Reusable Gift Wrap Ideas to Beat Holiday Waste

The weather is getting cooler here in the northern hemisphere, and that means the holidays are upon us! Try some of these reusable gift wrap solutions to cut holiday waste without losing the cute factor.

The U.S. generates an average of five million tons more waste during the holiday season, and the bulk of that is all of that beautiful, paper giftwrap that goes straight to the bin after we open our gifts.

Luckily, we don’t have to resort to disposables when it comes to wrapping gifts. There are a few more eco-friendly options out there. Here are some of my favorites.

Furoshiki

We’ve talked about furoshiki, the Japanese art of cloth gift wrapping, before. A typical furoshiki wrap is in the neighborhood of 21″ square, but you can make a larger one if necessary. You can make your own by hemming a large, square piece of fabric from your stash on all four sides, or you can check out store-bought options like Bobo Wrap.

Whether you make or purchase your wrap, there are a number of ways to use it, depending on the gift. This video shows you a few handy furoshiki wrapping techniques:

Reusable Gift Bags

Paper gift bags are a bit better than disposable gift wrap, since they can be reused multiple times. You can also make your own fabric gift bags, which hold up even better over time.

Companies like Lyziwrap offer pre-made reusable gift bags, if you’re in a hurry. Another quickie reusable gift bag option is this felt gift bag:

Just make sure you’re using recycled felt for this project!

Think Outside the Box

Sometimes, the greenest wrapping option is when the wrapping is part of the present! Arrange things into a pretty basket, Mason jar, or metal tin that your recipient can keep. If you’ve got some extra time, you might even make a sweet, fabric gift basket. Unusual gift wrap like this is not only more eco-friendly, it’s more memorable!

What have you guys done to make your holiday gift wrapping a little greener?

Image Credits: Gift Wrap. Creative Commons photo by meddygarnet, Furoshiki. Creative Commons photo by artistmam, Fabric Gift Bag. Photo by Becky Striepe
Fabric Gift Basket. Creative Commons photo by thewelshes