DIY GIFTING IDEAS: Expert reveals six ways to up your gifting game for free using your printer

Gifting season is all year round. Birthdays, graduations, weddings, and giving thanks to a teacher are all times that call for a gift.

Making your gift stand out from the rest can be difficult, but sprucing up its decoration can be an easy way to make it appear more meaningful. Plus, a bit of crafty, DIY know-how can make the gift seem more expensive than it actually is.

Thankfully, there are many free ways to create DIY gift accessories, simply by using your printer.

Stuart Deavall, from leading ink and toner cartridge supplier, TonerGiant, has revealed six ways you can up your gifting game by simply using your printer.

Stuart commented:

“Creating DIY gifting decorations has become increasingly popular in recent years; it’s personalised and usually cheaper than buying gifting products from elsewhere. Better still, adding a personal touch to a gift can be a lot more sentimental than overspending on the gift itself, and there’s no easier way to do this than in the wrapping of a gift.”

1. Cards

“Cards are an integral addition to any gift; they are the perfect way to write a personalised message to illustrate how you feel, so why not design it in that way? You have the freedom to customise every aspect of the card, from the design, layout, font, colours and you can even add personal touches, such as photos. Canva is a great tool to design your card; you can even print out a template and decorate accordingly using colouring pens and pencils.”

2. Gift tags

“Gift tags are easy to create, simply by downloading templates online. For a seamless look, decide on a gifting aesthetic such as a minimal, rustic or modern gifting style – you can even match it with the personality of the recipient of the gift. Use fonts, colours and ribbons to enhance the personalisation.”

3. Stickers 

“Stickers can be great for adding in some colour or, used more practically, for sealing down the wrapping paper. There are many design softwares you can use for free which allow you to get creative, such as: Canva, Paint, Adobe and Picsart.”

“You may need to check if your printer supports sticker printing by reading its documentation or online reviews, but usually a traditional inkjet printer should be fine. Obtaining sticker paper, also known as label paper, is integral too. Follow the instructions on the sticker paper to load into the printer and ensure it is facing the correct direction. Printing a test page on a plain sheet of paper avoids printing a batch of incorrect stickers.”

4. Wrapping paper

“For convenience, it is recommended that customised wrapping paper is used for smaller gifts, as a printer will usually only fit certain dimensions of paper. Since the wrapping paper covers the entire gift and it is what the recipient notices first, it’s worth getting creative. You can use patterns, motifs or personalised drawings that suit the recipient’s interests or to give an indication of what the gift is.”

5. Photos

“Print a photo of yourself and the recipient of the gift to achieve the ultimate personalised look. Pairing the gift tag with a Polaroid-style picture has become increasingly popular and achieves a retro-style look; just tie them both together to create the perfect pairing. Make sure that you print the photo suitable to the size of the gift so it appears cohesive.”

6. Instruction card

“If your gift requires assembling, or it comes with specific instructions, take it into your own hands and make an instruction card. Simply copy and paste the step-by-step instructions the gift comes with, design it appropriately, and print. This can be helpful for the recipient and adds a more relaxed feel to the gift, whilst still providing the information that the recipient needs.”

TonerGiant has shared their top hacks for using your printer to create personalised gifting accessories. To get started, explore their range of ink and toner cartridges here.