Many of us willingly invest time, thought, and hard-earned funds into securing the perfect Christmas gift for loved ones. But when it comes to making the effort to wrap that gift beautifully? That part can, admittedly, sometimes be a bit of an afterthought.
Gift wrapper to the stars, Jane Means, understands better than anyone how a well-wrapped present can truly elevate the gifting experience. It’s the reason she’s previously been entrusted with wrapping gifts for the likes of Victoria Beckham and even the royal family.
In 2025, Jane has observed a number of key gifting and wrapping trends defining the festive aesthetic – and she’s willing to share her secrets.
From a preference for eco-friendly materials to tactile bows, these five observed trends provide the decorative touches for wow-worthy pressies.
Quiet eco-luxury base
Forget glitter-laden wrapping paper. One of the biggest wrapping trends on Jane’s radar is a preference for eco-inspired materials like ‘matte kraft, recycled parcel paper and reversible eco wraps’. The expert coins the aesthetic: ‘quiet eco-luxury’.
‘Humble brown paper dressed with a single strip of designer wrap or one statement ribbon instantly delivers a high-end finish without excessive waste,’ Jane explains.
‘This approach also encourages people to invest in fewer, better quality materials that can be reused year after year. The trend reflects a wider move towards restraint as the new signifier of luxury.’
Professional gift wrapper Jane Means revealed five present wrapping trends in 2025 – one of the standouts being a preference for incorporating eco-inspired materials like matte kraft paper
Another popular trend in 2025 was to forgo plastic and glittery finishing touches in favour of natural elements, like plant sprigs
Victoria Beckham – pictured here with her family at Christmas in 2024 – has previously enlisted Jane Means’ professional gift wrapping expertise
Botanical and foraged finishing touches
So long, plastic and glitter toppers and novelty bows. In 2025, Jane says the best finishing touches are sourced from nature.
‘A single stem tucked beneath ribbon creates more impact than bulky artificial embellishments ever could.’
Jane’s favourites: ‘Sprigs of rosemary, bay, eucalyptus, cones, nuts and dried fruit.’
‘These elements introduce scent, texture and seasonality into the gift itself.’
Velvet and raffia tactile ribbons
If you want your gifts all neatly wrapped up in a bow this year, Jane says one material has emerged as a top contender: ‘Velvet ribbons are the hero texture of Christmas 2025, prized for their softness, weight and ability to hold shape,’ Jane declares.
Raffia is also a popular 2025 ribbon choice, lining up neatly with the quiet eco-luxury trend.
When it comes to ribbons, the gift-wrapping expert advises always being generous with both size and quantity.
Citing the way luxury brand items are wrapped in ribbon, she explains they purposefully have distinct ‘body and drape’ because ‘it communicates quality before the gift is even opened’.
Accordingly, Jane recommends emulating this with your own ribbon ties. ‘Thicker ribbons create stronger bow silhouettes and have greater presence under the tree.’
Monochrome or heritage tones palettes
A cohesive colour scheme can bring your gift wrapping together – and there are two firm trends Jane notes this year.
The first keeps with tradition: wrapping in ‘deep heritage reds and forest greens’.
But for a fashion-forward look, Jane says a bold monochrome palette is impactful.
Whichever route you take, the wrapping expert’s best tip is to be consistent with your tonal palette.
‘Disciplined colour use instantly elevates a gift, even when materials are modest’.
‘Thicker ribbons create stronger bow silhouettes and have greater presence under the tree,’ Jane says.
A monochrome gift wrap palette (left) can have a bold impact – but consistency is key. Using recycled materials like old sheet music (right) is a great way to add a personalisation element
Incorporate recycled materials
What’s old is new again! ‘Newspapers, comics, posters, wallpaper off-cuts and old maps are all being reused as wrapping in deliberate design choices (rather than a last-minute solution!),’ Jane explains.
‘These materials add narrative and individuality to gifting.’
Jane notes that recycled wrapping offers the chance to truly personalise a gift for the recipient – for instance, wrapping a present in a poster from someone’s favourite childhood movie or the sheet music of their favourite song.
‘This level of personalisation creates a real emotional impact when gifting,’ she says.
10 Tricks to Tie the Perfect Gift Bow
1. Ensure that you measure your ribbon before cutting it
2. Avoid knotting the ribbon – the recipient should be able to undo the bow with little effort
Jane reveals her top 10 tricks for tying the perfect gift bow
Professional gift wrapper Jane Means (pictured) shared her 10 tricks for tying the perfect bow
3. Take your time tying a bow and try to avoid twisting the ribbon. Your wrists should remain straight during the tying process.
4. Ribbons will sit better if the bow has been tied upside down with the tails pointing upwards and the loops facing downwards.
5. At the precise moment when you are about to pull a bow tight – pause. This is your opportunity to tidy up the bow and ensure it is balanced while the ribbon is still loose.
6. The two bow loops should be quite small and exactly the same size. When you pull the ribbon, the loops will grow bigger in size.
7. Cut the two bow tail ends so that they are slightly longer in length than the bow loops.
8. A ribbon should be cut at an angle to avoid any fraying.
9. Always use sharp scissors for cutting ribbon so you have a clean-cut finish
10. The finished bow should resemble the letter ‘X’ and sit within the gift, ideally with a bit of space before the edge.
