Holiday Gift Wrapping Ideas Using Twine, String and Yarn

Decorating holiday and gift packages with yarn and twine and brown paper is a creative and very popular way of quickly wrapping gifts for any occasion.

Crafters like to find creative ways to decorate Christmas and holiday packages. It is even better if they can find ways to use up old craft supplies like yarn, twine, paper and leftover projects.

Wrapping gifts can be very simple, economical and eco-friendly. Use leftover yarn, basic twine, brown paper bags and leftover paper, spices, bits of nature and other items you may have to embellish packages and create one-of-a-kind wrappings. See how easy it is to create your own unique "brown paper packages tied up with string" for gift giving at the holidays or any other special occasion.

Nature Decorated Christmas Package from Lorna Watt Used Under Creative Commons License 2.0

Brown Paper Packages with Stenciled Red Stars, Tied up with String from grabadonut. Used under a Creative Commons 2.0 License

Decorating gifts can be pretty simple (especially for crafters) by using leftover yarn, twine and ribbons to wrap up gifts. Add in some natural, spice, yarn or cut paper embellishments and you have a unique one-of-a-kind wrapping.

1. Yarn Ties
2. Twine Ties
3. Brown Paper Bags
4. Natural Decorations
5. Spice Trimmings
6. Yarn and Twine Craft Toppers
7. Cut Paper Decorations

Brown Paper Packages tied up with Cedar Twigs by Lorna Watt

Used under Creative Commons License 2.0

Knitters, crocheters and crafters often have left over yarns from completed projects or yarns from abandoned projects.

Yarn is a very versatile material for decorating packages as ties, as knitted or crochet toppers or even being turned into fun pompom ornaments.

Take a look below at the video from Lion Brand Yarn at some of the easy ways to use yarn to decorated packages.

With a bit more time, you can even turn leftover yarn into cute little package toppers. Knitpicks online knitting shop offer a lot of fun holiday gift patterns for free that are a great way to use up leftover yarn.

Very big ball of yarn from Inger Maaike. Used under Creative Commons License

Leftover yarn by ejhobbin and Wrapping Yarn Package by trenttsd

Used under Creative Commons License 2.0

In this video clip from LionBrandYarn learn about four different ways to wrap gifts using yarn.

With a bit of time and some basic crochet skills you can turn colorful yarn, string or twine into decorated string garlands and cute gift tags to decorate holiday packages.

Sewing Daisies used crochet motif patterns from Beyond Square Crochet Motifs (below) in Christmas gnome colors of white and red to decorate these brown paper packages with custom crochet toppers for the holidays.

The red and white crochet gift tags can be made in stars or heart shapes to decorate wrapped packages for Valentine's day.

Wrap up packages with brown paper from brown paper bags and tie up with crochet star garland for a holiday look.

Crochet Star Garland from alexsbayley. Used under Creative Commons 2.0 License

Lorna Watt created these very creative gift wrappings using brown paper wrapping, twine, bits of natural elements and spices.

She describes her creative ides for decorating "brown paper packages tied up with string" in her blog Knits for Life.

The cedar twig wrapping (seen in close up above) uses brown paper wrapping, twine, cedar twigs, star anise, peppercorns and cranberries, cut from construction paper.

The paper tree wrapping below uses paper trees cut from construction paper, star anise, peppercorns and twine to decorate the brown paper wrapping.

Nature Decorated Christmas Package from Lorna Watt Used Under Creative Commons License 2.0

Brown Paper Package Tied up with Twine by Lorna Watt.

Used under Creative Commons License

Learn how to cut out paper dolls in this video clip for eHow.

Cut out a string of paper trees by cutting out a tree instead of a doll. Be sure to design your tree so several of the branches can touch.

Christmas Bell Garland with Baker's Twine by Ciara McDonnell.

Used under Creative Commons License 2.0

String some red bells onto twine for a package decoration that can also be hung as a garland.

Learn how to do a basic twine gift wrap from Brittany Spriggs in the video tutorial above.

Another quick decorating idea for embellishing packages with twine comes from Saaleah in South Africa.

She decorated this CD package using Baker's twine, a washer-style charm and Washi tape.

All you need to do is wrap the Washi tape of your color choice around the package, string the jewelry pendant onto Baker's twine and tie it to the package.

Simple, elegant and unique gift wrapping in just a few minutes.

Note: The jewelry piece can be found at many beading stores. Look for pendants or links like the ones I've included that can be easily strung onto twine.

CD Package Decorated with Baker's Twine and Washi Tape by Saaleah. Used under Creative Commons License 2.0.

Colorful Washi tape for decorating.

Baker's twine gets combined with a doily in this simple gift packaging idea used to wrap up the photos she sells from Jessica Torres Photography.

Using simple brown paper (kraft paper or recycled paper bags), a paper doily and baker's twine you can create a very elegant gift wrap in a matter of minutes.

Make it more special by including a hand crochet doily or a crochet motif in colors of your choice from the Beyond Square Crochet Motifs book above.

Brown Paper Package with Twine and Doily by Jessica Case Torres. Used under Creative Commons License

In addition to being a fun way to decorate packages, handknit or crochet gift toppers are a great way of using up leftover yarn, which may be found in abundance in most crafters' homes.

This cute knit grumpy lump of coal would be a silly gift topper for someone who is on the "Naughty" list this year.

I found many free patterns for knitting up gift topper / ornaments at Knitpicks online knitting shop. With creative patterns like mini stocking and Christmas pickle ornaments, mitten garlands, tinsel trees, snowmen and grumpy coal lumps (with Santa hat) you are likely to find something to help embellish your Christmas packages.

Grab your needles, you leftover yarn and get knitting.

Grumpy Lump of Coal by Rhonlynn. Used under Creative Commons License 2.0

Knitpicks show how to decorate gifts with knitted embellishments.

KnitPicks has a collection of fun holiday patterns for little knitted embellishments that can be used to decorate package and be hung on the tree as ornaments.

Since these embellishments are small, they are great projects for using up leftover yarn.

Here is the list of Free embellishment patterns available on KnitPicks. Look in their Free Knitting Pattern section.

• Smitten (a Holiday Garland)

  Knit up a mitten garland to count down the days to Christmas! At 4.5 inches from fingertip to cuff, each mitten is just the right size to hold a small treat for each of the first 24 days of December.

• Santa Hat Pattern

  This darling hat can be knit up in whatever weight yarn you have on hand! The heavier the yarn weight, the bigger the hat will be. (The hat can be added to Grumpy the Lump of Coal.

• Grumpy, the Lump of Coal Pattern

  It's the gift that says, "I could have knit you something cool, but all you deserved was this lump of coal." Knits up quickly, so you can make one for each of your ingrates!

• Tinsel Tree Pattern

  Make these tiny trees as festive decorations for your home during the holidays. Quick to knit, each tiny tree only takes a small amount of yarn - making the Tinsel Trees a great and fun way to use up leftover yarn.

• Snowmen Pattern

  Use up your stash and knit these clever little snowmen just in time for the holiday season. Knit them as gift toppers, ornaments or just to decorate your house this season.

• Mini Stocking Ornament

  Perfect for your tree, to give as a gift, or as a cute gift tag, this adorable ornament makes good use of those odds and ends of yarn.

• Christmas Pickle Ornament Pattern

  What's a Christmas Pickle? Every year some American families hide a pickle ornament deep in the boughs of their Christmas tree for the children to find. The child who spots the well-hidden pickle first is believed to have good luck through the year.

• Tidings of Joy Holiday Ornaments Pattern

  Knit a complete set of Christmas ornaments! This pattern includes instructions to make over 20 ornaments in four different themes. Knit them all or knit four sets of one theme in assorted colors!

Learn how to make a recycled yarn gift tag from Patricia Zapata.

Pom poms are a fun way to decorate a package. Add a string and the pom poms can be used as ornaments that can be hung up, so double as an extra gift.

Using Christmas colored yarn you can quickly wind up some pompoms for decorating.

Teresa from the Art of Crochet shows how to make a pom pom using cardboard cutouts that you make yourself. After watching the video you'll be making your own pom poms for decorating packages in no time.

You can also buy special Pom Pom Makers that make the process even easier.

Holiday PomPom by Tracy the Astonishing. Used under a Creative Commons License 2.0

Learn how to make a yarn pom pom from tjw1963.

Find out how to make twine flowers from Dsscrapie in the video tutorial above.

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