Giving books this Christmas? Here are 10 ideas on how to wrap your present in a unique and eco-friendly way.
There’s a lot of waste at Christmas and one of the biggest sources is wrapping paper (over 8,000 tonnes are used each year- that’s about 50,000 trees). Added to that, using boring old conventional wrapping paper really misses a trick to impress the lucky recipient!
If you’re worried that any of these ideas seem a bit cheap compared to buying some luxury wrapping paper- don’t be! All of the below require personal time and effort and the lucky recipient will appreciate that you’ve invested something much more precious than money.
1. Newspaper or magazine
A smart oblong present wrapped in black and white newsprint can look really stylish. However, if you’d like to do something a bit more special, make sure to choose a section of the paper that you know the recipient loves- the Travel section perhaps? Magazines often have high quality images- you could easily cut out a few of the most attractive ones and collage them together to wrap the present. One really fun (but quite time-consuming) idea would be to choose a sheet with lots of text and then pick out a story or message by underlining the relevant words. Lastly, for added bonus points, why not cut out strips of paper and weave them together- very special!
(Thanks to Alex Barth for the image)
2. Brown paper
“Brown paper packages tied up with string”… It’s a favourite thing! You can buy rolls of recycled brown paper from high streets shops cheaply and easily. Brown paper looks great left to its own devices, but it also lends itself to decoration. Here are a few ideas for how to make your wrapping that little bit more special: paint a picture, write a story, buy a stamp and some ink, weave (as above) or stick on any photos you have that are of you and the person the present is for.
(Thanks to Simon for the image)
3. Recycled tin foil
If you’d prefer something bright and shiny under the tree, why not get hold of some recycled tin foil? What’s great about this wrapping material is that you can use it again and again and, if you’re clever, there’ll be no need to fasten the edges with sellotape!
(Thanks to catgoesmurp for the image)
4. Present within a present
If you’re giving more than one gift to someone, is there any way you could wrap one within the other? For example, if you’re giving a t-shirt or scarf and a book, you could easily wrap the latter in the former without making it too obvious what either gift is. If you’ve only got one gift to give, you could try nipping down the nearest charity shop to see if there are any pretty tins or containers that would step up the job of wrapping your present.
(Thanks to Stephen Cummings for the image)
5. Treasure hunt
Of course, the best solution to avoiding wasteful wrapping paper this year is to not wrap your presents! One way to do this without losing the magic of surprise is to lay a treasure hunt that starts under the tree with an innocuous clue and ends up somewhere else entirely! This is a great one for children. You could even encourage them along the way with small gifts as they find and puzzle out each clue.
(Thanks to wolfsavard for the image)
6. Fabric
Wrapping presents in fabric can look really beautiful, particularly if you get creative about how to fasten up the gift. If you’re giving books, you should only need relatively small bits of fabric- try visiting your local fabric shop and asking if they have any offcuts you could take off their hands. And don’t forget you can use it again next year!
(Thanks to Mykl Roventine for the image)
7. Other paper
This could include anything from last year’s calendar (particularly special if it’s a calendar you shared with the recipient- and what about adding in a few extra retrospective dates for comic effect), through to wall charts and pages that have fallen out of old books or maps.
(Thanks to emdot for the image)
8. Natural finishing touches
If you’re the kind of wrapper who likes to accessorize your gifts with bows and ribbons, then this point might give you a few more eco-friendly ideas! If you live in the countryside or near a park, go for a walk just before Christmas and keep your eye out for anything that looks exciting, like holly, fir pines or nuts. If this doesn’t sound like your idea of fun, try slowly roasting slices of orange, or tying together a few sticks of cinnamon to attach to your gift. They’ll look bright and beautiful and smell delicious!
(Thanks to Mike for the image)
9. Fastenings
If you want to give a truly eco-friendly present, try to avoid using sellotape. Instead, consider these three ideas:
- get hold of some string and fasten the old-fashioned way
- use a wax stamp and some melted wax to stick down edges
- learn some clever folds so that you can use the power of origami to fasten your wrapping
(Thanks to Muffet for the image)
10. Anything
Seriously, just get creative. If you’re anything like me, you’ll have stuff lying around the house that could really do with being put to good use. Bought any shoes recently? Hope you haven’t thrown away the box! Got an old puzzle book that’s half completed? Could it spare a few pages? Any old plastic containers? Could you cut them up and wrap them round your present?
(Thanks to madmolecule for the image)
If you have any innovative ideas for how to avoid wrapping paper this Christmas, we’d love to hear about them in the comments below! Merry Christmas!
Tags: Christmas, environment, environmental responsibility, gifts, presents, wrapping ideas, wrapping paper
[...] you have kids, their old drawings or school work. For more ideas you can read this article. And this one had an interesting idea to do a treasure hunt with your gifts instead of wrapping them; keeps the [...]
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