That are as beautiful as they are earth friendly!
For me, one of the more stressful parts of Christmas and birthdays is the waste. I can’t seem to let go of the feeling that, to surprise and delight our children and friends, we create a lot of unnecessary waste. If I let it, it takes away from my holiday and birthday spirit. To enjoy these celebrations a little more and eliminate just a bit of stress, I do my best to make zero waste gift wrap.
Knowing that I am gifting something that is wrapped in a no- or low-impact way, frees me up to drink a little champagne, turn on a Hallmark holiday movie and gift wrap to my heart’s content (or until I finish up with all my last minute gifts!)
Obviously, I still want to present my friends and family with gifts that look beautiful. It forces me to get creative, which I love. I also take one evening each December to clear out the house, watch terrible holiday movies, drink a little (maybe too much?) prosecco, and gift wrap (my holiday self-care tradition). I use this time to make sure I have beautifully wrapped gifts that are earth friendly.
So, here are a few of my favorite zero waste gift wrap ideas:
1. Wrap With Fabric (Furoshiki)
This year is the first year that I wrapped with fabric. And I am obsessed. I wrapped two gifts early on, and didn’t even want to give them away because I wanted to save them as decoration.
I love using with fabric, because it is a completely zero waste gift wrap and also because the fabric can also be part of the gift (think scarfs, tea towels, even blankets).
Furoshiki is a Japanese method of wrapping gifts that looks stunning, can save money, and is very simple. For a tutorial on furoshiki, take a look here.
It took me a few tries to get this one right, but once I figured it out, I realized that it is easier than traditional wrapping. I love that the imperfections of the gift wrap make it all the more beautiful. For this, I used leftover scraps from a Halloween costume from a few years ago.
If you don’t have any fabric at home, hit up your local second hand shop for interesting scarves, old shirts (especially menswear) with cool patterns, or even sheets. Anything can be a great gift wrap if it has a cool pattern. If the gift is large, a cool blanket can work (and can also be part of the gift).
2. Use Found Items
There is a cigar shop not far from our house and right next to the post office that I go to. They almost always have these beautiful wooden boxes that are perfect for small to medium sized gifts. Last year, I was able to collect enough of them to wrap almost every gift in one.
3. Reuse Old Gift Wrap
A few years ago, I started using only gift wrap that had been given to us. It was the first Christmas after my preschooler’s first birthday, so we had plenty of gift wrap.
My gifts didn’t look cohesive that year, but every single one of them had character, and I didn’t use a single new piece of paper or ribbon!
4. Paper Waste
Old bags, newspaper, an old map, scribbled notepad paper, your kid’s artwork all make great wrapping paper. And, since it was destined for the recycle bin anyway, makes a zero-waste gift wrap.
Pair it with bold ribbon, tissue, or other bright adornment and no one will ever know you are trying to be eco-friendly.
5. Produce Sacks
I recently got some homemade bath balls wrapped perfectly in a produce sack. I loved it. I have since filled the bag with cucumbers, kale, and lemons. I think of the gift giver every time I go to the grocery store.
6. Eco-Friendly Adornments
One of the most impactful parts of holiday wrap is the ribbons, bows, tags, stickers, and other adornments. Most are not recyclable and cannot be reused.
One way to wrap beautiful gifts, while avoiding the waste is to use more natural adornments, think:
- pine cones
- cinnamon sticks
- feathers
- leaves
- flowers
- live plants
- palo santo sticks
Anything you can find around the house, the yard, or the farmer’s market can be made into a beautiful zero waste gift wrap topper.
7. Make the Gift the Wrap
For birthday parties (especially when I don’t know the family all that well), I usually gift a gift certificate and then wrap it with a small trinket. It gives the kiddo something to play with, but leaves the actual gift up to the parents to get something they will love and use. For my son’s friends, I have been using Hot Wheels lately.
Things to consider:
- ornaments
- tiny toys
- cookies (especially homemade)
- candy
- small framed pictures
- Hot Wheels!
8. Leave the Traditional Wrapping Ribbon at the Store
One of the best ways to lower your wrapping impact is to leave the colorful and metallic gift wrap ribbon at the store, none of it is recyclable. Instead, reuse something you were gifted, find cloth ribbons, or try something creative like:
- twine
- leather string
- scraps of fabric
- yarn
- wire
9. Reusable Fabric Wrap Bags
I love a beautiful gift bag as much as anyone else. But, the waste they create is just not worth it. But, that isn’t the case with reusable fabric wrap bags. They look so cute with a little bow, and can be reused over and over again.
10. Recycled Paper
If you feel you must wrap with new paper, there are some really beautiful recycled paper options.
I love a simple kraft paper wrapped gift, with a lot of upcycled embellishments.
Get creative, look around your house for anything that might add a little pop to your gift that you are no longer using. And start wrapping. Your friends and family will love it, and it is almost guaranteed to be a conversation starter (which is one of my favorite parts!) about zero waste gift wrap. Who knows, maybe you’ll inspire someone to do the same next year!
And, if you’ve picked out the gift but don’t know what to get, take a look at my gift guides!