To think wrapping paper is a waste of money?

[Soubriquet]

Every year I wrap all the presents and I think “this is just going straight in the bin. May as well chuck the money in the bin”

Yet, every year I still stupidly spend hours wrapping gifts.

I thought pretty much everyone reused wrapping paper. We only really buy new paper when the old stuff has disintegrated. All my friends' families also did this growing up in the 90s, so not new.

What a load of sanctimonious bollocks. I wrap presents once or twice a year at most. Shoot me. Must we suck the joy out of every damn thing these days.

I am surprised how many people find the paper from deliveries suitable. It stinks! Like poo stinks. 😳

Unwrapped gifts never seem as nice or as thoughtful.
It's all about the presentation.

Beautiful parcels are at least half the fun of presents,, whether given or received.

From an environmental point of view the main issue is the gift itself. Next up the packaging shipping from Amazon etc, cardboard box and paper. The gift wrap itself is a relatively small contributor to environmental cost and a big contributor of joy.

If you want to be green- second hand or non wasteful gift from a non evil supplier, with whatever gift wrap you like

I love making presents look pretty. We re-use gift bags & boxes, use fabric that is saved from year to year, or plain brown paper for that rustic look, with all sorts of little embellishments. Unwrapping is part of the fun.

I love the old 70’s paper that was essentially tissue paper with different designs on a sheet.
Rolls of paper were very decadent.
Looking at the various paper designs under tree was part of the joy.
I can’t imagine it was any more damaging to the environment than brown paper as it was so thin and light.

My most treasured memories of receiving gifts are the unwrapped ones: the dolls house and another time a toy yacht.
Variety is good. Not everything needs to be wrapped.

My grandma used to "iron" all the paper on Boxing Day ready for next year!

I've bought from this eco friend reusable wrapping company before... it's pricey so I only use it for a few family gifts (which also means I can get it back from them for next year!) but excellent quality and looks fabulous under the tree. I think the concept (apart from the obvious eco friendliness) is that the wrapping is part of the gift (a Japanese trend if I am not mistaken) but I'm not sure if us Brits are ready for such an idea...

www.wragwrap.com/

For immediate family presents, I have a selection of pieces of fabric (just old clothes cut up mainly) and ribbons, as well as the kind of drawstring fabric bags that have come with posh items of clothing or bedding in them - we use these to conceal family presents. Or just wrap in newspaper if it's too big.
For Christmas and birthday gifts outside of the family I tend to buy rolls of cheap wrapping paper from the £1shop, nothing with glitter or plasticised elements.

I donlike how the question was about waste of money and waste of time but it turned into eco competition on a site where having 4 kids is totes ok😂

Similar to PP, we use old copies of the FT and wrap with black velvet ribbon. A tip from one of my favourite FT writers (Claer Barrett).

Maybe other people find joy in the way they do it. I don't get my joy from wrapping paper - the waste would suck any possible joy out of it.

Reusable fabric bags, or even wrap in fabric!

Presentation is important and shows you care. That said, wrapping paper should always be recyclable.

Gift bags you can reuse.

Newspaper or brown paper with ribbons or potato print snowmen etc (prob best done with kids!)

There's a Japanese cloth wrapping thing called furoshiki, it looks good.

I quite like leaving wrapping to Xmas Eve and sitting with a film and a glass of something to do it.

I always use brown paper and a nice ribbon which can be used again.

Not RTFT. I use clean unused newspaper. If I have any foreign newspaper like the free ones, all the better.
I've also wrapped things in a scarf furoshiki-style.

I buy brown paper and recycle. I jazz it up with fabric ribbons (am a big crafter) and these get reused next year or utilised in craft projects.

I wrapped in fabric the year before last, tied in a knot, Japanese style. Was fairly quick to do, but couldn't do big or really small things. Home made woolly pom poms to decorate.

Cost a flipping fortune though and noone gave me the fabric back, nor reuses it, so it hasn't helped.

The pompoms are a bit too much, but the fabric is nice

I didn't ask for a critique, thank you. Everyone who got them was delighted. I'll cross you off my present list so you won't be further troubled by my pom poms.

Personally I find it very joyful to wrap with something that costs the planet less. Maybe you would too?