Potato-Print Holiday Wrapping Paper

I love to give gifts, especially during the holidays, but it’s always bothered me how much paper is bought and then thrown out after. It seems like such a waste since wrapping paper is usually made with virgin paper that is heavily coated and/or foil printed and often can’t even be recycled.

So this year, I decided to make a change.

Instead of buying wrapping paper, I made wrapping paper using a natural kraft paper, paint, and a potato!

Most natural kraft paper is unbleached with minimal chemical treatment, so it’s a much better option than heavily coated paper. But of course, it’s always nice to have some decoration on your wrapping, so that’s where the potato comes in! I used the potato to stamp the design on the paper. Not only was it a fun activity, but it also gives a handmade touch that shows personality and creativity, which is always appreciated.

Follow the steps below to make potato-print holiday wrapping paper!

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• A medium-sized potato (you’ll need one potato per pattern)
• A knife
• Newspaper or something to cover your work surface
• Natural kraft or parcel paper (or another paper you want to reuse from around the house)
• Paint in several colors (I used acrylic)
• Scissors
• A paintbrush

NOTE: For the paint colors, I’d recommend a light-on-dark or dark-on-light scheme so the colors contrast with each other and catch the eye. Some of my favorites are green and silver, royal blue, and light blue and gold and red.

Step 1: Spread out pieces of newspaper or another material over your work area to protect it. Spread the paper that you will be stamping on, on top.

Step 2: Cut your potato in half and blot to dry it.

Step 3: Paint your base color onto one half of the potato and start stamping across the paper. Recoat the potato with paint every stamp or two to keep the colors bright. Do this across the entire page.

Step 4: While the first color is drying, take the other half of the potato and cut a pattern into it to create a different-shaped stamp. These patterns can be as complicated or intricate as you would like.

TIP: Have fun with different sizes, patterns, and colors. Alternate patterns, use mini potatoes for smaller patterns, or use tons of colors – think outside the box!

Step 5: After the base color is dry, paint a different color onto the piece of potato that you just cut into a stamp and stamp over the base color. Continue stamping as you did in step 4 across the whole page.

Step 6: Wait for the paint to dry and voila! You have your homemade and eco-friendly wrapping paper for all your holiday needs!

I hope you enjoyed this holiday craft idea. Little ones will have a lot of fun with all the colors and patterns, so feel free to include them in the process. Just be careful of sharp utensils and always cut their potato for them, after they’ve designed it.

You can buy seed paper sheets for eco-friendly papercraft projects from Botanical PaperWorks. We have a variety of seed options, including wildflower, herb and veggie, and over 25 seed paper colors. Join our mailing list to receive emails with freebies, projects, coupons, green living tips, and decor ideas and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.