depending on where you live, you can likely find pinecones, spruce branches, flowers, holly, winter berries or dried leaves to add to your present. It may not seem like much, but a few added decorations on top of your gifts will make them stand out and show your loved ones how much effort you put into their presents. Not to mention the fact this decor is eco-friendly, free and probably smells delightful!

#22 Just Finished Wrapping My Wife’s Kindle

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#23 My Dad Told Me To Get Creative When Wrapping My Mom’s Present. Am I Doing This Right?

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#24 Snowman Giftwrap. The Head And Body Are Hollow Styrofoam And Hold The Presents. Added A Scarf And Hat For Decoration

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If you’re still at a loss when it comes to wrapping your gifts, there are plenty of tutorials online to help you turn your presents into masterpieces that are almost too beautiful to open. Or you can try to bribe a friend with Christmas cookies and mulled wine to get them to do your wrapping for you… At the end of the day, it is the thought that counts when it comes to giving gifts. So whatever you end up placing under the tree on Christmas is sure to make your friends and family members gush with joy.

#25 This Is How I Wrapped My Brothers Itunes Gift Card (I Also Bought Him Winrar)

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#26 How My Graphic Designer Sister Likes To Send My Christmas Presents

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#27 Dragon Eggs & Chest Gift Wrap

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Has this list inspired you to channel your inner Christmas elf and whip out all of the fanciest bows and wrapping paper you can find this year? Keep upvoting the gifts that you would be thrilled to find waiting for you this weekend, and let us know in the comments if you have any other innovative ideas for how to wrap the perfect gift. Then, if you’d like to find even more creative gifts and wrapping methods that we’ve featured on Bored Panda before, you can find more here and here!

#28 USB-Stick

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#29 Impressive Wrapping

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#30 *jurassic Park Theme Plays In The Background*

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#31 This Is How My Husbands Wraps Gifts. That Is An Old Tablecloth And Rope.. He Said “What? I’m Going Green”

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#32 Pink Pony Gift Wrap

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#33 My Friend Finished Wrapping His Wife’s Presents. Left One A Perfume, Right One A Sweater

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#34 Got My Girlfriend’s Parents A Gift For Christmas, And Decided To Wrap It Like This

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#35 Iguana

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#36 How Ridiculous Can You Make A Gift Wrapping? This Much

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#37 Finished Wrapping This For My Brother. It’s A Toolset

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#38 It’s A Golf Umbrella

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#39 I Got My Dad A Pair Of Skis For Christmas So To Confuse And Scare Him A Little Bit, I Wrapped It Like This

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#40 Taking Gift Disguising To A New Level. This Is Just A Golf Umbrella And Was Constructed Out Of Cardboard And Duct Tape

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#41 Santa In Chimney Wrap

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#42 White Elephant Gift Wrapping

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#43 Took Some Gummies And Got Really Into Wrapping This Pot

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#44 I Get Asked A Lot About What I Do When I Have To Wrap A Ball! (Sorry For Mess!)

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Source: boredpanda.com