Eco-friendly wrapping

If you are anything like me, you might agree that presentation can be part of a gift. I absolutely love wrapping gifts in beautiful, thoughtful ways. As we move towards the holidays, I thought it would be fun to share some creative, eco-friendly packaging tips and ideas. Let’s get you thinking outside the box!

We’ll start with paper. Naturally, we all acquire paper of some variety here and there throughout the year. Some companies send brown kraft paper in packages that are delivered to your door, you might read the newspaper, you might have an old atlas or magazine lying around. Depending on the size of your gift, all of these things can make wonderful wrapping paper. If you are feeling really crafty, you can thrift old sheet music, vintage wrapping paper, and large old books to repurpose as giftwrap. So many good options!

Next up, you could wrap your gift in fabric! Be it a vintage scarf, a handmade bandana, a discarded flat sheet, or a thrifted yard of fabric…there are so many lovely fabrics that could be used in this Japanese wrapping technique called furoshiki. (I linked a very simple + short tutorial youtube video).

In this photo, I used one of our beautiful linen dish towels from Emily Ruth Prints (available in the store) to try out the furoshiki method!

Let’s talk ribbons, ties, and toppers! I keep my ribbons year after year and reuse them as long as they still look nice. I have a stash that I have sourced from thrift shops, packaging (like the ribbon that comes around throw blankets at Christmas time), and of course from gifts I have been given. Jute twine and cotton or wool yarn are also great to keep on hang for adding to gifts—all of these options are compostable but can also be saved and used again and again!

Lastly, but certainly not least, use nature to dress up your gifts! A twig of rosemary, lavender, pine, cedar or a dried orange slice, a cinnamon stick—not only will your presents be gorgeous, but they will smell divine too.