I don’t know about you, but I get a bit anxious about all the waste in packaging and wrapping paper when it comes to gift giving – especially at Christmas.
I have been known to reuse wrapping paper that’s in good condition, but with little children that’s pretty rare these days. I’ve tried the gift bag thing, but people like to peek at their presents, and the bags tend to come unglued at the side so I’m not really a fan of those either – and it just feels lazy! Gift boxes are good, but you either have to store them away for next year, or find a new use for them, and they inevitably get damaged along the way.
So this year I decided to explore some more sustainable gift wrapping options. Here are 4 Sustainable Gift Wrapping Ideas to help you be a little more eco-conscious this Christmas (and any other gift giving moment that pops up in the years to come!)
1. CHILDREN’S PAINTINGS
My son has really got into painting lately, so now I have a growing stack of paintings and I don’t want to throw away, but can’t keep storing them forever (sorry Mr. B!). So I thought cutting some of them up to wrap smaller gifts would be the perfect way to upcycle the artwork, give a beautifully wrapped gift, and double gift really – they are receiving not just a gift but a piece of artwork too.
2. NEWSPAPER
If you’re an avid reader of the daily or weekend paper, you might have a few newspapers lying around – if you haven’t got a compost bin to throw them into that is! Why not wrap gifts in the newspaper sheets – you can decorate them by drawing on them, using stickers, or write a secret message by highlighting or circling letters or words. This could be a really fun way for children to get involved in the gift wrapping process. I think the best pages by far are the comics and the crosswords, but you can use any page really – just be aware if you use a regular page, to take note of what the article is about, you don’t want to send the wrong message with your gift!
3. FUROSHIKI FABRIC WRAP
Something I’ve seen plenty of and have tried a couple of times (but haven’t mastered yet) is the Furoshiki fabric gift wrap. Furoshiki is a Japanese cloth used for wrapping gifts, or any goods. You could easily use a scarf or any piece of square or rectangular fabric to give this a go. The great thing is – this gift wrap can definitely be used again and again! Be sure to include some instructions on how to use the Furoshiki (unless you are using a scarf!) so the recipient knows how it works too.
4. FABRIC DRAWSTRING BAG
Something a little more involved is making drawstring bags. This might be right up your alley if you’re not a fan of wrapping oddly shaped gifts. Make sure you get the measurements of the gift, and include the width of it too – you don’t want to make the bag up and it ends up too short! What I love about this is you can use the bags again and again for years to come, or if you are gifting the item, the recipient gets a bag they can use year round (depending on your fabric of course) or they can use it to wrap another gift. It’s really wrapping paper that keeps on giving!
We hope this list has helped make your Christmas gift giving a little less stressful and a lot greener. Let us know in the comments if you try any of these ideas, or if you have any other eco-friendly gift giving ideas – we’d love to hear them!