How to Wrap a Plant Pot

Gift-wrapping ideas for a potted plant bring back the age-old question of fitting a square piece of paper around a round peg. There are tricks to wrapping a plant. A potted plant gift can be made much more attractive by using creative wrapping ideas, all possible for the DIY enthusiast.

A small potted houseplant is easier to wrap than a large plant. The small pot is also easier to prepare for wrapping, and transporting it is less cumbersome. Select a plant that flowers but that's not flowering when you wrap it, or you risk breaking the flowers. Instead, choose a plant that has numerous buds just waiting to break out.

The best advice is to purchase the plant just before presenting it as a gift, and water it lightly before placing it into the wrapping paper.

How to Wrap a Large Potted Plant as a Gift

Select a corn plant (‌Dracaena fragrans‌), a popular tall indoor plant that grows well in 60 to 75°F temperatures, or a lemon tree (‌Citrus limon‌) to add fragrance to the recipient's home. Both of these large plants make ideal gifts for a new homeowner. The lemon tree needs outdoor exposure in the spring and summer for pollination, so experts suggest that you present the gift on a base with wheels.

Use Burlap for Creative Wrapping

This is when creative wrapping comes in handy. Burlap is ideal.

• Buy several yards, depending on the size of the plant, and cut drainage holes in the bottom.
• With a partner, lift the large plant and slip the burlap evenly under the pot.
• Bring the fabric up to the top of the pot and use twine to secure it.
• Snip the top of the burlap so that it doesn’t overlap the leaves of the plant. Scalloping or decorative cuts add interest.

This wrapping method makes a rustic presentation. Place a clear drainage tray underneath before placing the plant onto a base with wheels.

Consider Other Old Fabrics to Add a Special Touch

To wrap a potted plant, you can also use old fabrics as wrapping, glue a collage of photos on the vessel, wrap rope around a container or paint a terra-cotta pot. They all bring a special touch to your gift.

Just don’t forget to cut drainage holes and place the pot on a clear drainage tray.

Jerzy Opioła, CC SA-4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to Wrap a Small Potted Plant as a Present

Tilt a small plant on its side and place it in the center of a square of paper before cutting it. If the edges reach the rim of the pot, the size of the paper will work.

Paper Wrapping Choices

Paper wrapping choices include Kraft paper, foil wrapping, florist paper, holiday paper and whatever suits the occasion. Adding a tissue paper liner adds pizzazz. However, the one consistent feature of paper is that it doesn’t bend perfectly around a pot. Instead, you’ll need to pleat it around the pot. Drainage holes will cause the paper to bleed, so it’s best to wrap just before presenting the gift.

Lift the paper up and around the pot, leaving the top ends as a creative decoration. They can reach up to the bottom leaves, or you can spike them for a decorative touch. Add a complementary ribbon or tape to secure the paper.

However, when wrapping a flower pot, be sure that the top of the wrapping does not touch the flowers, especially when you’re presenting a poinsettia (‌Euphorbia pulcherrima‌) as a Christmas gift. And don't water the poinsettia more than 30 minutes before wrapping it, as the water soaks the roots, resulting in a lack of oxygen to the plant and causing root rot, writes the University of Hawaii.

Adding a Colorful Paper Bag

Using a colorful paper bag to surround a plant pot that's lined with decorative cellophane or tissue paper is a versatile gift-wrapping idea. At dollar stores, you can find a myriad selection of gift bags and a large selection of gift boxes. Fill the empty interior spaces with greenery or flowers, and don’t forget a gift tag.

Tiny Plants as Party Favors

Wrapped small plants, especially herbs, make ideal children’s party favors. Your little ones can nurse the plants to maturity.

Use party paper to gift wrap the plant or place it in a small gift bag. And don’t forget to give the birthday celebrant a birthday gift of their own special plant.

Get Creative!

Look around the house for ingenious ideas. Florida International University suggests using an old sock with the toe cut out, a dish towel from an exotic location, a pot you no longer use, a wooden salad bowl or an empty soup can as wrapping. Washington University of St. Louis suggests the comics section of the Sunday newspaper.

For an additional accompaniment to your great gift, add a bottle of wine. A dry Riesling is ideal for sipping as you sit back and admire your plant pot gift.