gift wrap alternative #3: paper gift bow from envelope liners
I love the patterns on the insides of envelopes. As an alternative to those nasty gift bows you can buy by the bag, make your own from any paper with nice patterns or colours. Full directions are at the lovely blog of graphic and textile designer Jessica Jones, How About Orange.
You can also use all kinds of other scrap paper, like the glossy flier used here. Note that glossy paper requires a stronger adhesive (I used glue dots for this glossy one; a glue stick for the envelope liner bows). How About Orange has an example of a beautiful bow made from maps.