December 19th's Tip
Wrapping Presents: This weekend might be the time you spend wrapping up all those presents for Christmas (unless you're like my parents were when they played Santa and up wrapping all the presents all night Christmas Eve!). Either way, remember to keep the wrapping earth friendly.
There are many options for wrapping paper that has less impact on the planet. Recycled wrapping paper and reusable gift bags are more traditional options, but there are other options for unique wrapping. Try letting your kids decorate pieces of newspaper and wrap gifts in that, or use leftover work paper for another personal option. Blueprints, maps, sheet music, etc. are options personal to your interests or job that can be used as wrapping paper.
Interesting magazine pages can be used to wrap gifts, and are especially unique if the theme of the page matches the gift. Gifts can also be wrapped in other gifts, such as scarves, hats, blankets, reusable shopping bags, etc. Instead of standard gift tags, use last year's Christmas cards and cut designs out of them to make tags.
If you are using standard wrapping paper, remember that metallic wrapping paper is difficult, if not impossible, to recycle. Clothing wrapped in boxes might look nice, but the boxes are really unnecessary. Just wrap the shirt or other clothing item by itself, I'm sure the gift recipient won't care - they'll be more interested in the gift than the way it was wrapped!
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December 20th, 2008 at 1:49 am
Great ideas! Thanks for sharing.
December 21st, 2008 at 2:09 pm
I'm kind of embarrassed. I never thought of using recycled paper to wrap presents. Again it is one of the smaller things that you can do with very little effort but if a lot of people do it it'll have a great impact.
December 22nd, 2008 at 9:59 am
Thank you for this article! Here I am, trying to be super earth-friendly and organic etc but when I look under my christmas tree, I'm embarassed: none of these fine tips have been used. Next year for sure, I will be more crafty and earth-friendly!
December 23rd, 2008 at 9:31 am
I like to reuse holiday gift bags for several years as long as they do not get destroyed on Christmas morning, hence I usually don't give them to the younger children.
December 24th, 2008 at 3:03 am
I've spent the whole day to wrapping up all the presents and decorate the X'mas tree here...
How about you, Stefanie?
January 21st, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Wilson, I did stay up very late working on presents on Christmas eve! Not wrapping, but putting together the gift I got my dad (I took a bunch of old pictures and made a scrapbook)