12 Easy Green Alternatives to Wasteful Gift Wrap

By Jaymi Heimbuch, Planet Green

As you’ve probably noticed, trashcans overflow after winter holiday festivities. Wrapping paper, bows, ribbons and boxes fill up a big portion of that too-stuffed trash bin. Ease the load going to the landfill by wrapping your gifts in repurposed items and reusable containers. Here are 12 great ideas to get your imagination rolling for preparing your presents and ensuring they’re something the recipient will never forget.

Reused Gift Bags
Most of us have a stash of gift bags saved from presents we’ve received. Put them to good use and commit to using only gift bags instead of wrapping. Also, if you feel a gift bag isn’t finished without a filler like tissue paper, use a greener option–the shreds from your paper shredder!
Paper Grocery Bags
You can create beautiful gift bags from materials found around the house. Decorate paper grocery bags with markers and crayons, or decoupage them with magazine cut-outs. Use it as wrapping paper or a gift sack. Put on the finishing touch with scrap ribbon from previous projects.
Reusable Cloth Bags
Do you have scrap fabric lying around? Or maybe some old shirts you never wear but that have lovely patterns. Try your hand at some easy-sew cloth bags. Since you’re making them by hand, you can sew them to suit your needs. You can also design them to be practical for the recipient as a shopping bag. Your imagination is the limit.
Clay Pots
Clay pots can make a present look extra interesting, and are a reusable item for the recipient. Place your gift in the pot, and use the drainage dish as the lid to hide the present from view. Tie it together with a reused ribbon, or strips of scrap fabric. You can also decorate the pot to personalize it using ceramic markers available at craft stores.
A Gift in a Gift
One great way to make a gift extra special is to wrap it in another gift. A hand-knit scarf, a beautiful table cloth or runner, and hand-made purse or similar items are all great things to use for wrapping a gift within a gift.
Furoshiki
This idea might be well combined with the “gift in a gift” suggestion. Furoshiki is a method of folding cloth into beautiful packages. Using a piece of beautifully printed cloth and a few knots in interesting places will create an eye-catching package.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Angie c.

4:58PM PST on Dec 20, 2011

All of them great!

send a green star

iii q.

6:18PM PST on Dec 19, 2011

all good ideas! ty

Sergio P.

6:13PM PST on Nov 28, 2011

Thanks! I use to use cereal boxes, and bags that we aleady have from previous holydays!

Linda B.

4:51PM PST on Feb 21, 2011

love these ideas

Carolyn P.

6:10AM PST on Jan 15, 2011

I had a present wrapped in a pretty Christmas tea towel - 2 presents in one!

Eternal G.

3:42PM PST on Jan 9, 2011

Ta!

donna c.

4:35PM PST on Jan 1, 2011

thanks

Judith C.

4:41PM PST on Dec 26, 2010

Great tips! Not to mention, the 3R's are put into practice...

Jane R.

7:14PM PST on Dec 23, 2010

Great ideas. For gift tags save all the small pieces of wrapping paper left over after wrapping the gift. Cut into a rectangle, fold in half, write who the gift is to & from on the inside. Use a hole puncher to make a hole in the corner where it's folded. Slip curling ribbon into it & tie to a gift bag or tape it to the package. You won't waste any paper that's left over when you have to trim it to fit the box. You can also cut a portion of a Christmas card, fold it & do the same thing.

Kate B.

2:40PM PST on Dec 21, 2010

My Mom uses the comics from Sunday paper for kids presents, sometimes pieces of fabric/old silk scarves, or other things