Free way firstHolidays

How to Wrap Gifts Without Wrapping Paper

A scarf, a map or a paper bag can look better than store-bought paper, and you already have them. Here's how to wrap with what's in your house.

By the Green Is Easy team8 min readUpdated September 30, 2026
The free way, at a glance
Costs nothing
  1. Gather scarves, tea towels, newspaper, maps and paper bags.
  2. Fabric-wrap boxes with a simple square knot.
  3. Wrap odd shapes in paper, or tuck them into a jar or tin.
  4. Tie it with saved ribbon or twine; skip the tape when you can.
  5. Top it with an evergreen sprig or dried citrus slice.
  6. Save the bags, boxes and ribbon you receive for next time.

Every December, people buy rolls of paper whose whole job is to be torn off in a few seconds and stuffed in a trash bag. It's pretty for a minute. Then it's clutter.

You don't need it. Everything for a thoughtful, good-looking gift is probably already in a drawer, a closet or your recycling bin. Here's the free way first: fabric wrapping, paper you already have, containers that become part of the gift, and simple natural toppers. After that there's an optional upgrade box if you'd like a reusable kit. Buying anything is optional.

Why skip the wrapping paper?

It saves money and hassle. Paper, tape, tags and stick-on bows get bought again every season, and somebody always runs out on the biggest box. The free way costs nothing.

It cuts the trash. A lot of wrapping paper with foil, glitter or plastic coatings isn't recyclable. A common check is the "scrunch test": crumple a piece in your fist. If it stays scrunched, it's probably plain paper. If it springs back open, it likely isn't recyclable. Local rules vary, so check your city's guidance, but the simplest fix is not bringing that paper home at all.

And fabric-wrapped or jar-packed gifts look deliberate. People notice.

The free way, step by step

Step 1: Raid the house

Do a quick sweep for anything flat, flexible and not needed right now:

  • Fabric: scarves, bandanas, tea towels, cloth napkins, pillowcases, fabric scraps, a thrifted tablecloth
  • Paper: newspaper, old maps, brown paper grocery bags, sheet music, calendar pages, packing paper from deliveries, kids' artwork
  • Containers: glass jars, cookie tins, shoeboxes, gift bags and boxes you received last year
  • Ties: saved ribbon, twine, yarn, string, fabric strips

Put it all in one box. That's your wrapping station.

Step 2: Wrap boxes in fabric

The Japanese tradition of furoshiki uses a square cloth and a few knots, and the idea works with any soft, roughly square fabric. Best part: the wrap becomes part of the gift. A nice scarf or kitchen towel is a present on its own.

The basic wrap for a box or book:

  1. Lay the fabric flat, wrong side up, turned like a diamond so a corner points at you.
  2. Set the gift in the center. Opposite corners should overlap well over the top; if they barely meet, use a bigger cloth.
  3. Fold the near corner over the gift, then the far corner over that.
  4. Bring the two side corners up over the top and tie a square knot: right over left, then left over right. It lies flatter than a granny knot and unties easily.
  5. Fluff the ends into "ears," or tuck them under the knot.

No tape, no scissors, and the recipient can untie it in seconds.

Tip: For a bottle, set it on the cloth, roll it up tightly, then twist and knot the ends at the neck. For something round, like a candle or a ball, gather all four corners at the top and tie them together like a bundle.

Step 3: Use the paper you already have

Paper headed for the recycling bin makes great wrap. Fold it exactly like store-bought paper.

  • Newspaper: the comics or crossword look festive, especially tied with red yarn.
  • Maps: perfect for travelers. Match the map to a place that means something to them.
  • Brown paper bags: cut along the seam and remove the bottom for one big flat sheet. Put the printed side in. Kids can stamp or draw on the plain side.
  • Kids' artwork: grandparents love it, and the art gets a second life.

Skip tape where you can by folding the ends crisply and holding everything with a tie. If you do use tape, use just a little so the paper is easy to open, smooth flat and reuse.

Step 4: Let the container be the wrapping

Some gifts don't need wrapping. They need a nice place to live.

  • Glass jars suit cookies, candy, spice blends, bath salts or small items like earrings. Tie a fabric strip around the lid and add a handwritten tag.
  • Cookie tins are sturdy, reusable and good for baked goods or odd shapes.
  • A useful "wrap": tuck kitchen gifts in a mixing bowl, garden gifts in a flowerpot, bath gifts in a small basket.

Put food in a clean jar, tin or container before wrapping, rather than directly in newspaper or other printed paper.

Step 5: Tie it and top it

A good tie makes simple wrapping look finished: saved ribbon, garage twine, leftover yarn or a strip torn from a fabric scrap. For toppers, step outside or open the fruit bowl:

  • A sprig of evergreen or rosemary tucked under the tie
  • Dried orange or lemon slices (bake thin slices in a low oven until dry)
  • A pinecone or a cinnamon stick
  • A tag cut from an old greeting card

Safety note: Some decorative greenery and berries, such as holly, mistletoe and yew, are poisonous if eaten. Skip them on gifts headed to homes with small children or pets.

Step 6: Save what you receive

This is the step that makes it free forever. When gifts arrive, set aside the good bags, boxes, tissue and ribbon. Fold them flat and keep them in your wrapping station. Ask family to untie fabric wraps gently and drop the cloths in a basket. Next year, the same cloths wrap new gifts.

Common mistakes to skip

  • Using too small a cloth. If opposite corners can't reach over the top, the knot won't hold. Go up a size.
  • Leaving logos facing out. Flip grocery bags and delivery-box paper printed side in.
  • Using lots of tape. A tie usually holds everything and keeps the paper reusable.
  • Tossing shiny paper you receive into recycling. Do the scrunch test, check local rules, and save pretty sheets for reuse.

Wrapping for a crowd

Lots of gifts? Set up an assembly line: flattened paper bags, fabric squares, a spool of twine and a jar of greenery sprigs. Kids can decorate brown paper while you wrap. For office swaps with a spending cap, a tea towel wrap counts as part of the present. Thrift stores often have scarves, napkins and pillowcases for pocket change, and our secondhand-first guide to eBay shows how to find used fabric online.

When the upgrade is worth it (and when it isn't)

Fabric gift bags are worth it for busy families. If you wrap a pile of gifts every year, drawstring bags are the fastest option: drop in the gift, pull the string, done. They come back out every season.

Furoshiki cloths are worth it if you love the look. Purpose-made cloths come in good sizes and patterns. But any square scarf or tea towel does the same job, so skip them if you have a drawer full.

Jute twine is worth it if you've run out of ties. Use saved ribbon or yarn first.

Clearing out clutter this season? Set aside scarves, napkins and linens for your wrapping station before they go in the donation box. Our one-bag-a-week declutter plan is a good way to find them.

The short version

You don't need wrapping paper to give a great-looking gift. Knot it in fabric, wrap it in paper you already have, tuck it in a jar, and tie it with something you saved. Keep what you receive, and next year's wrapping is already done.

Common questions

What can I use instead of wrapping paper?

Almost anything flat and flexible: scarves, tea towels, bandanas, pillowcases, newspaper, old maps, brown paper grocery bags, kids' artwork or packing paper from deliveries. Containers work too, like glass jars, cookie tins, shoeboxes and gift bags you saved from last year. Tie it with saved ribbon, twine or yarn and top it with an evergreen sprig.

Is wrapping paper recyclable?

Sometimes. Plain paper usually is, but a lot of wrapping paper with foil, glitter or plastic coatings isn't recyclable. A common check is the scrunch test: crumple a piece in your hand. If it stays scrunched, it's likely recyclable; if it springs back open, it probably isn't. Local rules vary, so check your city's guidance, and pull off tape and bows first.

How do you wrap a gift in fabric?

Lay a square cloth flat like a diamond, set the gift in the middle, and fold the near corner and then the far corner over it. Bring the two side corners up over the top and tie them in a square knot. Fluff or tuck the ends. The cloth should be big enough that opposite corners overlap well across the top of the gift.

How do I wrap a present with a paper bag?

Cut a brown paper grocery bag along its seam and cut off the bottom so it opens into one flat sheet. Put the printed side facing in, then wrap the gift like regular paper, folding the ends crisply. Tie it with twine or yarn instead of tape, and add a sprig of greenery, a dried orange slice or a hand-drawn design.

Is newspaper safe to wrap food gifts in?

It's better not to put food directly in newspaper. Pack edible gifts like cookies, candy or spice blends in a clean jar, tin or food container first, then wrap the outside however you like. That keeps the food clean and gives the recipient a reusable container as a bonus.