8 Easy Bridal Shower Gift Wrapping Ideas

You’re so excited to celebrate your loved one’s upcoming wedding. A bridal shower seems like the perfect occasion to get everyone together and make the future bride feel extra special, which means you’ll need to find the perfect gift. Once you have it in mind, consider these bridal shower gift wrapping ideas to make it look festive for photos.

Why Do People Give Bridal Shower Gifts?

Couples collect or open wedding gifts after their ceremony hoping that they’ll receive everything from their registry. The presents should help their newly married life start with ease by stocking their home with things they need or would love to use.

Getting an additional gift for a bridal shower might sound confusing. What’s the difference? There’s no significant difference between the two types of presents except when the bride opens them. Bridal shower gifts can come from your loved one’s registry or be something just for her.

How Much Should You Spend?

While reviewing your budget, you might wonder how much you should spend on your bridal shower gift. Do you show up with a card full of cash or an elaborate gift box from an expensive boutique?

Experts agree that bridal shower gifts should cost between $25-75 and have some significance to the bride. A $50 gift card to a home goods store might mean more to the future bride than a high-quality spa kit if she’s moving into a new home after the ceremony. It depends on what’s going on in the bride’s life and what she needs.

Do You Wrap Gifts for a Bridal Shower?

Most bridal shower parties have time set aside for opening gifts. While there may not be a set of bridal shower gift wrapping etiquette rules, it’s generally best to put some effort in. It’s like a birthday celebration, so wrapped gifts add a fun atmosphere of expectation and surprise. It wouldn’t be as fun for the bride if she looked at her gift table and immediately knew what everything was. 

Easy Bridal Shower Gift Wrapping Ideas

You may have a gift idea in mind, but now you may also be wondering how to wrap a bridal shower gift. Check out these bridal shower gift wrapping ideas to find one that matches your personality and your gift.

1. Find Traditional Paper

There’s nothing wrong with going to the store and getting a wedding-themed roll of wrapping paper. Silver stripes, sparkly gold confetti prints and pastel floral prints are just a few of the popular ways people cover their gifts. You could also find paper that matches your bride’s wedding or shower theme.

Consider if the shower will have a serious tone or if the bride wants everything to have more of a sentimental vibe. Classic neutral colors can make for an elegant wedding gift wrap. If the bride is more eclectic, find bright colored paper with fun bows.

Some stores have bridal shower wrapping paper, often white with floral designs. No matter what design you choose, be sure to keep in mind the shape of your gift before you decide to use wrapping paper. Some gifts will be better suited to alternative gift wrapping ideas.

2. Arrange a Basket

Your gift may include lots of little things that are difficult to wrap. You may have many smaller items that you don’t want to wrap separately or oddly shaped gifts that would be too challenging to wrap. Sometimes the best gift wrapping idea is arranging your present in a basket. With the right basket, you can go for an elegant wedding gift wrap vibe.

Pick a basket that’s wider than it is tall. You can find them at craft stores, thrift stores and even flea markets. Once you have a basket ready to go, use filler material like tissue paper to line the bottom and make it more festive. The filler paper will also set each piece of your present apart so you can artfully arrange everything into a visually pleasing setup.

Finding the perfect card is the key to making a great gift basket. The envelope should match the colors in your filler material and add a bit of flair. While writing your note inside it, add a few positive affirmations to encourage your loved one. She can use them to feel better when wedding planning gets stressful or challenging.

Bridal Shower Gift Basket Ideas

Here are some more cute bridal shower gift basket ideas that are sure to be a hit:

• Kitchen Essentials: Fill the basket with items like salt and pepper shakers, a cookbook, matching mugs, wine glasses and other fun culinary accessories.
• Beauty Basket: Nail polish, eye shadow palettes, makeup brushes and a gift card to her favorite beauty supply store make for the perfect gift basket.
• Something Blue: For one of the most fitting bridal shower gift basket ideas, pick out anything blue, from lingerie to earrings and more.
• Shopping Spree: If you’re not sure what the bride might want, you can’t go wrong with a selection of gift certificates to her favorite stores.
• Seasonal Fun: Choose items related to the season in which the wedding will take place, such as a handheld fan and flip-flops for summer or a blanket and hot cocoa mix for winter.
• For the Foodie: A wine and cheese basket is perfect for a charcuterie lover, while a bride with a sweet tooth is sure to enjoy a selection of fancy chocolates.

3. Get Cellophane Packaging

Maybe you’ve got the perfect present in a basket or think it looks great on its own. Even though you love it, it’s missing something. Cellophane can make gifts more fun without hiding them from view or requiring traditional packaging like boxes. There are many cellophane gift wrap ideas that can work for different items.

That bottle of expensive brandy that the newly married couple could use to kick off an at-home date night will look more festive in cellophane and a decorative ribbon. It can also wrap cellophane around gift baskets, loose candy or homemade treats. Use the clear cellophane if that works with your present or find a fun print or color to match the party’s theme.

4. Place in a Purse

If your bride can’t get enough of the fashion world, she’ll get a kick out of a present tucked away inside a brand new purse. Find on in her style or get her something brand new. Tote bags are an ideal size for most gifts, but satchels, backpacks and frame bags work too. If you want to spoil the bride, you can buy a designer bag filled with goodies as an elegant bridal shower gift.

You’ll have to have a gift ready to make this wrapping idea work. The purse should have enough room for the present, plus any filler materials you want to give the bag more shape.

This is also a great bridal shower wrapping gift idea for sustainably-minded people. The bride will reuse her new purse long after the shower ends, so your gift won’t add extra paper and debris to a local landfill.

5. Wrap in Ribbon

Ribbon is an easy way to personalize your present, even if it has multiple parts. Stack everything into a tower and use the ribbon to keep it together. You can also curl the ribbon against the side of open scissors to give it more personality.

It’s also possible to invent a new kind of ribbon to match your bride’s future wedding theme. If she’s having a winter ceremony, you can find inspiration in her seasonal style by using a strip of faux fur as a cozy ribbon alternative. Use whatever ribbon you like as a nod to her upcoming ceremony or the theme of her shower.

6. Print Their Wedding Invitation

You likely saved your loved one’s wedding invitation and taped it to your fridge. Scan it into your computer and order custom wrapping paper with the invitation repeated as the background. You’ll have the most creative gift at the bridal shower and give your loved one a surprised laugh when they see your present. It’s a one-of-a-kind opportunity to wrap a gift like no other time in your life.

7. Stitch Fabric Wrapping

Fabric is another wrapping alternative that will make your present visually pop. Don’t worry — you don’t need sewing experience to make this idea work. All you need is enough fabric to cover your gift and a basic sewing kit.

Your fabric of choice could be the same material in your loved one’s future wedding dress or something that matches their shower venue. Wrap it as you would with paper and stitch the seams closed with a needle and thread. An eco-friendly bride may even give you bonus points if you find recyclable fabric.

8. Stamp a Paper Bag

Paper bags are also an option for bridal shower gifts. Find one with a color or print that you love and fill it with tissue paper or other creative filler materials. A white gift bag will fit any bridal shower theme.

Finish with a custom stamp of your friend’s wedding date or hashtag. If you can’t get a custom stamp, find a stamp with the initial of the bride-to-be’s future last name. A fun stamp is the perfect solution for laid-back shower venues or brides who don’t want a lot of fuss. You’ll have something fun ready in minutes while still making the wrapping stand out with your stamp.

Have Fun Wrapping Your Gift

Anyone can use these bridal shower gift wrapping ideas to get their perfect present ready. As with any aspect of a wedding, there are certain expectations. You don’t need to go overboard on the bridal shower gift wrapping etiquette, but some nice paper and a bow will make the bride feel special. Have fun playing with materials to find the best solution for your present.