![]() Look Through Old Household Items Tatiana Rodriguez / Unsplash Many thin ropes and twines are made from organic cotton, hemp and other natural fibers that can be reused as eco-friendly gift wrapping year after year or composted after use. Tie Gifts Up With Compostable Twine Element5 Digital / Unsplashĭon’t have any clothing you’re willing to part with? You’re not totally out of luck. You can sew around the edges for a more durable ribbon, or leave them frayed for a rustic feel. Cut strips as thin or as thick as you’d like, then tie them around your boxes to add some color and texture to your gifts. Turn Old Clothes Into Ribbons and Bows Євгенія Височина / Unsplashīutton-down shirts, flannels, or even T-shirts you no longer need can be upcycled into reusable fabric ribbons and bows. If you do happen to be an origami pro (or if all the holiday cheer has left you optimistically ambitious), there are ways to incorporate fun folds into your wrapping, too. As you can see in the video above, it’s pretty simple to fold your wrapping paper into itself and secure your gift with no tape required. You don’t have to be an origami pro to learn the art of tape-free gift wrapping. The easiest way to gather eco-friendly gift garnishes is to clip sprigs off your own Christmas tree, but you can also pick some off the ground at your neighborhood tree lot or get scraps from local farms. Rather than use a shiny plastic bow, go au naturale with tree branches, cotton buds, cinnamon sticks, small pinecones, rosemary, fallen leaves or whatever else you can sustainably source in your area. Add Natural Festive Touches Tijana Drndarski / Unsplash You can even make it extra sustainable by using crushed-up berries for ink. ![]() You can cut out holiday shapes like stars and gingerbread men, or paint individual bubbles different colors to create fun polka-dot patterns. Before recycling, repurpose bubble-lined mailers into stamps. Padded envelopes are another popular way to ship small items. Of course, not all packages come in a box. Make Your Own Stamps Kari Shea / Unsplash The reflective bubble wrap you may receive in your meal kit delivery service makes for great festive wrapping, too. Then, when the holidays come around, you’ll have your eco-friendly gift wrap ready to go. Throughout the year, save the tissue paper sheets and brown or white packing paper companies often use to ship their products. Upcycle Other Shipping Supplies Nynne Schrøder/ Unsplashīoxes aren’t the only thing you can reuse from your online purchases. Just don’t forget to recycle or compost all of that cardboard afterward. ![]() If you’re online shopping for presents, many items will come in a perfectly sized box that’s ready for wrapping. Using your delivery parcels instead of store-bought gift boxes is one of the easiest eco-friendly gift wrapping swaps you can make. Reuse Cardboard Shipping Boxes Wicked Monday / Unsplash Decorate with a hand-written message, drawing or stamped design. If you’ve got a stash of, say, Trader Joe’s bags taking over your cabinet, cut them flat and use the non-printed side as a canvas. Newspaper is the old standard, but for those of us who don’t receive a physical paper – or who just want to make our gifts a little more personal – recyclable paper bags work great. Wrap Boxes With Brown Paper Bags Jonathan Borba / Unsplash Use the tips in this eco-friendly gift wrapping guide to cut down your environmental impact this year. Around the holidays, it’s estimated that Americans throw out an extra 1 million tons of trash per week – and one of the biggest offenders of seasonal waste is single-use gift wrap.
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