How to Wrap Gifts Without Wrapping Paper
The following article may contain affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase from these links, I may receive affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend items which I believe are sustainable and that I personally use.
Over the past few years, I’ve really enjoyed discovering how to wrap gifts without using wrapping paper. It’s given me the opportunity to be a bit more creative, it makes each gift a little bit more personal and I relish the fact that they are more environmentally friendly.
Here are some ideas of how to go about reducing the amount of wrapping paper we use for gift giving. But first, let’s look at some facts.
Why Shouldn’t We Buy Wrapping Paper?
Every Christmas, I look at the Christmas isles in the supermarket and contemplate just how much waste we actual create every year. We buy wrapping paper to give our gifts and 60 seconds after the gifts have been opened, the paper is in the bin. In just one shop, the waste seems too much already.
Imagine then, that there is a supermarket in every town with the same isle in all of the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, Europe and so many other places. It gets scary.
The Statistics Speak Volumes!
Did you know that, in the US alone, during the holiday season, an extra 5 million tons of waste is produced and 4 million tons of it are just from wrapping paper and shopping bags?!
In Canada, around 540,000 tonnes of wrapping paper and gift bags are thrown away every year.
In Britain, roughly 108 million rolls of wrapping paper are thrown away every Christmas.
Let’s just say we all need to do much better and the only way to do that is to begin at home. We need to get more creative with how to wrap gifts without wrapping paper so we’re no longer supporting the wrapping paper industry. As consumers, it’s the only way to tell them to stop making more.
Isn’t Wrapping Paper Recyclable?
Unfortunately, the answer to this questions isn’t a simple yes or no. It depends on the type of wrapping paper that it is.
Many types of wrapping paper aren’t just pure paper. Many have glitter, a layer of foil or plastic, lamination and other metallic additions to them. These types are not recyclable.
How to Tell if Wrapping Paper is Recyclable
If the paper doesn’t appear to have any obvious additions like glitter and we just want to make sure then we can try a rip test. Simply rip the paper and if it is easily torn and we cannot see any plastic in the tear then it is most probably just paper and we can pop it into the recycling bin.
There is also the scrunch test. Scrunch up the paper into a ball. If it bounces back then unfortunately it cannot be recycled. If it stays scrunched then it is just paper.
However, before popping them in the recycling, be sure to remove any plastic tape, ribbons or bows, as these are not recyclable.
What if we Still Have Wrapping Paper at Home?
Ok, so we’ve read the facts and we want to learn how to wrap gifts without wrapping paper but… what if we still have some rolls left at home? Or what if we receive gifts that are wrapped in non recyclable wrapping paper? What should we do with it?
Use it up! If you still have new rolls of paper at home then use them to wrap your gifts but make sure you reuse them over and over again and don’t send them to landfill.
If you’re given gifts wrapped in non recyclable wrapping paper then the same applies, make sure you save it for later. Yep that means opening your presents carefully so that the paper remains intact and can be easily reused.
My family know me by now and after every gift opening session, they know I will be picking up any salvageable bits wrapping paper, folding it and saving it for another time :)
What to Use for Decoration
Before we get into how to wrap gifts without wrapping paper, let’s talk about decoration first. The main reason we all love buying wrapping paper in the first place is because it is beautifully decorated.
There are so many different types of designs, colours and styles that it’s easy to be tempted. So we need to find new ways to decorate our gifts ourselves and here are a few ideas.
1. Use Nature
Personally, I absolutely love naturally decorated gifts. Anything I can use from nature is just perfect. So I love using sprigs of rosemary, holly, sage, dried flowers or berries just to give it something special.
2. Save Ribbons and Bows
Ribbons and bows are made synthetically and cannot be recycled, so the best thing to do with them is to save them for reuse. Soon you will have a draw full of ribbons and bows and not enough gifts to put them on :) Use them to decorate your own gifts at Christmas and birthdays. Just remember to collect them back again if you can.
If you don’t have any ribbons or bows saved up yet, you can also use raffia yarn instead. Raffia yarn is a 100% plant based yarn made from the leaves of a Raffia Palm tree. It is a ribbon-y yarn that is strong, durable and comes many different colours.
3. Save Small Bits of Card for Tags
A lot of food packaging items comes in card boxes. Try and save any that would be useable for making your own name tags. Unfortunately, plenty of name tags are also not recyclable due to the glitter and other metallic embellishments that are added.
It’s so easy to make our own and it means we can choose the shape and the size that we want to suit the gift that we are giving.
Is Standard Tape OK to Use?
Unfortunately, standard tape is a massive part of the problem. Even if you have recyclable wrapping paper, like kraft paper, covering it in standard plastic tape will make it no longer recyclable. In order to make sure that your wrapping paper will be recycled, all the tape needs to be removed first.
There is another option. You can buy paper tape instead. Brown paper tape is recyclable and can be left on if you choose to put your paper in the recycling. Most washi tapes are also made from paper and come in loads of different colours.
Another option is to just use a natural string like hemp, linen, twine or jute. The combination of natural string with other natural decorations will make your gifts really beautiful without the need to harm the environment.
What Else Can We Use to Wrap Gifts?
Here are a few other ideas on how to wrap gifts without using wrapping paper at all. Let’s let our creative juices flow and I’m sure we will come up with more ways after we’ve read through this list.
1. Save Packaging Boxes, Gift Bags and Paper
The best way to start is to save anything you can for reuse.
Whenever we receive packages in the post or a gift from family or friends we make sure to save everything.
If the box it came in is reusable then these can be really handy for small presents and homemade items. My family often give me their boxes too :)
Make sure to save any gift bags as they're great for awkwardly shaped presents like bottles of wine. Plus they can be reused so many more times than boxes and paper.
All the paper packaging that comes with them, whether it’s for padding the box or wrapping, can be reused in some way. If the paper is torn, use it for padding, if it’s intact use it for wrapping items inside boxes or as a wrapping paper alternative and decorate it yourself. We’ll get into decorations a bit further down this page.
2. Use Newspapers or Magazines
Old newspapers and magazines make great wrapping paper alternatives. They’re fully recyclable so if they get ripped up and can’t be reused, they can go in the recycling bin.
Magazines can make really bright and colourful gift packages and the monochrome of newspapers means you can add your own decorations to make it special
3. Brown Paper Bags
We’ve all got a draw full of brown paper bags, haven’t we?! We seem to collect them somehow and they’re all stashed away in a specific draw waiting to be used for exactly these types of things. They’re perfect because you don’t even need to wrap. Just put your gift in the bag, fold it over and secure it with some string. I love this natural look so much but you can always decorate with dried flowers, berries and saved bows and ribbons.
4. Make Use of Empty Jars
Do you have a cupboard just for all the empty jars you keep saving from jams, pickles and other food items? Me too! Here’s another way to reuse them. If you’re into handmade gifts like bath salts, candles, bake mixes, chocolates or sweets, then those empty jars are perfect. Simply fill them up and decorate with a scrap of fabric, string and a name tag and it’s done!
5. Reuse Biscuit Tins
In fact any old tin will do. I have small tin boxes that I have saved from buying sweets and these are great for small gifts like jewellery. Big biscuit tins are perfect for small items of clothing or oddly shaped accessories. Pop the item inside the tin and decorate however you like.
6. Use Square Pieces of Fabric - Furoshiki
Furoshiki is a beautiful Japanese design and traditional way of wrapping gifts without wrapping paper. In Japan, Furoshiki is also used carrying items around, kind of like instead of a plastic carrier bag. It’s brilliant really.
All it is, is a large square piece of fabric. So if you’re a keen sewer with spare fabric around or you have some square scarves available then this is a great option. Here is a video by Japan Objects showing how to use Furoshiki.
7. Create a Hamper with a Reusable Gift Basket
Do you have many presents to give? Then why not use a gift basket that you can take back and reuse over and over again. I love these especially for lots of food items or bath/spa based gifts but it would work for anything.
8. Make Santa Sack Bags with Pillow Cases
This is a great option for giving lots of small gifts to your kids at Christmas and not much time to wrap them all. With this idea there is no need to wrap any of them!
Just find a colourful pillow case that you already have at home and fill it up with all the presents. Tie up the top with one of your saved ribbons and attached a name tag and you’re ready!
If you only have plain pillow cases, don’t worry, this will also do. It means you can decorate it however you like. Attach a couple of saved bows, some sprigs of rosemary and sage and it will look perfect.
9. Buy Brown Kraft Paper
If you don’t have any of the above options, you can always opt for buying brown kraft paper instead of standard wrapping paper since it is fully recyclable thus a more eco friendly option. It is also a blank canvas giving you the creativity to decorate it how you like.
Sources
[1] Rubicon
[2] The Globe and Mail
[3] Independent
