Since becoming more aware of how much we consume as a family and making efforts to be less wasteful, Christmas definitely feels different this year. This is the first Christmas since I started this blog in March. This holiday season actually feels more stressful in some ways but I feel a deeper satisfaction in other ways.
With gift giving, I’ve tried to be careful to choose things that I know the recipient needs or wants. For the kids, I’ve chosen mostly toys made from higher quality and sustainable materials, even if it means giving them fewer gifts. With the intense marketing around Christmastime, it is so easy to think you need to buy something just because everyone else is. Going against the grain often takes lots of mental and emotional labor, especially at first. It can be challenging to balance sticking to the family budget, making decisions that are kind to the Earth, providing the kids with meaningful holiday experiences, and dividing the gifts evenly among the three of them. It’s a lot to think about. But knowing that we are making better decisions for our future and that of our children and the planet gives me peace of mind, even if we still have a long way to go in our journey. I also know that, like anything, living more sustainably will get easier the more we practice. It will just become our new normal.
This season, low waste gift wrapping has given me a creative outlet and allowed me to slow down and make something beautiful out of what I already have. I have found joy in using simple, natural, reusable, or recyclable elements to dress up packages. Let me share with you some of my low-waste wrapping ideas!
Paper
Most of the wrapping paper bought at the store isn’t recyclable. A lot of it is coated in plastic, glitter, or other additives which cannot be recycled.
I have been using brown kraft paper for many years now, not only because it is recyclable, but also because it is so versatile! It can be used for any occasion and dressed up with any accessories. I’ve always just bought the roll of it meant for mailing packages but a way to go even further would be to use brown paper leftover from packages you have received. If it is wrinkled or creased, embrace the endearing rustic look of it, or even crumple it up into a ball and then flatten to create an even texture throughout.
You could also reuse old paper items such as:
- maps
- pages of a book
- sheets of music
- newspaper
- an old calendar
- your child’s art (grandparents love this one!)
Fabric
I use fabric scraps that I’ve bought from thrift stores or that I have left over from a previous project. I have been experimenting with furoshiki, the Japanese art of fabric wrapping. It is a beautiful and eco-friendly way to present gifts. A good guide for size is to cut a square of fabric about three times bigger than the gift.
Sometimes the fabric used to wrap the gift can be a gift in itself:
- a dish towel
- a scarf
- a child’s playsilk
Toppers
My favorite thing to add on top of a gift is something from nature. For many of the gifts, I used clippings from the bottom of our Christmas tree. Some of the other natural elements were foraged. I went for a walk around our yard with my 3-year-old son to collect greenery. He was so content to hold the basket and help me choose what to cut. He actually wanted to collect something I wouldn’t have chosen. My mind skipped over a plant, considering it a “weed”. But once we picked it and really looked at it, I realized how beautiful it was! I also used dried eucalyptus, dried oranges, pinecones, and a little wreath of cranberries, which I strung onto wire. Cinnamon sticks would be another great thing to add.
Often a topper can be part of the gift itself. I topped my niece’s gift with a couple of little felt fairies. I used an Ostheimer wooden figure as a gift topper for my son’s birthday. I love choosing wrapping elements that go with the theme of the gift or the giftee’s personality. Thrifted or vintage ornaments are beautiful options as well.
The kids and I made star-shaped salt dough ornaments to use as gift tags. We used letter stamps to spell out the recipients’ names. The letters turned out a bit faint, so I’ll have to experiment with other techniques on that one.
Fasteners
As with any of these categories, the best possible option is to use what you have. I like to save ribbons from gifts I receive and then just shop my stash. I also love using jute, bakers twine, or strips of scrap fabric. Whatever ribbon or string you use, it can be used to tie the package in place in order to avoid using tape, which isn’t recyclable. While I’ve done this, I have found that sometimes I just need a good old piece of tape to keep things in place. So I bought a roll of brown kraft paper packaging tape. It is much prettier than plastic tape and more environmentally friendly.
I hope you find use out of a few of these simple ideas. Now you may not find any of these wrapping jobs in a magazine but I did have so much fun and it is all recyclable, compostable, or reusable! I hope you have a wonderful and peaceful holiday season. Happy wrapping!
