Last month, I shared five simple holiday DIYs to reduce unnecessary waste over Christmas.(If you tried any of them, let me know in the comments!) Now that we are getting close to the big day, I thought we could all use a little gift wrapping inspiration.
Did you know that most traditional gift wrap can’t be recycled? Often, the Christmas wrapping paper you buy in stores contains foil, ink, glitter, or plastic, and ends up in the landfill. It is much more earth-friendly to wrap gifts in recyclable paper, fabric, or nothing at all. And wouldn’t Christmas morning be much nicer without an overflowing garbage bag by the tree?
In the spirit of reducing waste this holiday season, I’m sharing some simple zero waste gift wrap ideas that I think your family and friends will love.
Learn the art of fabric wrap
Furoshiki is a Japanese fabric folding art and my new favourite zero waste gift wrap. This video tutorial walks you through a simple wrapping technique, but there are tons of tutorials out there on wrapping anything from a bottle of wine to a small jewelry box. You can use practically any fabric – a tea towel, handkerchief, linen napkin, thrifted silk scarf, or fabric scraps. You could incorporate the wrapping as part of the gift – a mug and tea wrapped in a tea towel would be lovely. Tuck in a natural element and a handmade gift tag and the whole gift is zero waste.
Keep it simple & classic
I actually think that brown paper packages tied up in string (la la la) are beautiful and classic, especially if you like a minimalist look. You can find rolls of plain brown kraft paper at office supply stores or reuse brown paper bags or packing paper from online shopping deliveries (though I’d encourage you to shop local as much as possible). Leave it plain and simple or decorate it with paper cut outs, natural twine, or a sprig of holly or greenery.
Upcycle household paper
What are you going to do with your wall calendar when the new year rolls around? Why not remove the 11 months gone by and turn the beautiful art into interesting and recyclable gift wrap? Another thing we inevitably end up with over the years are maps that we no longer need. (I’m still a fan of paper maps for long road trips.) Maps make really cool gift wrap, especially for your friend who loves to travel or your nephew who is fascinated by transportation or geography.
Reuse your child’s art
If you have a budding artist in your life, you likely end up with a giant pile of artwork by the end of the year. Why not turn some of it into zero waste gift wrap? Its already so colourful and unique, and this is a perfect idea for grandparents or other relatives. It can be recycled as long as it is clean and free of stickers, tape, or other plastic.
Think outside the box
Some gifts are just lovely on their own and don’t need to be wrapped at all. Think homemade treats in a mason jar; a bottle of homemade wine or kombucha with a nice handmade label; or a basket of soap, bath salts, and an eye pillow. A gift idea I turn to often is a plant in a jar, mug, or vintage bowl. I have a lot of houseplants, so I propagate my favourites to share with friends. You could add a locally made ornament or some natural trimming to make a bit extra special.
Also, did you know that you can curl paper the same way you curl ribbon, with scissors? Check out this video tutorial for the technique I use.
If you’re not quite ready to wrap because you haven’t found the right gifts yet, you might want to take a peek at the Simple Local Life 2018 Holiday Gift Guide. 😉
Margaret Hoegg is a Simple Local Life Contributor, writer, editor, and sustainability advocate on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. She provides content marketing support to the local food movement through Locavore Creative and muses on rural food, minimalism, homesteading, and simple family living on her blog dulse and maple. Find Margaret on Instagram @margaretannehoegg and @locavorecreative
