The Genius Family Christmas Tradition to Start this Year (2026 update)
How many hours have you spent writing the to/from tags on holiday gifts? How about we cut that time in half with this genius Christmas tradition? Your kids will love this tradition, you’ll love this tradition. Win win for everyone, right? Right?
My husband and I started this Christmas tradition with our boys when they were tiny and it’s become an activity that they really look forward to. As much as I enjoyed trying to disguise my handwriting to look like Santa’s (hint, hint…sarcasm), writing all the to/from tags on Christmas gifts was super annoying.
Not only did it take a ton of time, but I had to make sure to buy tags each year and to try not to lose the pen as much as I lose scissors when gift wrapping. #momlife, amiright?
Psssst – as part of the 2025 update to this article, you’ll find a pretty awesome Christmas Giveaway towards the end! Keep reading, mama!
Also – this article was originally published in 2020. We’ve continued this super easy, super budget-friendly Christmas tradition and it’s still a favorite annual tradition in our home. How’s that for a time-tested tradition?!
Enter: our gift wrap Christmas tradition. Every November, before Thanksgiving, I’ll take the boys out to the store and will let them pick two rolls of wrapping paper. I used to be one of those “I want the wrapping paper under my tree to coordinate” people, but not anymore!
Now, the boys pick out paper that matches their personality or current interests. Most years, they usually pick cartoon character prints, but sometimes they surprise me and just go for a generic Christmas theme. Either way, it’s fun to see what they end up with and has become one of our favorite Christmas traditions.
@thathomeschoolfamily Looks like it's time to pick out Christmas paper again! 😍 #christmastraditions #dollartwentyfivetree #homeschoolchristmas #thathomeschoolfamily #christmashacks #giftwrappinghacks #Christmas ♬ original sound – Liz | That Homeschool Family
After the boys pick out their paper, we pay for it, and bring it home to leave for Santa, in front of the fireplace, on Thanksgiving night. You know what happens on Thanksgiving night, right? Santa drops off the Elf on the Shelf! In our home, when Santa drops off the Elf, he also picks up the wrapping paper for each child (read: I take the paper and hide it in the basement). 
(Sidenote: if you’re interested in some activity ideas for your Elf and wouldn’t mind getting a free printable letter from the Elf to your child, check out these 50 funny & easy Elf on the Shelf ideas!)
When Santa has collected the wrapping paper (cough, cough), it’s time for me to start wrapping! Instead of taking the time to write out individual to/from Christmas tags for each gift, I just wrap each child’s gifts using the paper they picked out.
Easy peasy, right? Just in case the boys forget what paper they picked out, I always make sure to save a small sliver of paper from each design. Then, on Christmas Eve, Santa will leave those slivers of paper along with the letter he writes to the kids.
Genius Christmas tradition, right?
No more cramped hands. No more spending money on tags. No more kids getting frustrated because they can’t read Santa’s handwriting (oops). On Christmas morning, the kids come down, identify which packages are theirs by the wrapping, and Christmas morning is as magical as possible.
Even when Santa is no longer a part of our Christmas celebration (please don’t make that day come too soon!), I hope that we can continue this Christmas tradition! It’s really a lot of fun and I really love looking back at photos of previous Christmases and seeing the prints of the wrapping paper the boys chose. We’re all about making memories during the holidays!
A Christmas Blessing Giveaway!
While our favorite Christmas tradition should be pretty easy on the wallet, I’ve been a parent long enough to know that making ends meet (especially during the holidays) isn’t always so easy.
I’ve partnered with a wonderful group of bloggers to bring you the Christmas Blessings Giveaway. We know the holiday season can be full of both joy and stress, and our hope is to ease that burden just a bit for a few families. We are giving away FOUR $250 gift cards, and the best part is that each winner will get to choose where the gift card is from. Whether it helps with presents, groceries, or something special for you, we pray it brings encouragement and peace this Christmas.
The giveaway runs November 19 through November 28, so be sure to get your entries in before it ends!
To enter, simply use the entry form below. We know it’s a long one, but each blogger personally contributed to make this giveaway happen, and your support means so much. Plus, the more entries you complete, the better your chances of winning one of the $250 prizes!
Wishing you a season full of peace, joy, and blessings!
Giveaway ends November 28th at 11:59pm ET. Winners will be drawn and emailed the following day. The winners will have 48 hours to respond to email to claim the prize. By entering this giveaway you will be added to the email lists of the participating bloggers. You must live in the United States or Canada to be eligible to win.
Merry Christmas!
So, will you be including my wrapping paper Christmas tradition in your Christmas celebration this year? I can’t wait to take my boys to pick out their wrapping paper this year. Even though they’re now 11 & 14 (and know that my husband and I are really Santa), this is one tradition that still feels pretty magical for the whole family!
Share your favorite Christmas traditions in the comments or over in our free Facebook group!
Until next time, stay safe and enjoy quality time with your family,
Elizabeth Dukart is a proud Florida based born and raised Jersey Girl, wife, and mom of 2 human boys & 1 canine boy.
Created in 2021, Elizabeth owns and publishes That Homeschool Family: a free resource for homeschooling parents and beyond! A seasoned blogger, Elizabeth previously published a popular location-specific family resource blog, but decided to “Pivot!” her blogging focus after she started homeschooling her two boys in 2020. In addition to this blog, you can follow Elizabeth’s homeschooling and family adventures on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest. She can also be found in her Facebook Group: That Homeschool Family Hangout.
When she’s not busy taking over the world or homeschooling, Elizabeth can be found listening to music (especially The Beatles & Harry Styles!), being silly with her boys, watching movies with family, shopping, or traveling!
Have a question or want to work with Elizabeth? Send her an email!
