NO, NO, NO! Let’s not!

How about this year we make a sincere effort to “go green”? Let’s recycle. Here are some ideas.

I’ll start off with an oldie but a goodie. Separately wrap the bottom and top of a box. It may use more paper initially but the box can be used over and over.
The easiest and most popular alternative to wrapping paper is purchased gift bags. These can be reused many times.
Often my take out orders from restaurants are placed in little plain brown shopping bags. They almost always remain clean. These can be used as gift bags. If one wants to get fancy, cut up one or more old Christmas cards and attach them to the bag with tape, glue or a staple.
Ever done on-line shopping and find that your order of three items comes in three separate boxes? Ever ask yourself – “What will I do with all these boxes?” I KNOW. Use them as gift boxes. Decorate them with old greeting cards or colorful pages from magazines or draw on them.
Fabric can also make a nice gift wrap. Buy some material with a holiday motif, (or use what you may already have), gather it around the gift and then tie it off with ribbon or yarn. Like the gift bags, the cloth can be used over and over.
Instead of throwing away old calendars, reuse pages as gift wrap.
Want to be ultra-conservative? Don’t wrap the gift but cover the eyes of the recipient, place gift in hand, then uncover eyes.

Hoping some or all of these will become useful and perhaps inspire you on to your own creative wrapping ideas.

~ Diane Hawlk, Green Team Member