Taking your gift wrapping from basic to brilliant is a fun way to get creative and light up the faces of your loved ones. For stylist and owner of creative agency The Festive Co Alexis Teasdale, her passion for injecting fun and colour into, well, everything, really shines when it comes to Chritsmas present wrapping. “Whether you’re going full Australiana with native prints and botanical themes or embracing juicy pops of bold and bright colour, the right wrap makes gifting even more joyful,” she says. 

A present neatly wrapped in red gift wrapping, tied with orange and white twine and adorned with a green bow, surrounded by rolls of twine and additional pink and green bows on a plain brown background.

How to Choose a Gift Wrap Theme 

Before you even reach for the tape, consider your gift wrapping theme. “Not only does this give your gifts a cohesive look under the tree, but it makes planning your embellishments and tags so much easier,” says Alexis. 

A botanical theme with natural elements is an excellent jumping-off point. “Think: gum leaves and sprigs on pine, earthy tones and chunky twine, paired with kraft paper. Or, if bold and bright is more your style, pack a punch with watermelon reds, juicy pinks and lush, tropical greens. This looks fantastic against clean, bright white, shiny ribbon and pops of neon, too.” 

Hot Tip: Use one hero Christmas wrapping paper and accent it with a couple of complementary prints or solids. This keeps things looking intentional, not chaotic. 

What to Try

SEE ALSO: Best Christmas Gifts for Kids

‍Pick Your Embellishments 

Once your paper is chosen, it’s time to layer with texture and charm. “Think about ribbons and twines, tags and embellishments like bells, baubles and pom-poms – this is where you can turn standard wrapping into something really special,” says Alexis. Gift wrapping ribbon adds elegance and polish; try velvet for a luxe look, firm textured ribbon for structured bows or metallics for added shine. Or, use twine to keep things casual and rustic. Perfect for natural or minimal themes, you can mix and match thin and thicker versions of twine. 

A present wrapped in red and white gingham gift wrapping and tied with red and beige ribbons, accompanied by festive tags of a bow and a wreath with “Merry & Bright” text, on a brown background.

Tips for Gift Wrapping Like a Stylist ‍

It’s not just what you use, but how you use it. Try these clever tricks from Alexis for a pro-looking finish to your gift wrapping. 

1. Layer Blank Paper Under Your Ribbon or Twine

“When using a busy print, take a blank or unprinted piece of paper, cut a long strip and wrap that over the printed paper like a belt, before adding twine or ribbon over the top. This will help it stand out against the print and will look cleaner and more stylised.” 

2. Be Generous With Twine

If you’re using twine, don’t be stingy! “Wrap it around a few times to thicken it up and add extra texture. You could even loosely plait it too, mixing colours or weaving in a metallic ribbon.”

A present wrapped in pink, green and red plaid gift wrapping paper, tied with white ribbon and gold bells, placed next to matching wrapping paper and rolls of red and white raffia on a brown background.

‍3. Use the ‘Rule of Three’ for Embellishments

“Adding embellishments to your wrapping is like the cherry on top; they can’t be forgotten! If you’re using little bells or beads, go with odd numbers like bunches of three (like the classic illustrations of a holly sprig) and don’t be shy to leave lovely long lengths of ribbon dangling down, too.” 

What to Try

SEE ALSO: Best Christmas Gifts Under $30

A gift wrapped in custom wrapping paper featuring photos of a golden retriever, tied with a green ribbon and bow, placed alongside rolls of pink and green ribbon on a brown background.

Make It Personal with Custom Wrapping Paper 

“There’s nothing quite like seeing someone take the time to personalise a present,” says Alexis. “Seeing your initial or name all jazzed up, or opening a gift with your face on the paper, adds warmth, humour and heart.” 

  • Use craft initials. “These are a fun way to add a big ol' letter onto a present, that doubles as a trinket afterwards, too. Decorate with paint markers like Posca Pens, watercolour paints or even wrap them in ribbons or twine using glue to hold it all in place.” 
  • Order personalised wrapping paper. Add another fun layer to your gift with paper that features the recipient’s face or their pet. It’s an instant smile-maker and conversation starter. 

Hot Tip: Personalised items ordered from Officeworks Print + Create require 7 to 10 business days for printing. Express same-day photo gift printing is available at selected stores. Same-day photo gift orders must be placed in-store at the photo kiosk.

What to Try

SEE ALSO: 13 Great Christmas Gifts Under $50

How to Wrap Unusually Shaped Items ‍

Not everything comes in a box. “Some gifts – we’re looking at you, pot plants and water bottles – can feel impossible to wrap, but it’s totally doable,” says Alexis. Here are five of her clever ways to do it. 

1. Go For the Bon-Bon Style 

“Roll the item in wrapping paper or tissue paper, twist both ends and tie with ribbons for an oversized lolly vibe.” 

What to Try

2. Bag It 

“Okay, it’s a bit of a cheat, but for those hard to wrap, fragile shapes, a gift bag is the perfect solution. Add tissue paper around the item and a gift tag on the handle.” 

What to Try

3. Add Padding 

If you have a particularly tricky shape, before wrapping it, add some paper padding. “Butchers paper is a nice, thin option that can be scrunched to fit around the trickier parts of the present, and you can secure it with little pieces of sticky tape if needed. Shredded paper works too and can then be reused for DIY projects, and newspaper or old tissue paper is a great recycled option. Once you have padded out the shape, then go ahead and wrap it with your prettiest paper.” 

What to Try

‍4. Build a Custom Box 

“Nothing is stopping you from creating a more solid structure yourself! Take a nice, thick cardstock (over 300gsm), and cut and fold it into a box that fits your item. Then you can secure it with tape and wrap as usual.”

5. Finish With Cellophane 

“If your shape is just hard to deal with, rolling it in tissue paper and finishing with cellophane, pulled together and tied like a pineapple looks great every, single, time. Take a large sheet, place your tissue-wrapped present in the middle, then pull each corner of the cellophane together at the top and tie. Any loose corners can be gently taped back with clear sticky tape.”

What to Try

SEE ALSO: Best Christmas Gifts Under $100

Don’t Forget to Stock up on the Basics 

Make sure you have plenty (and we mean plenty!) of tape, paper and embellishments before you get comfy and ready to wrap. Have different kinds of sticky tape, including double-sided, ready for any hard-to-handle corners. 

What to Try

‍SEE ALSO: 12 of the Best Tech Gifts for Christmas