Green Wrappings

Last year I wrote about Simple Wrappings, so I will try not to be redundant. Much of what I wrote there is still my philosophy on packaging up gifts. This year though I have really strayed away from most paper wrappings, because WOW that's a lot of waste I am looking at on Christmas morning. The garbage bags are stuffed full of wrap and bent bows and boxes. And if everyone else is throwing away as much (if not more!), that's a lot of unnecessary stuff heading to the landfill. Changing the way we wrap is one simple choice towards helping the environment and our pocketbooks too.

Here are my eco-friendly gift wrapping tips:

• Make cloth bags. Buy some cute Christmas fabric (it's on sale all over the place right now). Cut 2 fat rectangles according to the size of the gift. Put right sides together. Sew a 1/2" seam around the 2 long sides and one of the short sides. Take pinking shears and trim the seam. Fold over the top unfinished edge 1/2" and press down with an iron. Then fold down again another 1/2" and press. Stitch around that hem close to the edge. Turn right-side-out...put gift in the bag...and tie a pretty ribbon around the top. Easy, cute, and re-usable!

• Make gift tags from old Christmas cards. My friend Mary told me this great tip. She saves past received cards and then uses Christmas cookie cutters to trace around parts of the cards that are cute...cut out, hole-punch, and tie on a piece of twine!
  

• Use wrapping paper scraps as the gift tag. This is a great idea...use pieces of paper to cut into letters to spell the receiver's name...glue to the package and CUTE! Or use cardstock scraps to put together your own simple gift tags...mindfulness to use what we already have on hand.
  

• Wrap gifts in reusable shopping bags and tie up with raffia.

• Instead of tissue paper, send already used papers and scraps through the paper shredder and use the "confetti" in your gift bags.

• Use cloth ribbon instead of paper ribbons or bows. Most people will save it and can reuse it for giving or for other projects they have.

• Re-use brown paper shopping bags and comics. Brown shopping bags can be cut up and then stamped all over with fun Christmas stamps and kids always enjoy gifts wrapped up in the funnies!

Here's to walking lightly when it comes to Christmas wrappings...being resourceful and conscientious yet adding plenty of beauty and creativity...that's good holiday living.


photo by talkingsun