I could have sworn that February and March were the busiest birthday months of the year. All of a sudden, all of my weekends this and next month are booked with parties. Thankfully we haven’t had 2-a-days yet, but those tend to start in the spring. On a hunch, I Googled “most popular month for..” and before I even went to type the word “birthday,” Google brought it up as the first suggested search. Obviously others are curious about this too. But I was totally wrong! February is NOT the most popular month for birthdays; September is! And even more specifically, September 16th is the most popular birthday. I supposed that makes sense: 9 months earlier it was the New Year and everyone is making new promises and starting new goals, which tend to involve trying for children. But that’s not the point of this blog post. Whether you’re reading this in February or during the busy season of September, you’re probably looking for some ways to spruce up your gift wrapping. I typically keep a few drawers of gift bags and tissue paper. I rarely use gift wrap anymore. Sometimes, I’ll get creative and add some flair to the wrapped gift, especially if it’s a special occasion like a new baby or one of the girls’ BFFs. For example, I recently added a pink sparkly tissue paper flower on a gift for a new baby, with the intent that the mom can use the flower as decoration in her room. I have also added glitter/metallic nail polish polka dots to plain brown paper bag wrapping paper for a wedding gift, for something a little more Etsy-ish. If you love DIY, but need a little inspiration, here are 5 fancy ways to dress up presents for your Fancy Girl’s next birthday.

{1. Splatter Paint Wrapping Paper, Love From Ginger }

I love neon and I love splatter paint. This would be a fun and potentially pretty messy project for the kids to do. But the end result is pretty awesome!

{ 2. Glitter Wrapping Paper, The Glitter Guide }

Here’s the answer to what you can do with all that random, mismatched confetti and glitter you have laying around. Or maybe that’s just me? But again… awesome!

{ 3. DIY Gift Card Wrapper, Thoughtfully Simple }

File this under: ugh, why didn’t I think of that! I love gift cards, but I don’t love the lack of options for gifting them. You’re usually stuck with an envelope or a tin, but if you want to give something with a little more depth–literally–this is an easy solution using materials you already have. I love the black, white & pink color palette as something a little more grown-up for a pre-tween/tween/teen recipient.

{ 4. Vintage Pins/Shoe Clips/Broaches, Design Sponge Online }

I love this as a gift from one fashionista to another. Dig deep in your fashion jewelry collection, and you’re bound to find something that you can part with. Rummage sales are great for collecting pieces like these, especially if the “vintage pin” will become your signature gift wrapping style.

{ 5. Duct Tape Feathers, Creative Me Inspired You }

I love feathers and these are easy for kids to make. And since they’re made from duct tape, the recipient can use them again for their own decor or even turn them into a wearable accessory.

What are some of our favorite ways to DIY your gift wrap?