Posted by Wenona Napolitano on Dec.24, 2010

ⓒ iStockPhoto - cstar55

Gift wrapping is one of the biggest problems greenies encounter during the holidays. It’s hard to find eco-friendly gift wrap options in local stores.

A large majority of the gift wrap we use ends up in landfills. According to Gift Bags Gone Green every year Americans alone spend more than $5 billion dollars on gift wrap, bags, and tissue paper.

So what can we do to make a difference?

Get Creative and Go DIY with Your Green Wrappings

One way to make a difference is to wrap presents with stuff you already have on hand. This will save you money and save resources.

You can make use of unique items you have around your home and transform them into fun holiday wrapping paper. Ideas include: the comic section of newspapers, colorful and unique pages from magazines, old maps or paper you make yourself. Coffee cans can be painted and used a a unique gift container. Empty and plain cardboard boxes (even cereal boxes) can be painted, decoupaged or wrapped in colorful scrapbook paper.

Brown or white package paper can be completely transformed with stamps, paint, markers, stickers or anything else you may have laying around the house. Have the kids use finger paint and stamp their little hand prints on the paper. Grandparents are sure to love such heartfelt wrappings.

Another great green gift wrap option is to make the present part of the package by wrapping one gift with another gift.

Are you giving a blanket as a gift? Put another present inside the blanket, and use the blanket as the wrapping. Or you could put everything inside a pillow case. Tie it with a ribbon, and you are all set.

Roll up sweaters, and stick items like socks and underwear inside. Tie gifts up with curtain tiebacks, shoelaces or hair ribbons. That way everything is part of the gift, all the items get used, and nothing gets thrown away.

If you are handy with a needle and thread you could easily make your own reusable cloth gift bags out of nay fun fabric scraps you have on hand. Even old t-shirts and blue jeans would make fabulous reusable fabric gift bags.

Reusable Fabric Gift Bags

If you’re not good with the stitching or just don’t have time to sew your own bags or maybe you could purchase ready made reusable gift bags and wraps made from fabric. Fabric gift bags are stylish, beautiful, washable and reusable. There are bags in all sizes, shapes and colors that can be reused over and over again every year.

Gift Bags Gone Green have many fun and funky fabric gift bags that are washable and reusable. They have  very cute holiday prints available. Visit them at www.giftbagsgonegreen.com

Lucky Crow also has wonderful, reusable cloth gift bag collections including some made from organic cotton. They offer prints and solid colors with plenty of prints suitable for holiday giving. Check them out at www.luckycrow.com

Ecorations offers beautiful fabric gift bags, pouches, sacks, and fabric wraps that can be reused year after year. They even offer a giant, 100% organic cotton Santa sack which can be personalized with a child’s name. See what they have to offer at www.ecorations.com

Wrap it Green

All encompassing gifts, tied fabric, creative gift boxes, and reusable gift bags are all wonderful eco-ways to save trees and have a fun, green Christmas, but they may lack a little of that old fashioned holiday magic that kids really look forward to.

Nothing says Christmas morning like the sound of tearing wrapping paper. If you have children you can’t really give up wrapping paper- but you can still be green by wrapping gifts in eco friendly wrapping paper.

Fish Lips Paper Designs is an eco-friendly wrapping paper company. All of their gift wraps are designed, printed and packaged right here in the USA on 100% DE-INKED recycled paper (with a minimum of 50% post-consumer waste) using non-toxic soy inks.

Fish Lips wrapping papers are available for resale in individual sheets (22″ x 33.75″) or “rolls” of 2 sheets. Visit them at www.fishlipspaperdesigns.com

Earth Presents produces 100% recycled and recyclable gift wrap products. Their wrapping paper and gift tags are made out of 100% post-consumer recycled paper that is processed chlorine free. Vegetable-based inks are used so that the paper is eco friendly and fully recyclable.  They even offer matching ribbons and bows made from recycled plastic bottles! Visit them at www.earthpresents.com

Earth Love’n Paper Products sells eco-friendly gift wrap and gift tags/cards that are printed on 100% post-consumer waste and processed chlorine-free and printed with vegetable-based ink. They sell several lovely winter holiday designs including a couple Hanukkah styles.  Check them out at www.earthloven.com

Paper Source is another place to find eco gift wrap options. They have a beautiful line of recycled gift wrap. The PS Green Choices line has a cute selection of holiday patterns printed on Eco-White, 100% recycled paper made with a minimum of 30% post-consumer waste.

They also sell scrap book paper sized sheets and lovely Christmas greeting cards as part of their PS Green Choices line. They can be found at www.paper-source.com

There are many ways to wrap in eco-style and the most important thing is that you put an eco-conscious effort into making the holidays greener this year.

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Posted under Family, Information & Resources, Product Reviews.