The Cutest Custom Wrapping Paper DIY

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If you’ve been around here for a while, you know I love a creative project—the custom wrapping paper featuring my grandson is so cute!

The custom wrapping paper is personal, festive, and just enough extra. So when our family planned a trip to Northern California to celebrate Graham’s 2nd birthday, I knew the custom wrapping paper featuring Graham himself would be perfect!

Gift boxes wrapped with paper featuring dinosaur outlines and a child's photo, tied with bright blue ribbons.
A bright, airy kitchen with white cabinets, wooden dining table, and wicker chairs. Sunlight streams in through large windows, highlighting yellow flowers on the table and counter.
You Made that?

The Cutest Custom Wrapping Paper for My Grandson’s Birthday—Made in Canva!

A pattern featuring alternating photos of a child in a blue shirt and drawings of dinosaurs on a white background.

Can I say that this project turned out even cuter than I imagined. I created the wrapping paper entirely in Canva, printed it the same day at Walgreens, and wrapped eight gifts in this sweet, personalized design.

It was fun, affordable, and the perfect way to make Graham’s birthday gifts feel extra special.

Today, I’m walking you through exactly how I made it, step by step. If you want to add a personal touch to your next celebration—birthday, baby shower, holiday, or just because—I highly recommend trying this out. It’s surprisingly easy, and you don’t need special software or skills to make it happen.

Before we start, I need to mention that you can design your wrapping paper directly on the Walgreen’s website. Just select the option to make a custom banner at Walgreens Photo and choose one of the many layouts they offer. You can upload your photos directly on their site. It’s a lot easier than using Canva, but the images are larger than I wanted on my wrapping paper.

Just know that you have two great options!

I may sometimes use affiliate links on this blog, which means a small commission is earned if you purchase via the link. The price will be the same whether you use the affiliate link or go directly to the vendor’s website using a non-affiliate link.

Three gift boxes wrapped in brown paper featuring illustrated animals like lions, hippos, giraffes, zebras, and elephants, along with flowers and leaves.
Jungle Animals Wrapping Paper
A roll of green satin ribbon, perfect for gift wrapping, partially unspooled with a white circular holder.

Wide Green Satin Ribbon – 50 Yards

Wrapping paper with colorful dinosaurs wearing party hats and surrounded by balloons and gifts on a blue and white striped background, alongside a roll of white polka dot paper on blue.
Dinosaur Reversible Wrapping Paper
A roll of birthday-themed wrapping paper with colorful letters spelling "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" and yellow stars on a light background.
Merture Colorful Wrapping Paper Roll
Birthday-themed wrapping paper with construction vehicles and tools on a white background, featuring cranes, trucks, and "Happy Birthday" text. The reverse side is yellow with small triangles.
BIOBROWN Reversible Construction Wrapping Paper
Patterned illustration of elephants, lions, tigers, giraffes, and cheetahs wearing party hats and surrounded by confetti, party streamers, and gift boxes on a white background.
Colors of Rainbow Flat Sheet Wrapping Paper
A pastel blue satin ribbon is laid in a wavy pattern against a white background.
2″ Icy Blue Satin Ribbon, 25 Yards
A roll of gradient-colored sheer fabric ribbon with sections in green, white, yellow, orange, and beige, unfurling in layers.
6 Rolls Sheer Organza/Chiffon Ribbon
A roll of orange and white gingham ribbon with black spool labeled "Micomon Beauty your life.
Orange Gingham Ribbon

Step 1: Create a Custom-Sized Banner in Canva

Screenshot of a design platform interface, displaying a blank white canvas in the center, tool options on the left, and a top menu bar with design controls and a print button.

First, I opened Canva and created a custom-sized design. I used Canva’s Banner template and set the dimensions to 72 x 24 inches. This large size would give me plenty of space to create a repeating pattern that could be printed as a poster-sized banner—perfect for wrapping multiple gifts of all sizes.

Once the blank banner was open, I left it as my working canvas and opened a second Canva window to build my design elements. This helped me stay organized and gave me room to create the repeating graphic before applying it across the banner.

Step 2: Design the Repeat Pattern

Design software interface showing a blank workspace with a toolbar on the left. The top toolbar includes options like File and Resize. Three small images are at the top of the workspace.

In the second Canva window, I created a small design block that I’d repeat across the banner. I kept it simple and sweet with two favorite photos of Graham and two sketched dinosaurs that I found in Canva’s free image library (search “dinosaur sketch” or “cartoon dinosaur” to find tons of cute options!).

Two young children are pictured surrounded by cartoon dinosaur drawings. One child, wearing a dark top, smiles widely, while the other, in a light top, faces the camera with a neutral expression.
Photo collage with a young child in a blue outfit posing several times, interspersed with simple outline drawings of smiling dinosaurs.

I played around with the layout until the four images felt balanced and fun—nothing too cluttered, just enough to catch the eye and celebrate my dino-loving birthday boy. You could personalize this however you like: mix in text, more graphics, or even themed colors to match your party!

Once I was happy with my mini layout, I grouped the four images so I could move them as one.

Step 3: Copy and Paste Across the Banner

A digital design tool interface showing repeated images of alternating professionals, including a chef, nurse, and office worker, against a white background.

Next, I copied and pasted my design block into the banner (the original Canva window). I started by placing it in the top left corner. Then I copied it again, putting the second version next to the first, and continued creating a row.

After one complete row stretched across the width of the banner, I copied the entire row and pasted it below to make row two. I repeated this process—copying and pasting the rows—until I had filled the entire banner from top to bottom with my repeating design.

Rows of repeated images showing a person in a suit with a dinosaur outline in the background on a graphic design interface.

This gave the wrapping paper a seamless, tiled look—almost like something you’d buy in a store, but way cuter because it featured Graham!

Step 4: Save and Prepare the File for Printing

A grid of repeated images shows a person in a suit holding a book.

Once the design was complete, I clicked “Share” → “Download” and saved the banner as a PNG file.

Pro tip: To ensure the design would be high-resolution when printed, I saved it as a PNG file and doubled the size of the export. Canva allows you to scale your download resolution, so I bumped it up to 6912 x 2304 px. This helps prevent pixelation when printing large sizes, especially for photos.

Step 5: Upload to Walgreens Photo for Same-Day Printing

Screenshot of a website for customizing a photo banner. It offers options for material type, size, and color. A section says "Upload Your Design," and a button below reads "Create now.

With my high-res PNG ready, I headed to the Walgreens Photo site at photo.walgreens.com.

Here’s how to place your order:

  1. Go to the Posters & Banners section of the site.
  2. Select “Custom Banner.”
  3. Upload your PNG design.
  4. Choose your print size (I selected 72 x 24 inches to match the Canva file).
  5. Place your order and choose Same-Day Pickup if it’s available in your area.
A computer screen shows a tiled pattern of identical passport photos, each featuring an individual in a white collared shirt.

Before checking out, be sure to search for a coupon! Walgreens almost always has one for their photo products. When I ordered, they had a 50% off promotion, which made this project incredibly affordable—especially considering how custom it was.

Image showing a web page asking what size is preferred for a product. Options are 2x6 inches for $31.99 and 2x8 inches for $36.99, with 2x6 selected. A "Continue" button is below.

I used the 50% off coupon, so the roll of wrapping paper cost $16.00. That was a bargain!

Step 6: Pick Up and Wrap with Style

Gift wrapped in paper featuring dinosaur drawings and a child's photo on a light wood surface.

Later that same day, I picked up my banner at Walgreens and was absolutely thrilled with how it turned out. The colors were vibrant, the images looked sharp, and the size was perfect for wrapping gifts of all shapes and sizes.

I ended up wrapping eight gifts using just one banner roll! I cut the large banner into sections to fit each gift, folding and trimming as needed. Since the design was a repeated pattern, no matter where I cut the paper, it looked cohesive and intentional.

Gift boxes wrapped in white paper with dinosaur and child photo patterns, topped with blue ribbons. A roll of the same paper and a blue ribbon are nearby on a wooden surface.

Each gift looked like a little celebration of Graham—cheerful, colorful, and perfectly personalized for his big day.

A roll of bright blue, glossy ribbon with a loose end slightly unfurled.
Turquoise Blue Satin Polyester Ribbon Roll
Two reels of blue and teal frayed-edge ribbons, one partially unrolled, with a white box in the background labeled "VHDIE".
Chiffon Ribbon Handmade Fringe Chiffon Silk Ribbon
A roll of dark blue ribbon with one end partially unrolled, showing the textured surface.
1 Inch Double Face Satin Ribbon Navy Blue

Why I Loved This Project

Gift wrapped in paper featuring alternating images of a young child and outlined dinosaur drawings, with a teal ribbon and bow on a wooden surface.

I’m always looking for creative ways to make family celebrations feel extra meaningful, and this custom wrapping paper checked all the boxes. It was:

  • Personalized with Graham’s sweet face and his favorite dinosaurs
  • Affordable, especially with the Walgreens coupon
  • Quick, with same-day printing
  • Easy to make using Canva (no fancy software needed!)
  • So much fun to create and use
A woman and a child sit on a patio sofa. The child holds a popsicle stick. A phone, toy, and sunglasses are on the table in front of them.

Best of all, it brought joy to Graham and the whole family. Everyone loved how unique and adorable the gifts looked. It sparked conversation, smiles, and a lot of “Where did you get that wrapping paper?!”—which made it even more special.

Want to Try It? Here’s What You Need:

  • A Canva account (free version works perfectly!)
  • A few photos and graphics you love
  • Canva’s Banner template (set size to 72 x 24 inches)
  • A Walgreens Photo account and access to their banner printing page
  • A coupon code (check their site on the home page or search “Walgreens Photo Coupon”)
  • Scissors and tape for wrapping
Three pairs of scissors with colored handles - purple, green, and gray with orange - perfect for gift wrapping projects. Each is labeled "Amazon Basics," ensuring reliability and style.

Soft-Grip Scissors, 3-Pack

A gray tape dispenser with a roll of clear tape, perfect for gift wrapping, featuring a serrated cutting edge.

Wrap Buddies

Six rolls of Scotch Magic Tape, perfect for gift wrapping, featuring green plaid design on dispensers, neatly placed on a white box labeled “Scotch Magic Tape.”

Scotch Magic Tape, 6 Rolls

A wall-mounted metal rack, perfect for gift wrapping, organizes various rolls of ribbon on three rods, with two pairs of scissors hanging from hooks below.

ribbon rack

The Green Little Elf gift wrapping cutter, viewed from the side and back, features its blade in a partially open position.

The Original Little ELF Gift Wrap Cutter (2-Pack)

A roll of custom packaging tape designed for gift wrapping, featuring the words "YOUR LOGO HERE" and "custom PACKAGING TAPE" in sleek black text on a white background.

Personalized Packaging Tape

An array of colorful fabric rolls displayed vertically on a wooden rack, with smaller spools arranged at the sides and bottom.
Wrapping Paper Wall Rack, 12-Layer
A mobile wrapping paper storage cart with assorted rolls of wrapping paper, tape, and ribbon. Red, pink, and white strap rings are displayed beside it.
Wrapping Paper Organizer Cart
Green tape runners in a value pack of five, with one shown dispensing tape onto a blue surface.
Tape Runner – Double Sided Adhesive with Dispenser Roller

Final Thoughts

Gift boxes wrapped in paper featuring dinosaur drawings and child photos, adorned with bright blue ribbons.

This wrapping paper was one of my favorite DIYs to date. It was simple, heartfelt, and completely Graham. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, baby shower, holiday, or want to surprise someone with something extra thoughtful, I highly recommend trying this method.

These little touches make celebrations unforgettable—and I think that’s what we all want, especially for our kids and grandkids. 💛

Let me know if you try this! I’d love to see your custom designs and hear how they turn out.

Happy wrapping!

Stacks of colorful round paper tags with a hole at the top, alongside a coil of thin brown string for hanging.
Colorful Gift Tags with String 2×2
Five rolls of sheer, glossy ribbon in various shades of green and white are displayed in a row, perfect for elegant gift wrapping.

6 Rolls Green and White Organza Ribbon

Three wrapped gifts with giraffe print paper and yellow ribbon.
Giraffe Birthday Wrapping
Six colorful birthday cards featuring a sloth, shark, dinosaur, flamingo, turtle, and unicorn with hats and gifts, set against festive backgrounds.
Hallmark Birthday Cards for Kids Assortment, 48 Cards
A stack of blank square tags, perfect for gift wrapping, with one tied by twine, sits next to an untied bundle of twine.

Square Gift Tags,100 PCS

A roll of green wrapping paper with white polka dots is partially unrolled on a matching green surface.
1 Roll Polka Dots Reversible Wrapping Paper
A white crafting cart with drawers, shelves, and hanging rods holds wrapping paper, ribbons, markers, and gift boxes. A small adjacent organizer stores more wrapping paper rolls.
𝗬𝘂𝗺𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗶 Wrapping Paper Storage Cart
Wooden rack holding nine rolls of colorful wrapping paper, featuring various patterns and messages like "Happy Birthday" and "Celebrate". The rack is placed on a white carpet.
Desktop Station for Wrapping Paper
Two wooden carts filled with various rolls of floral and patterned wrapping paper, scissors, ribbon, and craft supplies. The carts are mobile with wheels and are organized neatly.
Wrapping Paper Organizer Storage
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One Comment

  1. Adorable wrapping paper and such a brilliant idea — thanks for sharing and for your detailed instructions!!! I can’t wait to make my own design.

    Reply

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