A few years ago my husband and I decided we were not wasting any more wrapping paper at Christmas time. It seems such a waste of money and natural resources to be throwing all that wrap out. So, I went to Costco and bought a big package of gift bags and tissue paper. We use these bags over and over again, year after year.
There is just the two of us at home so we use those bags for gifts to each other and then carefully fold them back up for another year. We also have gotten the family into it and we pass around gift bags for birthdays that have been going back and forth for years now. I love not having the big garbage bag of wrap and the guilt over wasting so much. It now costs us nothing to wrap our gifts too!
By justanothercowgirl from Ontario, Canada
This page contains the following solutions.
I had done this for years without thinking about it and then, when I had to move out of state, I decided to dispose of the fairly large collection of used gift paper I had and boy, did I miss it last year! This is why I have decided to start again, and maybe tell y'all about it too.
If you save some money for after Christmas sales, you can get all the wrapping paper and supplies you need for the following year at 90% off. Don't buy the expensive paper (it just gets ripped apart).
Use the funny papers for wrapping Christmas presents. My mom and dad did this at Christmas. We all enjoyed reading the funnies after we opened our presents.
I make simple cloth bags from fabric remnants or clothes that have seen better days, curtains, sheets, even pant legs, and cloth napkins. Kids recognize a favorite flannel shirt every birthday or Christmas, forever!
Use freezer paper for gift wrap, you can stencil it, put cute stickers on it, or just leave it plain.
If you want to help our environment as well as save money then stop using wasteful, polluting bubble wrap and tape for wrapping and posting your gifts. Look instead at using almost free and stylish products like corrugated card and old fashioned string.
You get a gift that is wrapped with beautiful paper or a beautifully decorated gift bag with lovely tissue paper and you would like to save and reuse the gift paper or the tissue paper, but it's all crumpled and creased.
Don't buy new Christmas wrapping paper if at all possible. There are lots of things you can use instead; try to recycle and reuse instead.
Ikea Art Paper For Gift Wrap. I found a large roll of paper, designed to be used with a child's art easel at Ikea. It has a wonderful vellum texture and does not rip easily.
Use bubble wrap to create a fun design on kraft paper to use as wrapping paper. Tissue paper is used to fashion a fluffy bow. Learn how to use recycled materials to make gift wrap.
This is a page about using butcher paper for gift wrap. Butcher paper makes simple classic looking gift wrap and is easy to decorate if you want a more personalized style.
This is a page about using wallpaper for wrapping presents. Wallpaper is sturdy and comes in many colors and motifs, making it a nice alternative to ordinary wrapping paper.
This is a page about frugal gift wrapping ideas. It doesn't have to cost much to create attractive wrapping for presents.
My family thinks I am crazy when it comes to wrapping paper. One of my biggest pet peeves is when they cut out a small section and toss the roll back into the bin.
