Creative Ways to Wrap Your Holiday Gifts (That Repurpose and Recycle too!)
We all love the holidays, but let’s face it: there’s a lot of waste involved. From frustrating clamshell store packaging to torn gift paper and plastic tape to excitedly beaten-up boxes, there are tons of ways to cut back. So we’re sharing some great ideas to re-use and repurpose items to create unique and lovely gift-wrapping for this holiday season.
First, there’s the obvious: re-use shipping or gift boxes that you already have. Look around the house for ribbon scraps and re-usable pre-made gift bows you may already have to decorate with. Does that shop you love use pretty paper in their boxes? Use it to wrap that chic vintage sweater you got your sister.
Use brown paper lunch or grocery bags to wrap gifts. Decorate them with paint, stencils or stamps.
Scour local flea markets and antique shops for scarves, fabric scraps, maps and tea towels. Also look for pins, brooches, ornaments or jewelry to accent each box. Use the brooch to secure fabric wrappings, or look into wrapping knots.
Save those chip bags! When turned inside out, washed thoroughly, and wiped dry (to avoid water spots), the silver lining makes a beautiful background for colorful ribbon or washi tape.
Do you have a cute sweater or fun graphic t-shirt beyond repair? Wash it well, trim it down and make a cozy cable-knit or funky graphic wrapping, perfect for grandma or the outgoing teenagers in your life.
Use empty paper tubes to create small pillow- or hat-style boxes for daintier gifts like jewelry or makeup. Make them as long or as short as you need!
Old pillowcases make great gift bags for larger or oddly-shaped items. Use fabric dye, fabric or acrylic paint or bleach to add a unique design, then bundle it up at the top and secure with a cute scrunchie (bonus gift!) or twine ribbon.
Ask your young kids (or nieces and nephews or cousins) to help. Let them create drawings and paintings on craft paper, and use it to wrap gifts for grandparents or teachers.
Make bows out of the scraps from the sweater or t-shirt you cut up, other fabric scraps, hemp or twine cord or paper.
Use biodegradable, paper or Washi tape. If you’re feeling ambitious, check out Furoshiki, a traditional Japanese method of using NO tape at all! There are different styles and ways to personalize it, so you can really get creative.
Look around for accents and small decorative pieces to add. You can dry fruit slices or flowers quickly in the oven, or search outside for pine needles, branches, and evergreen cones and sprigs. Just be sure to not take them from a protected area such as public or national parks.
You’ve got ideas, and you’ve got resources – now get crafty and get wrapping!
Emily Cunningham is a freelance magazine writer with a passion for wildlife conservation, civil and societal issues, and artistic pursuits including dance, creative writing, film studies, and handmade art.
