Hannukah has begun, Christmas Eve is a week from Wednesday, and (hopefully) you’ve finished your holiday shopping. Or, at least started it. Once we’ve stocked up a pile of presents, all that’s left to do is wrap them up and tie them with a bow, but when we’ve reached the tail-end of this seasonal frenzy, it’s more likely you’ll just slap some Scotch tape over your packages and call it a day.

But, presentation is part of the gifting, as any expert knows. And if you want to make the object of your affection’s holidays even better, it’s worth taking a little extra time to make sure the presents you’re gifting them look their prettiest. (Even if you only spend the added effort on one special person.)

The editors at Rue La La put together some tips for wrapping up in style, and even provided some pretty pictures to drive the point home. Heed their tips below, and carve some extra time out of your schedule for this year’s wrap-fest. You’ve spent all that money on presents, after all – you should probably make them look good, too. (If you still haven’t gotten your presents in order, be sure to check out our gift guides at the bottom of this post.)

Need some materials to get started? Rue La La has downloadable prints and gift tags, seen in action below. You can download the prints here and here, and the gift tags here.

Now, onto the inspiration.

Eco-friendly wrapping

Give a gift that does double duty – wrap a tea towel around baked treats.
Repurpose old road maps as paper for a travel gift.

Wrap with style

Instead of a ribbon, try wrapping a gift with a leather or gold belt.
Tie a gift box with a beautiful scarf and clip a sparkly brooch on as an accent.

Get crafty and DIY

Use blank paper to craft your own crossword puzzle that hints at the gift inside.
Grab a wood-handled stamp and ink pad to create your own patterns on paper.
Get creative with trim – think yarn, lace and evergreen sprigs.

For kids on the nice list

Wrap a gift with a jump rope or candy necklace.
Fasten a small trinket to the outside of the package – maybe they won’t rip open the paper so fast!

See that? Some of these don’t even involve extra time or effort – just a little extra thought. Happy wrapping!

And in case you’re still in need of some gift ideas, check out the gift guides below.

Related:

8 Under-$50 Gift Ideas That Will Seem More Expensive Than They Are

A Holiday Gift Guide for the Foodie In Your Life

13 Creative Secret Santa Gifts You Can Find for Under $25

10 Gift Ideas for Every Lady in Your Life This Holiday Season