Here's an opportunity to combine repurposing materials that were destined for the landfill or recycle center with staying out of stores this holiday season to minimize virus exposure. There are so many ways to use recyclables in creative ways. And in some cases, the end result can be so spectacular, one may permanently stop buying holiday gift wrap. Here's my list. If you have links or ideas, please leave a comment below.
cereal boxes
image source: http://stuffyoucanthave. blogspot.com/2010/10/cereal-boxes.html |
image source: https://www.cucicucicoo.com/ 2013/12/tutorial-make-gift-bag-cereal-box/ |
festive printed grocery bags as wrapping paper
image source: https://acreativemint.typepad.com/ a_creative_mint/2010/12/trader-joes-a-little-red.html |
Some grocery stores print their holiday grocery sacks with fun and festive images. Cut open the bags along the back seam, smooth out, wrap gift, then add some red ribbon. Voila, festive gift wrap from a paper grocery bag. Leslie on A Creative Mint demonstrates how a Trader Joe's grocery bag is transformed into charming gift wrap with the help of red and white baker's twine, red and white Japanese printed papers, plain white gift tags, white paper doilies, and white adhesive label blanks.
paper gift shop or clothing store bags
image source: https://the-feathered-nest. blogspot.com/2008/12/ great-tutorials-from-last-christmas.html |
I made this bag last year with an H & M shopping bag and some brief shots from 2 cans of spray paint. I used the bag in a gift exchange with my garden club. The first comment the recipient made was what a beautiful gift bag this was. Not seen in this photo, I also tied 2 of the spray-painted leaves from our Thanksgiving table onto the handle. I posted about how I made this bag in November of 2019.
potato chip bag
image source: https://www.marthastewart.com/ 274678/gift-wrapping-ideas?slide=f5120c45-a763-4676-8b50 -53ad9e564df5#f5120c45-a763-4676-8b50-53ad9e564df5 |
your leftover newspaper
image source: https://yourstrulyg.wordpress.com /2011/10/16/diy-newspaper-gift-bag/ |
image source: https://www.ariyonainterior.com/ 25-newspaper-gift-wrapping-ideas/ |
Another option for your leftover newspapers is to simply use them as the gift wrap. Black, white and red make a classic holiday combination. If you're like me, you have a stash of saved red ribbon from previous years' packages.
If your gift didn't come in a box, you can repurpose empty cardboard packaging from cake mixes, mac 'n cheese boxes, cereal boxes, or cracker boxes to give your newspaper-wrapped gift a more polished look. You can even cut a larger box down to size to fit a smaller gift.
Add a sprig of greenery from your yard or houseplant and you've got a beautifully-wrapped gift. I also love the look of black or red ink stamped images on the newspaper. Rittika from One Brick at a Time offers 25 different ways to use newspaper as the base paper in wrapping gifts -- all of them are very lovely.
image source: https://snapguide.com/ guides/use-magazine-pages-as-gift-wrap/ |
image source: https://www.salvagesisterand mister.com/diy-gift-wrap-from-magazines/ |
bows and ties
For tying gifts: raffia, baker's twine, jute or butcher's twine, kitchen string, pinked-edge fabric scraps, cotton yarn, and cut strips of paper, potato chip bags or plastic wrap will all do the trick.
"Bows" don't have to be bows. Some of the most beautiful adornments for holiday packages are made from garden greenery, cinnamon sticks, pinecones, and twigs. However, if you're after that more traditional look, bows can be made from paper scraps.
image source: http://charletswebsite.blogspot.com/ 2012/11/holiday-paper-bows-how-to.html |
Charlet Mallett from Charlet's Website provides all of the measurements and instructions needed to make star bows out of wrapping paper scraps or magazine/catalog pages.
image source: https://www.marthastewart.com/ 2223350/how-to-make-bows-ribbon |
gift wrapping as part of the gift
image source: https://mixedkreations.com/ diy-mercury-glass-jars/ |
making a plan for saving this year's bows and ribbons to use next year
Finally, why not make a dedicated "recycle gift wrap and bows" box to use on your gift exchange day for saving those special wrapping pieces to use next year. If your group knows in advance where to put beautiful bows for saving, there's less chance these items will be tossed into the garbage. The box doesn't need to be anything fancy, simply a dedicated box to store all the wrapping items that you wish to save.
edited to add:
Kris linked to these adorable gingerbread house gift bags made with brown paper bags and white puffy paint. Super cute!