Eco-friendly gift wrap ideas

The holidays are here! Which, at least in my house, means a last-minute scramble to wrap gifts. Instead of buying wrapping paper that ends up in the trash, try reusable options this year. I bet you even have a few of these ideas at home already!

Recycled shopping bags. Use your paper shopping bags to wrap small and medium-sized gifts. Carefully cut along the folds to lay out your paper and then wrap as usual. You can make it unique by drawing on the paper before or after wrapping. If you have kids at home, this is a great time to get them involved and they’ll love showing off their artwork.

Old maps. Now that we’re all using maps online, you can find plenty of maps at thrift and resale shops. This is great wrapping paper for anyone who loves the outdoors or exploring.

Scrap fabric, scarves, or kitchen towels. Any fabric you have makes great wrapping. The Japanese even have an art, furoshiki, devoted to wrapping gifts in fabric. Find an easy how-to guide here.If you need to purchase gift wrap, look for rolls made from recyclable materials and check to see that your paper can be recycled. In stores, more options are being clearly labeled as recyclable paper. However you decide to wrap your gifts, add a small note to the gift tag saying “recycle me!” for your friends and family. They’ll appreciate the extra thought you put into your gift giving.

– Alex Hill, gift wrapping procrastinator
Brown paper photo by Tim McFarlaneCC BY-ND 2.0 \ Flickr
Map photo by Joyful Creations Art.