We all know that one person who wraps holiday gifts as if it’s an Olympic sport. The homemade bow is perfectly curled, the paper is creased to perfection and the tag is so cute it would be a sin to discard. HOW DO THEY DO IT!?

A thoughtfully wrapped package can take a gift to the next level — making it look like a million bucks. It lets the receiver know that they were worth the time to give the presentation of the gift some extra thought. As you’re completing your holiday shopping, here are three fun ways to make your gift wrapping stand out this season. And bonus, they won’t break the bank!

• Brown Bag It – Grab a few extra brown paper bags the next time you’re in line at a grocery store (like ALDI) and use them to theme this season’s gifts under the tree. The plain brown bag gives a crafty look and feel. It’s durable, folds well and provides an ultimate blank canvas to decorate anyway you please. Try hand lettering names… or let the kids draw a holiday scene!
• Upcycle Old Holiday Cards  – Take old holiday cards that you were going to toss, cut the front of the card off and glue it down to decorate a package. Scenic, funny, cartoon or text — the possibilities are as endless as there are greeting card designs!
• Know Your Audience – Get creative using nontraditional items as name tags for an added touch of personalization. Find an object that represents the person receiving the gift. Are they chocolate lovers? Turn a fancy candybar into a name tag. Car enthusiast? Hang an air freshener off of the bow. Using personalized tree ornaments as name tags make great extra touches too.

Happy wrapping!