alternatives to wrapping paper

[iheartdusty]

Thought I would post this here as well as under the Christmas topic.

Somebody posted some very nice reusable cotton gift bags on the other thread.

But on balance, which is the less harmful? Cutting down trees and using energy to make paper, some of which can be recycled but most of which can't; OR making cotton fabric which is known to be highly water and pesticide and energy intensive, even though it can then be re-used? And what about shipping the cotton fabric as against the paper?

Hmm, I've been thinking about this for this year and was wondering about getting DD1 to potato print over newspaper?

If you buy the Guardian, they always have posters of amphibians / The Post Office Tower which you can collect and use as wrapping paper

Last year I used brown parcel paper to wrap presents. I then decorated them with nice Christmassy ribbons and tied a tasteful bauble onto each - the baubles, ribbon and paper (unless it had been ripped off too eagerly!) could then all be re-used. I got loads of positive comments from people - I had wondered if they'd think it was cheap or tacky!

I haven't decided what to do this year. I have thought about making fabric gift bags, but if I do I think I would re-use fabric (perhaps from charity shops) rather than buying, so that would minimise environmental impact.

At playgroup we've also made wrapping paper using wallpaper lining paper and getting the kids to stamp different Christmas shapes or patterns on it.

We usually use brown paper but the idea of fabric sounds great. I wouldn't want to buy fabric gift bags though - seems a bit wasteful but great idea to recycle fabrics. Good way to use up DD's outgrown pretty dresses. Other thing I tend to use quite a bit is normal gift bags. I figure at least they can be reused again and again. In fact the shop I get most of the party presets from wrap them for you in tissue paper then use a simple white gift bag so no need to do anything. Bit harder for christmas I suppose. If they were small gifts you could use cotton handkerchifs so they would be functional afterwards and save using tissues!

you can also simply buy recycled paper, decorate (potato prints!) and then re-recycle; or indeed many of the charities sell wrapping paper which is a different approach but not less ethical, iyswim?

This year I'll be saving nice pieces of newspaper (this weeks pic of Jonny!) for wrapping. still have a pile of kids comics from years ago, which I'll use as paper. But tbh, there wont be many presents this year, only santa I think.

... why not just use The Guardian as wrapping paper?

I thought a nice idea I've seen elsewhere was to use a tea-towels, which you can get cheaply from Aldi - that might work for say a bottle of wine for an adult.

My in-laws simply unwrap carefully, and save the wrapping paper year on year. I hear of pieces that went on for years. Humble, economical and eco-friendly!

So perhaps the thing is to use really good quality paper/present bags that can be re-used, tie up rather than sellotape, and get the ball rolling for next year?

i used some of dd's old drawings and paintings from school and nursery as wrapping paper last year

We have an easel from ikea with a roll of paper which runs through it for DDs to draw on, and use that for wrapping paper.

fennel's dds decorate wrapping paper themselves, which is lovely - I always mean to do that, but don't manage it, and then nip out at the last minute and buy the least grossly inappropriate roll I can find

I've used brown paper before and painted holly leaves on it with red and gold acrylic paint

I used the Saturday Guardian Sports Section to wrap DH birthday presents. He loves his football so it went down well.

Didn't The Guardian print wrapping paper designed by artists last year?

I am going to try Hindi newspapers this year.

That easel idea is GREAT! I have a big roll of paper we use but it is a faff to get out - an easel would be just the job, I will deffo get one

tHE Japanese use elaborate fabric present wraps which go back to the giver once the present has been unwrapped. I think this is brilliant.

My kids paint so much that I save paintings (that arent for 'keeping forever') and we use that to wrap. Esp good for family!

i am renowned for getting relatives/friends to save all the tinsely paper they unwrap their presents in. so mostly people get back any wrapping paper they have ever used in their next present!
but, my DP beat that recently, but only cos he thought all my salvaged wrapping paper was too tacky. he wrapped his brothers birthday present in some cut up old pyjama bottoms!!! i thought it was hilarious but he tied it with string and it all actually looked really posh!

We buy a load of newspapers in different scripts - Hebrew/Japanese/Cyrillic etc and then print/stampegold stars on top of that (rubber stamp - gold paint/ink). Gold ribbon as well for fanier presents - looks fantastic plus very cheap and eco-friendly.

Anchovy.. I love the idea of fanier presents...

In my extended family we have gravitated towards using ordinary gift bags & boxes, but everyone is trained not to use labels etc that can't be replaced. Everyone keeps what they have been given and simply reuses them the following year. Some of our wrappping has been being passed back and forth for years now. I suppose it's less eco-friendly at the outset, but over time it's very cheap and effective.

This year I plan to supplement the pool of gift wrapping with fabric gift bags made from left over fabrics decorated with felt christmas shapes and potato prints.