Now that we are almost entering December, it suddenly feels as though Christmas will be upon us before we know it. We can tell that lots of you have been shopping for Christmas gifts for some time now, going by the orders that we see coming in.
I am determined this year to avoid the usual last minute wrapping of ALL gifts, sometimes in just one evening and instead start it a bit earlier. Unfortunately most types of wrapping paper that we see in the shops can’t be recycled. With this in mind, we wanted to give you a few suggestions of how you can wrap gifts in a more eco-friendly way. Some of which I will definitely be trying out myself this year. Hopefully you will be inspired to try some of these too!
Print your own wrapping paper & tags
Why not have a go at making your own unique wrapping paper and tags using a roll of recyclable brown paper, blank tags, a rubber stamp and some ink. The English Stamp Company have a fantastic range of stamps and different ink pads to pick from, enabling you to get creative.
Christmas stamp sets are available and you can even order customised stamps. What makes this company even better, is that orders are sent out to customers in plastic free, recyclable packaging! Click here to visit their website.
If you have children at home, then this is something they can get involved in and it’s a great way to get creative during the school holidays!
Wrap gifts using fabric squares
Another idea is to use fabric off cuts, scarves no longer worn or any other pieces of fabric that you may have in the house. Use the fabric to wrap the gift and then secure it by tying a simple knot or using ribbon that can be reused once unwrapped. There are lots of step by step guides showing you how to do this online. Practise definitely makes perfect!
Image source: Pinterest
Make your own gift tags
A great way to make use of any old cards you've been given is to cut them up and reuse them as gift tags. You can use a craft punch to cut shapes out of them to make them more decorative, Hobbycraft has a vast selection of these. Don’t forget to keep this year’s Christmas cards once they’ve been taken down, ready for next year!
Reuse old newspapers
Most of us tend to have some old newspapers lying around or know someone who does, using them to wrap gifts is a simple, yet effective method! Fasten the paper using tape and twine and then add a little extra decoration using sprigs of holly or similar to make it look festive.
Add a few homemade finishing touches!
Dry out a few orange slices and then tie them together with some cinnamon sticks to make your gifts look unique and also smell amazing! These can then be hung in the house to make the most of their scent. You could use other natural materials such as pine cones and foliage to add your finishing touches. All of which can be composted!
