Looking for a way to make your presents really pop this year? I'm sharing my gift-wrapping secret with y'all just in time for the holidays! You won't believe how easy it is to create these one-of-a-kind gifts, and everyone will be talking about your creative packages this Christmas!

See the pic above? I did that BY HAND, y'all.

I have a unique way to wrap presents, and everyone has been begging me to write a post showing just how I make my Christmas magic. Your calls, texts, emails, and Snaps have been answered, y'all! Let's do this--but first: backstory!

I've never been the best at wrapping Christmas presents. I struggle with tape and bows and usually end up making a mess that takes half an hour to clean and leaves me feeling anything but holly jolly. I HATED wrapping gifts every year, but then I had an epiphany...

I LOVE doodling and making hand-written letters and cards. I happened to be in Michael's one afternoon and thought why not just draw on the ding dang packages? The idea seemed too good to be true: I'd save on wrapping expenses AND have fun decorating. I would never have to fool with gift tags or sorting through 569 million rolls of gift wrap again, AND I'd be able to create a special package design for each person on my Christmas list.

I had nothing to lose. I went full on Supermarket Sweep in Michael's, snagged some supplies, and headed back to my house. I put on some of my favorite Christmas tunes and conjured up some serious holiday magic. Behold, my first creation!

I used plain black craft paper and gift bags. I doodled on and/or hand lettered each one. I decorated a few with designs and quotes from holiday movies--like the package above for my big sister. (We used to watch A Christmas Story on TBS every year, so I had to dress up her frah-gee-lay present in an extra special way.)

I tried to make a few of the other presents a bit more simple and elegant; check out the one for my niece below.

My handmade holiday wrapping was such a success I've been doing it every year since. I actually look forward to wrapping presents now! I was soooo far behind on my shopping, but I made some progress Friday and was psyched to start filling in the sad void beneath our tree.

I spent last night grooving to Louie Linguini's stellar show, The Saturday Nite Regrind, and wrapping presents. I doodled and decorated my heart out before putting the presents under out tree. I posted a few pics to Insta before I passed out, and I woke up to rave reviews. Everyone wanted to know how I did it, and y'all inspired me to finally share my secret!

I love decorating my packages this way because I can customize each present; sometimes the design I create is a hint as to what's inside. I like knowing that my packages make my friends and family smile, and I always get a kick out of seeing how they react to the way I've wrapped their presents each year.

Want to decorate your packages like mine? It's so, so easy--just wrap and write! You can add bows or ribbon if you like. Here's how I do it:

  1. Wrap each gift with black craft paper. I use clear packing tape on my presents because it's a bit stronger and is much more invisible than regular "invisible" tape (go figure).  You can also use plain black gift bags--just decorate them before you fill them with presents and tissue paper.
  2. Think of the design you want to create on the package. If you want, do a rough sketch of the design on scrap paper. It always helps me to do a practice run--especially if I am doing special lettering or an intricate pattern.
  3. Doodle and draw on each present. Metallic Sharpies really stand out; if you want to use white, try a paint pen. Don't use chalk; it's too messy, and chalk pens tend to just absorb into the craft paper.
  4. Give the ink time to dry. I wait a couple of seconds before I switch colors or add other decorations/design elements--this is especially important if you're using paint pens, as you don't want a huge mess.
  5. Add your finishing touches: ribbon, bows, etc.
  6. Admire your sick craft skills.

That's it! It may seem like a more expensive gift wrapping method; however, you'll be able to use a lot of the supplies you buy this year NEXT year, too! It ends up being cheaper in the long run. You can buy everything you need at Micheal's, Target, Wal-Mart, or Amazon.

There you have it, y'all! My super-secret method for wrapping Christmas presents in a way that will make everyone smile. Try it out and spread some holiday cheer this year.

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