Too Pretty to Open: Christmas Gift Wrapping Ideas

This is the parcel you'll want to keep long after it's been opened. Wrap your gift in soft, creamy paper, slightly crumpled for a gentle, antique texture, then bind it with crochet lace ribbon, the kind that looks as though it was rescued from a grandmother's sewing box. Run it once around the parcel and tie it into a loose, generous bow with long trailing tails.

The showpiece is the tag: a small oval of linen or cotton printed or painted with a folk motif, such as two leaping hares, a pair of birds or a sprig of holly, and edged in a simple blanket stitch. Embroider the recipient's initial beneath the design in tiny running stitches, and the tag becomes a keepsake they can hang on the tree, frame or tuck into a drawer.

Thread it onto the lace with a little ring, and add a tiny porcelain or metal charm, an animal, a star or a bell, for a final whimsical flourish.

Not every gift needs a box. For soft, flat or oddly shaped presents, such as mittens, a scarf, a pair of socks or a silk handkerchief, a stitched paper pouch is wonderfully charming, and it turns the wrapping into a love letter.

Cut two identical heart shapes from brown kraft paper, using pinking shears for a playful zigzag edge. Place your gift between them and stitch around the edges by hand with coloured embroidery thread in a simple running stitch, or use a sewing machine set to a long stitch for a neat, dashed finish. Leave a little of the gift peeking out of the top if you like; part of the joy is the glimpse of what's inside.

Hearts are perfect for loved ones, but the same technique works for stars, Christmas trees, baubles or even a stocking shape. Crumple the paper slightly before cutting for a soft, fabric-like texture that's easier to sew.

Inspired by the Japanese art of furoshiki, wrapping a gift in fabric is beautiful, sustainable and wonderfully tactile, and the result is softer, more sculptural and far more generous than paper could ever be.

Choose a square of fabric about three times the size of your gift. Red-and-white ticking stripe looks crisp and festive, but linen napkins, silk scarves, vintage tea towels and printed cotton all work beautifully. Place the gift in the centre, bring two opposite corners up and over, then tie the remaining two corners together on top in a double knot, pulling the ends outwards to create two plump, bow-like ears.

The beauty of a fabric wrap is that it becomes part of the present. A linen napkin joins the recipient's table. No tape, no scissors and no waste, just a gift that keeps on giving.

The most personal wrapping paper is the paper you paint yourself. Roll out plain brown kraft paper and let loose with a few pots of acrylic or poster paint: bold dots, stripes, stars, flowers and abstract shapes in bright primary colours look joyful and modern. There are no rules here and we even encourage using our art collection as inspiration.

Once dry, wrap your gift and paint the recipient's name directly onto the paper alongside a little heart. It's an especially lovely project to do with children, whose paintings make every gift completely one of a kind, and quite possibly more treasured than what's inside.

Tie the parcel with twine, wound several times around and finished in a loose bow, then tuck a small bar of chocolate, a candy cane or a gingerbread biscuit beneath the string. It's a sweet little gift before the gift.