eco-friendly and sustainable gift-wrapping ideas

Who doesn’t love a well-wrapped gift? Whether it’s adorned with a big and flouncy festive bow, a silky red ribbon or a stylish patterned paper, it feels like a joy to receive. But, Christmas is also about the gift of giving and pleasure can be found in taking time to get creative with your wrapping. It’s a relaxing and mindful way to spend a cold and wintry evening, preparing for the festivities.

That said, these days many people are becoming more conscious of the waste that is created during the festive period. Searches for sustainable wrapping paper are up by 24% this year and it is reported that an additional 30% of waste is produced and discarded during the holiday season including of course, wrapping materials. Thanks to a mix of materials such as glitter laden cards and tags, shiny, metallic effect wrapping paper and other non-recyclable materials, the environment is suffering under the weight of so much waste.

So, here I wanted to share some simple and sustainable ways to wrap your gifts that are kind to the planet and mean you can recycle materials year after year or source seasonal and natural environmentally friendly items to add to your festive parcels.

“It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.”

— Mother Theresa

ECO-FRIENDLY SUPPLIES

If you really want to cut down on waste, consider using fabric to wrap your gifts. If sewing is your thing, a drawstring bag works well or have a look for Furoshiki wrapping cloths. Furoshiki is a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth, tied and neatly knotted to transport gifts and food. Remember to include a note with your gift explaining how to re-use the cloths or your recipient may return them to you for reuse. It’s such a great way of reducing packaging. There are so many beautiful cloths to choose from. Of course if you have any fabric offcuts of your own, these would be ideal.

USE BIODEGRADABLE PAPER TAPE

Biodegradable paper tape is great as it can be composted or recycled. A plastic-free and eco-friendly alternative to single use plastic tape. These tapes are usually made with a natural rubber based adhesive.

SECURE WITH STRING

Another good alternative to traditional plastic tape is string. You can source natural twine or string from many shops and it makes for a more rustic looking gift wrap.

WINTER FOLIAGE

One of my favourite ways to decorate a gift for a loved one is to add a little sprig of winter foliage. This can be anything from spruce, pine and fir cuttings, rosemary, holly leaves, winter berries, maybe a small foraged pine cone or a little sprig of mistletoe. You could also dry slices of orange and add these to your gift with some cinnamon sticks. These are all easily sourced and look good along with brown paper and some string to secure in place. It adds a lovely personal touch and the festive fragrance of Christmas.

rECYLED PAPER

It can be hard to contain the excitement on Christmas morning, and the frantic ripping off of paper, so go for the guilt free option of recycled wrapping paper - brown paper or printed versions are readily available and can be popped in your recycle bin afterwards.

PRINTING & PAINTING PAPER

A fun way to add a personal touch is to create your own stamp for brown paper using the humble potato for block printing. Simply cut a potato in half, draw a design onto it (it’s better to keep it simple in my experience) and then cut away the excess with a sharp knife, layer on some paint and get printing! Alternatively, if you have the time, you could draw or paint designs directly onto the paper - a cost effective way to reduce waste and expense on fancy paper.

SAY IT WITH WORDS

Something slightly different, but if you have any old books, comics, or even interesting and festive pages from newspapers why not try wrapping gifts with these. You could even use sheet music if you know someone who might appreciate that. Check out charity shops and car boot sales for pre-loved books.

MAKE A MINI WREATH

Wreaths look beautiful on a gift, and are simple to make, plus they can be kept and hung up afterwards - a bonus gift. Find some thin and flexible twigs or natural vine and gently bend each into a circle shape, then twist and weave them into each other (securing with string if needed) and then simply adorn with natural foliage as mentioned above. There are plenty of wreath-making tutorials online if you want a helping hand.

GIFT BAGS

Recyclable gift bags are another good way of wrapping gifts - look for those with string handles and no plastic embellishments. You can also re-use bags from past Christmases if they’re still in good condition.

RECYCLE RIBBON

Ribbon is such a traditional way of wrapping Christmas gifts, but is sadly not recyclable. However, if you reuse any ribbon that you do use each year, without disposing of it, it will be kinder to the environment.