Spectacular Holiday Recycled Wrapping!
Give your gift-giving extra meaning this year with beautiful, repurposed holiday wrapping made with recycled materials. Fancy, fabulous and free, not only do these ideas cut down on waste, but they will give all your gifts that personal touch that will delight the recipients, and all who see them!
You can make the holidays a time for earth-centered giving to others and the planet. Each of us can make the commitment to reduce holiday waste by using recycled and reusable wrap for our gifts. It feels really in the spirit of the season to reduce and reuse in this way! And the good news is recycled wrapping can be both truly beautiful and highly personal in a way that you just can’t buy at a store. Plus, it’s free!
Three Amazing Recycled Wrap Ideas You Can Use:
1. Use that fabric stash!
If you have loads of unused fabrics tucked away, pull them out to use as gift wrap that is beautiful AND reusable. Whether they are leftover scraps from a project, or whole yards for that project you still haven’t gotten to, using them as wrapping is the perfect way to purge and still use them. The best part is, you know they are beautiful, because you picked them!
There are tons of ways to use fabric to wrap presents, and because the size of the cloth can be from extra-small to extra-huge, there are endless possibilities. Here are just a few ideas:
Use them as is, tie with a ribbon, and call it a wrap! Because the fabric is inherently attractive, there is not a lot you have to do to make it look great. Consider using fabric ribbon tied in a simple bow, without knotting, so that all parts are truly reusable.
Make a simple drawstring bag. If you have a sewing machine (which you probably do, if you have spare fabric) and even some rudimentary sewing skills, you can make a drawstring bag of any size to contain gifts. Reuse saved ribbon or satin string as the drawstring pull. There are lots of tutorials available for instructions, but here is a quick and easy video found on youtube to give you inspiration!
Go high-end with Japanese-style fabric wrapping. Did you know Japan has a long tradition of using fabric to wrap gifts, called Furoskiki? They look amazing, and the fabric you choose can really give your gift that luxurious look. To see it in action, here is a link about Furoskiki. Feel free to incorporate winter branches, leaves, or other collected special bits in the tie to customize.
Super DIY it with this Eco-Chic Basket! Feeling crafty? How amazing is this fabric-wrapped basket? See the tutorial. If you don’t have a basket just laying around, use a small box and go truly recycled.
And most of all, have fun with it! Your giftee is going to love it.
2. Make gift wrap from your kids’ art!
You probably have stacks and stacks of kids’ drawings and paintings that are tucked away, not being appreciated. Utilize all that great creativity by using the kids’ artwork as gift wrap.
Not only do they look great, but they truly personalize the gift-giving experience for both the recipient and the artist! Kids will be thrilled to see their masterpieces showcased in action.
Can’t bear to part with “archival” art pieces? Have the kids make some fresh wrapping with packing paper from all those boxes being delivered. Brown craft paper and new newsprint paper are often used as packing for shipments; why not recycle them into some custom, amazing gift wrap? If you’re in a hurry, patterns can be a great way to decorate the paper without overthinking it, and can be a lot of fun to create.
3. Reuse household containers and boxes for custom gift boxes!
Pull from the recycling bin to custom-create a gift box that needs no other wrapping. Canisters, bottles, or any unusual-shaped container work great as a useable canvas to decorate and contain a gift, large or small. Use some of those beads that are always underfoot or reuse a ribbon to make a carrying handle. Heading to a holiday party? Use your repurposed canister to carry flowers or other thoughtful gifts.
Do you shop online? If so, you probably have tons of cardboard boxes building up. Get out the paints to decorate a box of the perfect size and skip the paper wrapping! It can be fun, fanciful, colorful, or as detailed as you want.