DIY | Gift wrapping

How do you approach gift wrapping? I am an obsessive compulsive packaging/ribbon/wrapping/box hoarder saver, so I always have a huge stash of things to work with. Usually, however, I still buy a few rolls of wrapping paper. This year my goal is to work solely with what I have, and make it look lovely. It's amazing how much money can fly out the window over stuff like wrapping paper, bows, and gift tags.

This is what I'm using:

Trader Joe's Bag Gift Tags (Hello! This is not a sacrifice!)
Brown packaging paper
Hemp Twine
Yarn
Fabric
Leftover wrapping paper

I also never have any tape on hand, so I'm trying to close my packages up with string. I figure tape hasn't been in existence forever, so at some point people survived without it!

My biggest challenge right now is figuring out how to make this big plain Amazon box not look totally cheaptastic since I don't have a large enough piece of paper or fabric to wrap it in... (don't worry, dad, I'm not done yet!!). I'm thinking paper stars glued all over it...? Hmm, this could end in disaster.

Do you have any gift wrapping secrets?

If I were to buy a few packaging supplies, I would get baker's twine, paper doilies, and a roll of brown packaging paper from an office supply store, just to class spice things up a bit.

P.S. Some more ideas for keeping your packaging simple and eco-friendly.