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As we're gearing up to gift-giving season, it's worth remembering that your present's packaging design (opens in new tab) is an integral part of the gift experience. Wrapping your gift in the normal way can sometimes make the event a little lacklustre – and as creatives we should always be looking to do things in new ways.
So to give you some inspiration, we've collected together eight examples of gift wrapping that goes the extra mile. Can you do better?
01. Animal gift wrap (opens in new tab)
This animal gift wrap was created by Luckies of London (opens in new tab) (US site here (opens in new tab)). Allowing you to customise each sheet with stickers and drawings, it will certainly bring that extra special touch to your gifts.
"Born out of the idea that the act of giving a gift should be just as special as what's inside, whether it's a Bear-thday, Christ-Moose or Bat-mitzva, we all want our presents to be remembered," Luckies explain. "Animal Gift Wrap is the perfect solution to adding a personal touch, with minimum fuss and maximum impact."
02. Meat gift wrap
Pack your present full of meat for a truly unique gift experience
Kickstarter is the perfect place to get try out new and unusual gift wrap ideas. And food lovers and delicious design duo Gift Couture (opens in new tab) have taken full advantage of this, first bringing us their brilliant burger wrapping paper (opens in new tab) and then going upmarket with this supreme steak gift wrap (opens in new tab).
Sarah Fay and Justin Colt started their gift wrapping business from their humble apartment in New York. The cheeseburger offering proved so popular - and has since sold out - that the pair decided to further their passion with another Kickstarter project.
Working with D&K Printing (opens in new tab), the steak set included two 25x21in sheets of steak paper, one 25x21in sheet of cutting board paper, one sheet of white butcher paper, twine, one meat tray, and two gift labels. We love it – but probably best avoid giving this to your vegetarian friends, though.
03. Wrapping paper you can plant
Spread the love this holiday season, with this plantable wrapping paper
We all tend to amass a load of leftover wrapping paper on Christmas Day, with friends, family and loved ones ripping open their presents and leaving the gift wrap to the bin. However, Eden's Paper (opens in new tab) aims to reduce that waste with an inventive use for leftover wrapping paper.
Eden's Paper (opens in new tab) is a 100 per cent plantable wrapping paper that is available embedded with five different types of seeds; carrots, tomato, broccoli, chilli and onion. Made from 100 per cent recycled paper, and the seeds are embedded on the back of the wrapping paper in seven layers of biodegradable tissue paper.
It's all held together without glue and even the ink used in the printing process is vegetable-based.
04. Elastic bows (opens in new tab)
Wrapping isn't just about paper, of course. These stylish elastic bows make gift wrapping incredibly easy, plus the recipient can effortlessly remove and reuse them – a perfect example of sustainable design (opens in new tab) in action.
05. Tote bag gift wrap (opens in new tab)
Here's another clever approach to wrapping that takes an environmentally-friendly approach. Once your friend or loved one has unwrapped their gift, they've got the makings – with a quick weave and fold – of a stylish tote bag. When the wrapping itself serves as an extra present, what's not to like?
06. Hoodie wrapping (opens in new tab)
Alcohol may be one of the most popular gifts to give at Christmas, but it's also one of the most predictable. As ever, though, an imaginative approach to gift wrapping can transform a dull present into an inspired one. And this hoodie-style wine wrapping from Urban Outfitters (opens in new tab) falls straight into that category.
07. Pac-Man's Ghost (opens in new tab)
Who doesn't love Pac-Man? This gift wrapping, based on the loveable Pac-Man ghost, is aimed specifically at 'Halloween presents' (whatever they are). But we reckon any keen gamer would love to see their gift wrapped in this at any time of year.
08. Word Puzzle Universal Wrapping Paper (opens in new tab)
Another simple but brilliant idea, perfectly executed. This wrapping paper provides an extra burst of entertainment with its holiday-themed word puzzle. It's actually a design concept rather than a ready-to-buy product, but we thought it worth including as it would be easy to create your own.
Have you seen any creative gift wrapping ideas worth of sharing? Do so in the comments below!
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Tom May is an award-winning journalist and editor specialising in design, photography and technology. Author of the Amazon #1 bestseller Great TED Talks: Creativity (opens in new tab), published by Pavilion Books, Tom was previously editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. Today, he is a regular contributor to Creative Bloq and its sister sites Digital Camera World, T3.com and Tech Radar. He also writes for Creative Boom and works on content marketing projects.