Opening gifts is super-fun! But imagine if gift wrapping became equally fun, too? Well, indeed, we can make it exciting for you and good for the planet, as well. First, chuck the traditional gift wrapping paper. (Don’t worry, we’ve got a few options for eco-friendly wrapping paper on our list here for you!) One, the shiny bits of the wrapping paper contribute to a lot of unnecessary waste and pose extreme danger to marine life. And two, it’s simply dull and mundane.
Next, be ready to get a bit messy ‘cause things here will turn a little artistic. Get your scissors, glue-gun, and paintbrushes out, and most importantly, let the creativity flow! (Hope that last bit sounded kinda poetic! XD )
5 Ways To Wrap Gifts Without Wrapping Paper
Listed below are 5 unique gift wrapping ideas for you to experiment and have fun with. So, without further ado, let’s dive in!
1. DIY Holiday Wrapping Paper
This one tops our list of sustainable gift wrapping ideas. With this, you can learn to make your own stamps easily. All you need to do is stamp some brown paper or kraft paper (Brownie points for recycled or recyclable options) with your favorite stamp!
Things You Will Need: Plain pink eraser or blank stamp block, craft knife or stamp carving tool, pencil, kraft paper, stamp pad, scissors, tape, and ribbon.
Click here to read the complete DIY by The Spruce.
2. DIY Fabric Gift Bags
These gorgeous no-sew fabric gift wraps are the best things ever! We can’t simply count the pros for this one – you can reuse, wash, re-gift, and they are just so beautiful. So for us, this DIY is a biggie! (After making one, you won’t disagree!) It’s so far the most versatile option from our list of sustainable gift wrapping ideas.
Things You Will Need: Cotton fabric, pinking scissors (These scissors cut with a zig-zag line and give a nice finish to the fabric), double-sided tape (a quarter-inch wide), and embellishments like ribbons, leather thonging, feathers, beads, pom poms, or flowers.
Click here to read the complete DIY by We Are Scout.
3. DIY Recycled Gift Bow
You don’t need any kraft paper or fabrics for this sustainable gift wrapping idea. Use some old newspaper to wrap the gift and then find an old magazine, chop it into strips and create this piece of art within 10 minutes. Beautiful? Check. Recycled? Check. Aren’t we the best? Check. Are we just kidding? Check! (Hahaha)
Things You Will Need: A magazine page, ruler, pen, pair of scissors, stapler, a roll of tape and some newspaper.
Click here to read the complete DIY by Rabbit Food For My Bunny Teeth.
4. DIY Tea Towel Gift Wraps
This hack makes the most practical choice of all the sustainable gift wrapping ideas on our list – A Tea Towel. It is not just used to wipe kitchen plates but is also a great and thoughtful replacement for wrapping paper. Make your own tea towel and try out some classy wrapping techniques at the same time, with this fun DIY.
Things You Will Need: A quarter of cotton drill fabric (or alternative), scissors or rotary cutter, ruler, cutting mat, iron, sewing machine, matching sewing thread, and general sewing supplies.
Click here to read the complete DIY by My Poppet.
5. DIY Yarn Tassels Gift Wrap
This one is the best when you have a time crunch or when you’re not in the mood to do much. Get some kraft paper and yarn. Neatly wrap your gift with kraft paper and decorate it by making colorful yarn tassels. Super-easy, super-fun, and no need to clean up later on!
Things You Will Need: Yarn, fork, an empty toilet paper roll, clear tape, double tape, scissors, and kraft paper.
Click here to read the complete DIY by Crafty For Home.
These sustainable DIYs are just as fun practically as they read in this blog.
5 Conscious Alternatives To Traditional Wrapping Paper
Also, in case you have no time to spare for the DIYs shown above, get one of these ready-to-use, eco-friendly wrapping papers instead.
1. Triumph Plant Eco-Friendly Wrapping Paper That Grows
Made from 100% recycled paper, the Triumph Plant Gift Wrap is the perfect eco-friendly wrapping paper for all eco-conscious people out there. It comes with hundreds of wildflower seeds embedded in it. In the box, you get 4 flowering seeded gift wraps to wrap your gifts, 6 gift cards, and a bundle of natural Raffia to tie up your gifts. It is a unique gift wrapping idea for those who love surprises. Oh, and yes! Don’t forget to tell the gift receiver that they can easily plant the paper. Just loosen the soil up to 3 inches, cover up with loose topsoil, and soon enough, they will wake up to beautiful wildflowers in their garden!
2. Kathmandu Valley Co. Sustainable Gift Wrapping Paper
The idea for this tree-free wrapping paper is a thousand years old and comes from the Himalayas in Nepal. The Kathmandu Valley’s sustainable gift wrapping paper is made with Lokta bush cuttings which are cooked into a fibrous mash. This mash is then spread by hand over boxed screens and set to dry in the Himalayan sunshine forming the paper. Not just this, the Lokta plant regrows quickly, and the paper made with it is tough enough for multiple uses. All these factors make this gift wrapping paper eco-friendly. In a pack, you get 10 matching gift wrap sheets measuring 20×30 inches. Sounds great, right?
3. Wrappily Reversible Sustainable Gift Wrapping Paper
This reversible gift wrapping paper is made using premium recycled newsprint. It comes in a variety of fresh designs to choose from, without contributing to the tons of trash generated by wrapping paper every year. Since most wrapping papers are dyed or laminated, recycling is not an option for them. This brings us to the best part – as the Wrappily Reversible Gift Wrapping Paper is made with newsprint, it can be recycled up to 7 times! Also, you get 3 double-sided reversible gift wrapping paper sheets (21.5″ x 34″) with unique designs on both sides.
4. Ecoartte Floral Eco-Friendly Wrapping Paper
Made from high-quality 100% recyclable paper, sustainably sourced from well-managed forests, the Ecoartte Floral Eco-Friendly Wrapping Paper helps to reduce trash generated by gift wrap and bags each year. It is durable and acid-free, and you can also use it for crafts. The wrapping paper comes in a recycled and recyclable packaging envelope and is 100% plastic-free. Each pack has 6 sheets of sustainable wrapping paper with unique reversible designs. It fits perfectly in our list of planet-friendly and unique gift wrapping ideas for everyone!
5. Central 23 Eco-Friendly Wrapping Paper
The Central 23 Eco-friendly Wrapping Paper is made with FSC certified paper, which means the paper was made with sustainably harvested forests. The paper is printed with chemical-free, Vegan ink which makes it easy to recycle. What’s more, it is delivered in a recyclable packaging sleeve too. You get 6 folded sustainable gift wrapping sheets (dimension – 27″ x 19″) and 6 unique tags, both with limited edition cute illustrations, specially designed for kids.
So, these are some beautiful eco-friendly options to wrap your gifts. Switching to one of these eco-friendly gift wrapping ideas will make a huge difference, for our friends living in the ocean. So let’s do good for them and have fun ourselves, with some conscious effort.
Hope you have a super-fun time, wrapping your gifts!
Also, since Women’s day is right around the corner, we’ve put together a list of thoughtful gifts for International Women’s Day for you to check out!
