Ecological Gift Wrapping Guide: reusable gift wrap ideas

When I was a little girl, I loved getting gifts on Christmas, my birthday, or any other occasion. But I hated how my thrifty mother would insist I be careful not to wrip the wrapping paper so that she could reuse it. I always felt mortified as she picked all the pieces of paper and ribbon from the floor, carefully folded it all and packed it up for the next special event. I admired the new rolls of wrapping paper in stores. I envied other people who could just tear the paper off of their presents into a million pieces.

Fast forward 20 years or so into the future, and I’m just as bad as my mother. I have a huge box full of salvaged wrapping paper, ribbons and bows that I use to package up our gifts. I try to cover up the little rips or wrinkles in the paper with bows or tags. I know that this way I’m letting the materials do their job just a little longer, but the truth is that the paper will end up in the trash after I give it away. That just isn’t enough for me.

So this year I’ve decided to create this guide of reusable gift wrap ideas that can be used over and over, hopefully educating the recipient as to the importance of reusable gift wrapping. (I will continue, though, to use my recuperated wrapping paper and ribbons for those who I know will not care and will throw any type of packaging away regardless of what it’s like.)

I’ve created seven tutorial posts on different techniques for creating ecological gift wrapping, with other added tips included. They all use only upcycled materials and all can be used over and over again.

If you like these ideas, bookmark this page or Pin It here to remember it for later!

Happy gift giving!

Upcycled Gift Tags

Drawstring gift bags

Cereal Box Gift Boxes

Freebie Gift Bags with Tags

Furoshiki

Cereal Box Gift Bags

DIY Gift Bags

 

 

 

 

Salva