http://www.care2.com/greenliving/holiday-gift-bags-and-wrapping-paper.html
Green Holiday Gift Bags and Wrapping Paper
By Annie B. Bond, Green Living Executive Producer
During the holidays and all through the year, give the gift of eco-consciousness by wrapping presents in creative and Earth-friendly ways.
Here are some fun, pretty gift wrapping solutions that protect natural resources.
Make Your Own Fabric Bags for Gifts
Begin a family tradition by making bags out of pretty holiday fabric tied with cloth ribbon, and placing your gifts in them. It is likely that everyone will really appreciate the idea of saving resources, and will save the bags to wrap their own gifts next year. Maybe someday fabric bags will be like chain letters—you give a gift to one person, who gives it to another, and maybe one day it will be given back to you!
Materials: Buy colorful fabric ribbon, and enough yardage of pretty fabric (holiday fabric is readily available in craft stores) to make the number of bags you want. You may also have some nice fabric stored at home in a drawer or closet. A little over a yard of 42″ to 45″ wide fabric will make two 20″ x 10″ inch bags.
Step 1: Choose the size bags you want to make and then adapt them to this pattern: For one 20″ x 10″ inch bag, cut out a piece of fabric 12″ x 42″ inches in size. Fold the fabric in half so that doubled it is 12″ x 21″ inches in size.
Step 2: With the “inside” sides pinned together, stitch the side seams on three sides. Turn inside out. Then turn inside the raw edge on the top of the bag and hem, either by hand or with a sewing machine.
Step 3: Cut a cloth ribbon at least 12″ long. At the seam of the bag on one side or the other, about 4 or 5 inches from the bag opening, stitch the middle of the ribbon to the bag.
Make Your Own Gift Wrapping Paper
Wrapped with natural raffia ribbon and decorated with crayons, brown grocery bags make very attractive wrapping. The straw-like look of undyed raffia makes a really lovely contrast to the brown bags.
Step 1: Cut paper grocery bags into squares.
Step 2: Tape together enough of the resulting squares of grocery bag paper to wrap the present.
Step 3: Color with crayons.
Step 4: Wrap the present and tie with natural raffia ribbon (available at craft shops).
More Wild, Worry-Free, Wrappings
Holiday wrapping can be much more fun than just covering a gift with colored paper. Delve into the options below for exciting green alternatives to store-bought wrapping.
Give a gift in a gift: A scarf with matching hair ribbon, a set of canisters, a towel, a sheet, a cup or mug, a hat or cigar box, or even a shirt all hold gifts without contributing to landfill problems. Visit a garage sale for more container ideas.
Recycled wrap: Select pictures and stories from newspapers, magazines, and old calendar pictures to make creative wrapping that thoughtfully suits your gift and/or its recipient.
- Wrap a travel-related present with an out-of-date road map.
- Wrap a present in old sheet music.
- Wrap presents with used paper or in used boxes and glue magazine pictures on top for color, humor and style.
- Reuse wrapping paper and spice it up by gluing on pictures taken from cards and magazines.
Bows: Use flowers or reusable hair ribbons instead of plastic bows.
Packing: Use popcorn instead of conventional packing “peanuts” and insert a note explaining that birds can eat it.
Bag smart: Decorate used paper shopping bags (both brown grocery bags and white department store bags) with:
1. A poem hand written in bright colors.
2. Stenciled holiday decorations. (Cut a potato in half, and carve a stencil in the flat part of each half. Dip the stencil in paint.)
3. Hand paintings for a unique and personal touch.
4. Crayons as described above.
Buy smart: If you are going to purchase wrapping paper, avoid conventional wrapping paper with metallic colors. Such paper is often produced in an environmentally unfriendly manner. Instead, buy recycled wrapping paper.
More on Crafts & Hobbies (64 articles available)
More from Annie B. Bond (3190 articles available)
related stories
-
Combining the intention of a giving heart with natural…
-
During the holiday season I like to take at least half a…
(1 comment)
-
annie
The mountain of discarded holiday gift wrap just seems to…
(1 comment)
Annie B.
Melissa
Jana
Kelly
Lily
Terri
Heather L.
Lynn
Carl
Betsy
Cait
Avery
The Gallands
Eric
Andrew
Dave
Deepak
10 comments
add your comment »I like to recycle old children's books by using the pages as wrapping paper. It can look quite classy and arty sometimes!
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
As an alternative to buying "holiday fabric" for sewing bags, consider shopping your local thrift store for nice fabrics sewn up as clothes. You can make a great over-sized hankie from the back of a man's shirt, for instance. And women's skirts will give you plenty of yardage to make into a bag. Don't buy new - reuse!
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Gaiam sells wrapping paper with seeds in it, so you can plant your paper as a bonus!
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
It is told in the 17th century began an old English tradition of friendship balls through which you may tell someone that they are very special to you. The Friendship Ball will contain a favor which is passed from one
to a special friend or a very dear relative. It might be a special chocolate, a trinket, lace hankie, or a simple poem. Once given, the recipient is to place a special item inside and give to another deserving friend or loved one. They were often silver or sometimes of glass. Seems we could do the same with other 'reusable' containers...and turn them into friendship boxes, or bags or canisters. I'm sure you've all heard the story...A ball is a circle, no beginning, no end. It keeps us together like our circle of friends. But the treasure inside for you to see is the treasure of friendship you've given to me. Today, I pass the friendship ball to you. Consider this my frienship ball to all of you and our dear Earth!
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Great idea, I'm already thinking up variations ... try using evenweave fabric and embroidering seasons greeting on it ... doesn't have to be expensive stuff, sacking would do the job very well. Or use plain coloured fabric and free hand embroidery holiday motifs.
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I routinely use brown mailing wrap for a significant portion of my gifts. It makes a great blank canvas around which to wrap ribbon, afix bows, and glue cut-outs from other wrap scraps and sources. Often, I end up with my glue gun and things from the yard and garden. At least half of the decor consists of either re-used items or a small gift topper that takes the place of a bow; cookie cutters, kitchen gadgets, supplies for a tool, craft and office supply items, and garden items work well. If the present is small enough, I do prefer paper bags as they are easier to work with. I also re-use quite a bit of paper depending upon the condition.
We used to have a gift basket that made the rounds; how many baskets can one person use or stuff in a closet! Now, there is more than one and most were purchased second hand. Within my circle of friends and family, re-gifting all but the most special baskets is not only acceptable but expected.
I often use brown mailing wrap that I've run through my single cut, paper shredder for basket material. - I'm often more cheap than eco=friendly and if I don't have already used brown mailing wrap, I try to not have to use more than what I have in scraps.
Something I've tried to do the past couple of years is include a useful "vessle" as a part of my gifts that also double as a basket replacement. For example an inexpensive garment bag and hanger when the "gift" is actually a piece of clothing; curly ribbons on the hanger & its done.
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Another idea is to use cans from coffee or even smaller fruit/veggie cans to make gift baskets. Make sure to use a can opener that doesn't create sharp edges. Punch holes to create an opening for the handles (wire - baling wire works great, rafia, ribbon, etc.). Fill the can with the gift and cover with fabric, tissue paper, spruce cones, or whatever you have. These cans also make great luminarias if you fill them with water, freeze and punch designs into them (I use an ice pick). Then you can put a small candle inside and enjoy the light that flickers through the holes.
Thanks for the great ideas!
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
this is a good idea!!
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
i also save the ribbons from gifts and reuse them.. bags also.. and tussue paper i always fold it and re use it... * crumples adds character!
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
My friend and I have been swapping the same gift bag (ribbon, tissue paper and all) back and forth for ten years - it's getting a bit tattered, but it's become a Christmas tradition between us. The only thing that changes is the Christmas ornament we hang on it every year (penguins for her, dogs for me).
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?