Making Unique Eco-Friendly Gift Wrap

Make your unique gift wrap stand out this year and be eco-conscious at the same time. There are plenty of ways to make your own eco-friendly wrapping paper, depending on how creative you want to get.

Buy wrapping paper made specifically from recycled content. Make your own gift wrap from butcher paper, reused brown paper bags, and newspaper clippings (especially the comics). Best of all, these can all be recycled or composted.

Buy a bundle of pretty gift bags and reuse them each year. Tie the handles together with a ribbon so the recipient has something to unwrap. If you saved any of last year’s wrapping paper, you can re-use it if it’s not torn or damaged. Gift bags can be re-used again and again.

Make lovely, reusable gift sacks from fabric you have lying around. Fold material in half and sew up one bottom and the other side. Leave the top open, insert gift, and tie with a ribbon. These sacks can be as simple or extravagant as your talents allows. You can use old pillowcases, sheets, curtains and any other material to add more sentimental value to your gift.

Give gift certificates this year. Place the certificates in a nice envelope, add a bit of ribbon and dangle from the tree.

You can also make your own paper, using recycled materials of course. The comic pages are especially fun to use as wrapping paper. Eco-friendly gift wrapping can be as easy as using multiple sheets taped together for larger items.

To make gift tags for your presents, look through your old Christmas cards and cut out pictures from the front. Tie them to the gift with some yarn or ribbons.

To reduce waste and garbage during the holidays, avoid crumpling up gift wrap and throwing them away after the frenzy of opening presents on Christmas morning. Recycle or take the time to fold wrapping paper to reuse. These useful pieces will continue to be a part of your Christmas celebrations.