When I was growing up, Christmas morning didn’t officially commence until my mom, brother, and I were gathered around the tree, still in our p.j.’s, with trash bags ready to accept the imminent paper carnage. We tore through the packaging, desperate to see what Santa had brought, stuffing the wrapping into the waiting trash bags, which grew fuller by the minute. It was glorious and exciting and ultimately, really quite wasteful. [image credits above, clockwise from top left: ms living, greater goods online, the patchworkdress, green your decor, ms living]
If I’d only known then what I know now, I’d have approached my family’s gift-wrapping free-for-all a bit more mindfully. During the stretch of days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Americans add an additional 6 million tons of waste to our already taxed landfills. More waste is produced during this period than at any other time of year. I’m finding myself increasingly inspired by those individuals who appropriate or reconfigure “waste” into something useful and beneficial. Most notably, William Kamkwamba of Malawi has enthralled the industrialized world by building a windmill in his village, generating electricity in the process. Using discarded bicycle parts and junkyard pvc, along with indigenous organic materials, Kamkwamba performed the ultimate DIY-project. One man’s trash truly is another man’s (and his village’s) treasure. You can read about his inspiring design, and ecological, sensibilities in his book The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind .
Knowing that trash is an abstract concept (What designates something as trash, really? It never really goes away. When does it become “trash”?), I’ve worked over the past decade at reassessing my holiday gift-wrapping (among other waste-generating habits), striving to make it as sustainable as possible. While the holidays are now upon us, if you’ve yet to wrap up a gift or two, consider these alternatives to the “haste makes waste” mentality of my youth after the jump!
CLICK HERE for the rest of “It’s A Wrap-Alternative Gift Wrapping” (including Ashley’s gift wrap ideas) after the jump!
Make your own bags:
These two fantastic tutorials provide instructions for fashioning gift bags from newspaper or fabric:
Paper Bags
Fabric Bags
Reusable wrapping:
-Gift bags found at thrift stores or purchased inexpensively at dollar stores can be used over and over again. Whenever I’m given a gift bag, I store it in a plastic bin kept expressly for that purpose. When the need arises, I just grab one out, place a gift inside, and I’m set.
-Pre-made fabric bags are available from a number of small suppliers. Check DIY retailers like Etsy . Lucky Crow has a number of vividly patterned offerings.
-Fill gift baskets sourced from thrift stores or purchase handmade baskets, such as those gorgeous creations from Basket Africa . Terra cotta pots work great, too.
-Give new life to packaging used in other products, such as cookie tins, watch and jewelry boxes, or cigar boxes. If you don’t have these on hand, many can be found at thrift or antique stores.
-Package your gift in another item of use, such as metal food storage boxes, tiffins , or canvas totes (LOVE these from Black Sheep Heap.
-For fragile gifts, wrap them in a clothing garment, kitchen towels, or warm scarf that can serve as an additional gift instead of packaging peanuts (or use real peanuts, instead of polystyrene ones).
Repurposed Paper:
If you do go the paper packaging route (and there are some truly gorgeous papers out there), here are several options for making sustainable paper choices:
-Look for recycled-content wrapping paper, or paper sold by charitable organizations who will use the profits to support ecological endeavors.
-Use menus from restaurants to cover boxes.
-Ditto for 2009 calenders, day planners, or maps.
-Make gift tags out of old holiday cards.
-Use brown butcher paper or brown grocery bags for packaging.
-Pages from newspapers and magazines are old standbys. Comic sections, foreign editions, or strategically placed ads or images of things liked by your recipient are always well-received.
-Consider simply reusing wrapping paper. I always carefully unwrap gifts, folding the paper back up and storing it in a safe location for use next year.
*If you do end up with packing peanuts (known professional as “loose fill”), check out Loose Fill Packaging for repurposing/returning suggestions.
I’d love to hear any alternative wrapping suggestions you have. The possibilities are truly endless! Happy holidays!
44 Comments
I cannot get the 2 links to work for “paper bags” and “fabric bags”
the links for “paper bags” and “fabric bags” are not working…
All wrapping paper that could not be saved and used again in our house ended up as either fire starter in our wood stove or in the recycling bin. My mom saved all the gift bags, tissue paper and any scrap of paper that was still slightly un wrinkled from the morning. My brother and I learned quickly to carefully unwrap packages as to preserve the paper. lol
great column! i love wrapping my packages at my mother and father in law’s house. they save most holiday papers they receive off their packages to re-use. it’s a treasure trove of bows, yarn, sparkly things, tissue, papers etc. i’ve found papers in there from the 70′s. it’s so fantastic!
An article from last week on the same topic – featuring some lovely local Toronto crafters http://www.thestar.com/living/article/736802–it-s-not-a-wrap
hi kim! i’ve written grace. i can’t get the first to open either! we’ll get it fixed soon!
I too stockpile gift bags to reuse, though brown paper embellished with rubber stamps is always my favorite way to go.
I’ve also seen old blueprints and architectural plans used as gift wrap, which looks pretty cool (and would otherwise be thrown away).
Great post! I have been reusing my supplies for the past few years, and I feel much better about it.
Another use for paper wrapping paper (especially after it is torn or wrinkled) is to shred it for a colorful-looking tissue paper substitute. I have tons that I’ve crinkle up and use for anything I would use tissue paper for. Also a great replacement for packing peanuts.
Ah, I just hosted a gift wrapping party. While I don’t think we were overly wasteful, I could have used these tips…
hi guys
we had a little word doc-to-wordpress cut and paste issue- fixing links now..
grace
i just made fabric gift bags for xmas! i put a tutorial on my blog if you’re interested…http://hishouseherhelp.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/shes-crafty-fabic-gift-bags/
i think they turned out cute and i can’t wait to use them year after year!
It’s a family tradition to carefully unwrap, flatten and reroll paper for use in the next year. The glorious part of this tradition is knowing that some presents are wrapped in paper older than you are! You cover up tape marks from bows past with a new bow, you trim the ugliest edges off, you ignore the old to and from stickers or they are wrapped so it is on the bottom of the package.
The most essential Christmas tool in my household is a pen-knife, to slice through the tape without tearing!
last year I wrapped all my friends’ presents (homemade body scrub) in tea towels I purchased from a discount department store! (clearly I’m pleased with my self regarding this innovation)
Great article! Thanks for raising the awareness of furoshiki as a sustainable alternative. Cheers and happy holidays, Mandy
I have found that using real ribbon with pretty much anything (newsprint, the bags things came in, plain boxes) helps spruce up gifts that are otherwise unwrapped. The recipients always save the ribbon for use elsewhere, too!
This year I’m giving gifts in all the baskets people have given me over the year, that I’ve got kicking around the house.
I’ve also got a no-wrap policy on stocking stuffers. I never understood why one would wrap a gift that then goes into a stocking.
I love the pretty gift wrapped boxes. I took extra care and time this year to wrap up all my Christmas presents and packages, super extra pretty :)
when i had a mail order business, i would beg for everyone’s leftover and discarded paper, and either shred or use whole, to cushion the items being sent out. not so pretty, but it saved money and dump space (until it reached its destination).
Thank you for posting this! The waste from gifts has always made me feel incredibly bad.
This year I’m gifting with reusable tote bags. That way the receiver can use the tote bag over and over again for groceries, laundry, or anything else!
I don’t mind getting wrapping paper, because I save it and use it to make handmade paper! While papermaking is a labor-intensive process, I love doing it.
another link to more gift wrapping ideas. http://www.simplymodernmom.com/2009/08/fridays-5-at-5-gift-wrap/
This is a very helpful blog post. I really feel guilty throwing plastic ribbons, so lately I’ve started keeping all the gift packaging (even from my wedding presents). I use it in scrapbooks, as paper embellishments for my handmade cards and to create a unique collage gift wrap for my Christmas presents.
I still feel like I’m wasting a lot of materials, so one of my New Year’s resolutions will be to conserve even more “trash” and repurpose it somehow.
Cheers!
We have two giant tupperwares that contain the Xmas gift bags of each family member that we started two years ago. The only additions have been new family members (marriage and babies!). Every Christmas morning we sort through them and put them back in their tupperwares, and put them away. It makes cleanup super easy, too!
My family has been making drawstring fabric bags for Christmas for about 10 years. It’s fun, reusable and people really seem to like them.
Great article! I used to go nuts with the details on wrapping presents then for many years just didn’t give presents at all…unless they were edible. Now I’ve found a good balance and try to make my own packaging from either post-consumer recycled materials or like most people said, from paper that other people have given then through some means. Thank you for the excellent tips!
when I give ‘babydolls’ to little girls, I wrap them in recieving blankets and tie them with real ribbons. The little girl has a blankie for her baby and mom has ribbons for her little girl.
Popcorn also makes a great alternative to packing peanuts, it may not be recycled but it has less of an impact on the environment than more polystyrene.
I’m surprised you didn’t mention furoshiki- the Japanese cloth wrappers. You’ve got some lovely pictures of them up there. For those not in the know it’s just a fancy big hankie made from thick woven cotton or silk. Check You tube for some amazing tutorials.
Pergolina decided not to buy beautiful Italian paper this year to wrap our clients gifts we made our paper out of butcher paper and stamps there is always a blank sheet on the work table everyone who comes in wants to play we have had fun and beautiful wrapping paper
these are all such great ideas. how inspirational!
i just finished wrapping all of my husband’s gifts in pillow cases from our linen closet and tied them up with ribbons i saved from our wedding nearly three years ago. i can’t believe i’m still using all of that ribbon – and how wasteful and costly it would’ve been had i not saved it all for reuse.
i just finished wrapping my husband’s gifts in pillow cases from our linen closet. i then tied them up with ribbon i saved from our wedding nearly three years ago. i can’t believe that i’m still using it and how wasteful and costly not saving all that ribbon would’ve been!
it’s really nice to hear these issues being brought up. it is something that is easily overlooked by many during the holidays. something to think about – great ideas.
I get given millions of gift bags but I never thought of re-using them! Thanks for the idea!
My aunt and grandma used to always use cereal boxes and such for presents. The other day I had fun wrapping a gift in a butter box. Many other possibilities.
Thanks so much for this post. We try for no-waste gift wrapping in our house, and two successes this year were reusing food packaging (burlap rice sack, empty flour bag) and this bow tutorial:
http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/sustainable-happiness/how-to-make-the-yes-greenest-gift-bow
I also make paper out of old christmas paper..adds a nice sparkle, reuse wrapping paper as it is..but PATCHWORK paper is fun too! same deal as fabric patch work but useing your old wrapping scraps…i like the post about some wrapping paper being older thean you are..wish i had been saving it for that many years.
I just sent a bottle of wine to some friends and cushioned it for shipping with several bags of fancy cheddar popcorn
Lovely ideas – I’ve tried to find pine cones in the woods by my house this year. If you dry them out and spraypaint them they make pretty decorations for presents.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4747612_gift-bow-recycled-materials.html
I’ve really enjoyed using colorful toy sales magazines to make bows for presents like this website explains.
A lot of paper responds well to ironing — so even if it gets crinkled, you can iron it flat again and your package won’t look like someone sat on it.
I’ve been making reusable gift bags for a couple of years — I’m hoping eventually my family will have enough of them that I can stop making them!
Furoshiki! Check out the Japanese art of wrapping in cloths. You don’t need to get the special ones, I use tea towels or charity shop scarf finds or anything else that catches my eye or could be reused.
http://www.recyclenow.com/what_can_i_do_today/furoshiki_japanese_w.html
http://www.env.go.jp/en/focus/attach/060403-5.html
http://www.hizen-ya.co.uk/index.php?n=Furoshiki.EcoBag
plus youtube.
For Christmas this year, I “wrapped” my gifts in cardboard boxes covered with flower petals that I glued on. The recipients loved receiving a box they can reuse as a decorative storage item or for regifting, and my daughter and I loved making them!
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