ideas for gift wrap

[Sainte Eph]

I like to use old paper shopping bags for wrapping gifts

If the bag is pretty plain all I have to do is fold over the top and write "to so-and-so" with a marker!

Can you tell I'm lazy about wrapping gifts? :D

-Stephanie
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[theboy]

this year i am using blueprints i got out of the dumpster. last year i used the free asian paper. im pretty much against buying paper just to throw it away. i try to reuse stuff. at least for wrapping paper.
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[LooseyMama]

Did anyone post the link to Danny Seo's Simply Green blog yet? And then there's an online book club over at BN.com about his Simply Green Giving book.

I just ran across both sites today, and he's got some way fun ideas.



And T-Mart, I can't remember if it was you or someone else who gifted me with some fabric bags awhile back (in a swap? or maybe just RAK?). I've used most of them for gifts, but there's one precious one that I just can't give away, no matter how much I love the potential receiver! I think it might become my sockknitting bag, if it's big enough. That, or I'll have to take out a couple of seams and add it to something else so I *can* make it the focal point of a bag.


Thanks for starting the thread, and to all of you who've added to it!
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[Teahugger]

[arabella]

can we archive this thread please? I want to make sure it doesn't disappear! *great* ideas here! totally using some this christmas!

(theboy, I need to go dumpster diving with you!)

[Katrin]

I almost always use plain brown kraft paper, usually decorated with some kind of rubber stamps or p0tato prints.

One wrapping idea I will NEVER do again:
One year I had a big roll of newsprint (still have it, actually) so decided to use that. But the newsprint was just a little bit see-through, so I rubber-stamped some designs and everyone's name on their gift (with individual letter stamps) and then re-wrapped the whole thing again with tissue paper. It. Took. For. EVER. Just say no to anything involving wrapping each package twice.

[LooseyMama]

Wow, I just found the *coolest* site demonstrating "Furoshiki," the art of using fabric to wrap items!

http://www.env.go.jp/en/focus/attach/060403-5.html


Of course, I found it *after* I've done almost all of my wrapping for the season.... *sigh* But maybe this will reach you folks in time to be of use.

Happy holidays!
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[arabella]

perfect! reached us in time! and now we have a good backup plan if we don't finish making all those fabric gift bags in time... (which is of course, what happened last year)

[Ginger.T]

Luci--Thanks for the fabric wrapping link! Wow!
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[checkersumthing]

I just wanted to report back and say that I managed to not use any new gift wrap this christmas season! (ok, one exception, I used some cellophane to tie up a gift basket) I was able to wrap gifts with my giant roll of graph paper and roll of brown craft paper, both which were destined for the trash. Add to that assorted bits of paper I keep in a folder for occasions such as these for gift tags.

How did everyone else do this holiday season?
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[town hall]

Only that if you do use paper (whether it be repurposed or bought wrapping paper), not using sticky tape or glue on it means it can be used again much more easily (and if it can't/ won't be reused, it can be recycled more easily without tape attached). It requires a bit of dexterity and patience, but securing parcels with ribbon/ yarn/ raffia/ etc alone can be done.
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[IrmaVep]

Sorry, haven't read the whole thread, but one year I bought some shade cloth from the garden store (it's green) and made gift bags with that, and tied them up with red ribbon. I think I might have made edibles that year, so it didn't really matter that people could see through them.

[annie_r]

I think that the original post mentioned using fabric remnants. Some friends just gave me my birthday present wrapped in a sheet of cotton print and it was actually really pretty, plus I now have the fabric to use for some kind of patchwork purpose which is cool. It is a print I may not have chosen myself but still really like...
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[Jeansweasel]

I'm late to the party! This year my wrapping paper idea was to use all the old Lucky Magazine pages I don't know what to do with. so many pretty pictures of expensive things, and colorful ads, well, they'll get ripped up and recycled anyway.
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[happyhats]

This christmas I used luminaries as gift bags, so the gift bags won't get thrown away and can be reused year long.
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