Gift Wrap Waste

I can count on one hand the number of times I have bought gift wrap in the nine and half years I’ve been married. It goes against the fiber of my very being to spend money on something that has so little use. That doesn’t mean I don’t gift wrap my presents. I spend a respectable amount of time making gifts look their best. I just try to use what I already have around the house. Here are a few ideas:

Regift wrap – I’m certainly not the first person to take gift bags and gift wrap from my own presents and reuse it. It gives a little more life to something that would otherwise go in a landfill, and I don’t know anyone who is offended by it.

Recycle – Look around your house to see what could replace your gift wrap. Newspaper (kids love getting gifts wrapped in the comic section), computer paper, and even those annoying ads that seem to multiply during the holiday season can work very well. I am supremely fortunate to be a musician married to a composer, so most of my gifts come donned in manuscript paper that would have otherwise been trashed or recycled.

Potato chip bags – Foil snack bags come in all sorts of sizes, and there are almost no uses for them – except as gift bags! Wash a used bag, turn it inside out, and trim the top. Fill with goodies. I sometimes trim an extra layer off the top of the bag and use it as the ribbon to tie it up. In fact, you can keep cutting strips to make ribbon for other presents. The foil can also be cut into strips to fill a gift bag and make it snazzier.

Reusable bags – Almost every retail store is selling their own brand of inexpensive tote bags that can be used over and over. Why not use it as a gift bag? My favorite hardware store has green bags with white writing. I used a little red ribbon to tie it up, and I have a huge gift bag that cost under a buck (actually, they were free after rebate), and I have a practical, clever, easy, and environmentally friendly gift wrap. What more could you ask?

Gift in a gift – Planning on giving a gift that could wrap something else? Perhaps an inexpensive fleece blanket or a hand knit scarf? Roll or gather your gift inside another gift, tie with an attractive bow, and you are ready to go! J

Reuse greeting cards – What do you do with greeting cards after the season is over? You probably store them somewhere for sentimental reasons and never look at them again, or you trash them. This year, I cut out attractive shapes from my cards to tape to my presents instead of bows. If you’re really clever (and organized), you could even top someone’s present with the Christmas card they sent you the previous year. Family Fun magazine has this great idea for making gift card holders out of greeting cards.

Bring out your artistic side – Plain paper and boxes can be made beautiful by painting, stamping, stickers, or cut-outs. It can be a fun family activity.

You might wonder why anyone would do so much to avoid buying gift wrap. Surely, the amount you spend on gift wrap a year isn’t enough to retire on. However, it is a mindset that can spill over into other areas of your life. Try looking at anything you purchase to see if there is a way around it. Ask yourself, do I really want to spend my time and money on this?

In what other areas of our lives could we spend less? Share your ideas in the comments below.