Color-Your-Own Gift Wrap: An Easy Family Project for Birthdays and Holidays

To make color-your-own gift wrap, roll out plain paper (kraft or white), let children cover it with a simple repeating pattern, and use it to wrap a gift for someone they love. Patterns like dots, stars and stripes fill big areas quickly and look great when folded. Working as a team on one sheet keeps it fun, and the paper becomes part of the present.

Below: which paper works, five easy patterns, how to cover big sheets without boredom, and matching gift tags.

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Which paper works

Five patterns that look great wrapped

1. Dots in two or three colors.
2. Stars big and small, with a few gold ones.
3. Stripes drawn along a ruler (or wobbly on purpose).
4. Tiny hearts or flowers scattered evenly.
5. Little faces: the recipient's favorite animal, over and over.

Our guide to pattern doodles has ten more.

For gift wrap

Pick	Best for	Good to know	Buy
Bold washable color, fills fastCrayola Ultra Clean Washable Markers, Broad Line, 40 Count	Among the most washable kids' markers from skin and most fabrics	Broad tips aren't for tiny details	$18.99 on Amazon.com Price as of Oct 27, 6:29 PM UTC Details Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Check price on AmazonView on Amazon Paid link
A little gold for starsCrayola Metallic Crayons, 16 Count	Beautiful on moons, lanterns and stars	Less coverage than classic crayons on large areas	$12.03 on Amazon.com Price as of Oct 27, 6:29 PM UTC Details Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Check price on AmazonView on Amazon Paid link

Amazon shows the current price and delivery. Tap any name for our full write-up, including what it’s not good for.

Big sheets without boredom

• Split the sheet into strips: each person colors one.
• Set a timer for 15 minutes, then see how far you got.
• Small gifts first: a little parcel is finished fast and feels like a win.
• Leave white space: it doesn't need to be full.

Matching tags

Cut a rectangle from a colored corner, punch a hole, and write the name on the back. Children love signing their own gifts.

Gift wrap is a lovely partner to homemade holiday cards and to birthday party coloring ideas.

Wrapping tips for homemade paper

1. Let it dry before folding, especially marker colors.
2. Measure first: lay the gift on the paper and check it wraps all the way round.
3. Put the best patch on top: place the gift so the favorite part of the design is on the front.
4. Simple ribbon or string lets the paper be the star.

Small gifts children can wrap themselves

• A homemade card or bookmark.
• A colored page, rolled and tied.
• A small box of crayons for a friend.

Small, flat or box-shaped gifts are the easiest for children to wrap on their own, and wrapping it themselves makes giving it feel even more special.

Match the paper to the gift

Make it look "designed", not messy

• Limit the colors: two or three colors look like real gift wrap; ten look like a test page. The three-color challenge is perfect here.
• Keep the spacing even: a light pencil grid (or just "a hand's width apart") keeps a scattered pattern tidy.
• Same size, same direction: stars all pointing up, stripes all one way.
• Outline last: a fine black outline on a few shapes makes the whole sheet look sharper.
• Leave breathing room: white or kraft between shapes is part of the design.

A little gift-wrap workshop

For a birthday party or a family afternoon, tape a long sheet down the middle of the table and give each person a pattern and a color. One person does dots, another stars, another stripes, all at the same time. In twenty minutes there's a sheet big enough for several presents, and every child can point to their part of it. Cut it into gift-sized pieces once dry.

Keep the offcuts: small strips make bookmarks and gift tags, and bigger pieces line a drawer or wrap a homemade card. Nothing needs to go to waste, which children notice and like.

Questions families ask

• Will markers rub off onto the gift? Let the paper dry fully; washable markers on dry paper rarely transfer.
• Can we use printer paper? Yes, for small gifts. Tape two sheets together for something slightly bigger.
• How do we stop it tearing? Kraft paper is sturdier than white; fold gently along the edges of the box.
• What if the gift is an odd shape? Put it in a simple box first, or make a gift bag by folding and taping the paper.

Every answer comes back to the same idea: simple materials, a little patience, and wrapping that becomes part of the present.

Homemade wrap is also a good way to reuse paper you already have: the back of a large poster, brown paper from a delivery box, or a long strip of drawing-pad paper. Children enjoy the idea that something ordinary became part of a present, and it's a natural, low-key way to talk about reusing things before throwing them away.

The one thing to remember

Plain paper, one pattern, and a team. The wrapping becomes part of the gift.