There are many alternatives to using traditional wrapping paper. You can use a number of household items or even a second gift to wrap a gift. Here are some alternative ways in which you can wrap gifts.
Paper from newspaper, magazines, old book pages, old musical sheets, or even used document paper can be uber cool. Use it as is or paint and decorate it.
Fabric such as old scarves or leftover sewing material. A beautiful scarf you no longer use or material from a dress are very personal and lovely ways to wrap gifts.
You can use anything to double gift - whatever wraps and even compliments the contents. Glass jars and bottles, tea tins, aprons, reusable bags, towels, dish towels, decorative pillow cases, fabric dinner napkins, maps or cases like those in the main image.
The inner tubes of toilet paper rolls can be used as gift wrapping. This is a great alternative for smaller items. Simply insert the gift in the toilet paper roll and squeeze and fold the ends into itself for a perfect gift wrapping. You can paint the roll or tie it in fabric or coloured paper.
And you can make beautiful bows and ties with twine, shoelaces, repurposed rope handles of shopping bags, a new set of earphones, scarf or handkerchief, hair bands, wire, necktie, measuring tape, a new pet collar or Christmas tree garland.
Image: Unsplash: Jon Tyson | Nynne Schroder
An amazing 61,100 km of ribbon is discarded every year. Australians alone use enough wrapping paper per year to go around the globe nine times. These statistics demonstrate that a large amount of gift materials are sent to landfill and that is no gift to the planet! This number can be easily reduced if we reuse, re-purpose, and recycle gift wrapping materials and at the same time be a tiny bit more thoughtful about the gifts we are giving. Gift wrapping paper and accessories are often expensive and well made, so not only do you save money, but you get to share the love of the initial maker or giver further!
For a swing tag, decorate your gift with rubber stamps, shipping labels, vintage office labels, office supply hang-tags, aluminium plant markers or paper key tags. > > Anything that gives a gift colour or interest! Think outside the box.