It was very thoughtful of the Wall Street Journal to include a big piece of wrapping paper in its gift guide this weekend.
Full page, 4-color gift wrap: delightful!
Here’s how it looked once I cut it out of the newspaper:
And after wrapping a present!
A decent ribbon helps...
This got me thinking about all the other ways to Wrap a gift using used wrapping paper, boxes, bows, ribbons.
- Snip up a discarded piece of clothing (clean, of course). I’ve found this is an extra-special surprise when the recipient used to wear the item him or herself! The example below was saved from last year – complete with one end still taped in place.
- Leaf through magazines and catalogues destined for the recycle bin or (gasp) the landfill. Our top publishers and ad agencies spend a fortune to make these glossy photos look great; why on earth not use them to wrap presents? (In photo, the two packages next to the small blue box w/ green tie.)
- If you’ve remodeled lately, or if you have an architect nearby, you’ve got access to fascinating white-and-black wrapping paper. Use a bright ribbon to tart it up. (Example below has fresh springs in the bow knot.)
- Maps and nautical charts.
- Paper shopping bags with cool designs.
- Tissue paper from your (we hope eco-friendly) dry-cleaner.
Front, L to R: hubby's shirt, nytimes.com magazine, WSJ; Rear, L to R: recycled building plans, blue box from UncommonGoods, Vanity Fair mag
How’s that for a start? (Don’t tell me you’re already done with your kris kringling!) And what are your eco-gift wrapping tips?
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5 Comments to 'Guide to Gift Wrap that’s Eco-friendly and Free'
December 3, 2011
As a kid, I got endless grief from my family for wrapping their presents inside brightly-colored grocery boxes, like Tide, Capn Crunch, etc., simply tied with a ribbon. Those boxes were (are) so colorful, I didn’t see why not to use them as pop-art Xmas wrapping.
We also used the Sunday comics, but those were a little inky.
Recycled tissue paper that was peppered with highlighter dots was another favorite. (Hold a bunch of highlighters – neon yellow, pink, blue orange — in a bunch and print on the paper so it looks like confetti). I hate spending money on gift wrap when there’s so much available paper to re-purpose.
By the way, Animal Crackers’ boxes were designed to be Christmas tree ornaments, and we have always saved every one for that purpose.
December 15, 2011
[...] 5) When packaging gifts, consider reduced or no-waste wrapping options. Put a reusable bow on the gift; place the gift in a reusable bag such as a backpack or purse; or package small, themed gifts in a larger item – such as plates or tableware in placemats or a tablecloth or kitchen utensils in an apron or decorative dishtowel. Also, you can use last year’s wrapping as packaging material. [...]
December 16, 2011
Oh, wish I had seen that WSJ-great piece. Here are a few additional ideas. Cigar boxes, shredded junk mail for packing and your local paint/design store for out of print wallpaper books. This post of mine has more: http://greenwithrenvy.blogspot.com/2011/12/recycle-and-wrap-it-up.html
December 16, 2011
GREAT ideas!
May 1, 2012
Really good info. Nowadays there are lots of options available to make your gifts good looking and also free from the plastics packing. Papers are the best option in wrapping gifts properly and also it is eco friendly. Eco friendly gifts wraps have taken over the market only because of his features. That’s why people like it very much.
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