Personalise your gifts and give them a unique touch by making your own Christmas wrapping paper. It is very simple and inexpensive, and is a wonderful way to spend an enjoyable time with your children (or grandchildren), especially when the evenings are becoming darker and colder.

Start with a roll of packing or mailing paper. As they are packaging materials, these rolls can be bought cheaply and in bulk quantities from packaging suppliers, supermarkets and post offices. In craft stores, it is sold as brown or white kraft paper.

All you need in addition to this paper is a supply of paint, stencils and stamping materials

If your children are young, cover them up well and let them print their handprints (and footprints !) using washable paints in Christmas colours,such as dark green, red, gold and silver. Grandparents and Godparents would appreciate the wrapping paper as much as the gift.

Cut out simple shapes such as Christmas trees, stars or snowflakes from sponges or potatoes and use them to stamp all over the paper. If rubber stamping is a hobby of yours, you will probably have a collection of stamps, ink pads and embossing powders. Use them on the rolls of paper to produce co-ordinated wrapping paper, gift tags and christmas cards. Simply using a "Merry Christmas" rubber stamp and embossing with gold or another metallic or glittery powder will give an understated chic look.

For the more ambitious,why not actually make the paper itself.This is really only feasible for making wrapping paper for small presents but is very effective and impressive.

If you don't have the time or inclination to do any of this but still want to make your gifts look unique, choose a fairly simple print for the wrapping paper and embellish the package with simple ornaments such as snowflakes, plaids or stars, bells, candy canes and bows.

Of course, spending time to make Christmas wrapping paper is really only worthwhile for adults and teenage girls. On Christmas Day, most children won't notice the wrapping paper in their excitement at unwrapping the presents !