Twelve Days of Conscious Christmas: Day 8, Swap Your Wrapping Paper

This is the week! Time time get those gifts out of closets and attics and get wrapping! :)

It may be time to start rethinking what you use to wrap those gifts though. Did you know: 227,000 miles of wrapping paper is used each year, or the equivalent of 30 million trees? Crazy! And depending on the type of paper, much of it isn't recyclable.

Here are some options to not add to the problem: 

1) Use what you have: If you already have paper, you may as well use it or donate it. No sense in swapping something that already exists for an alternative. 

2) Purchase paper with recycled content. Simply add recycled to your search terms or look at specialty sites like Green Field Paper.

3) Purchase paper that's recyclable. This one is harder, because you need to check your local rules to avoid "wishcycling". In general, avoid glitter and foil. You've probably seen some amazing beautiful packages with simple brown kraft paper. 

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4) Use alternative papers. Do you still read a physical newspaper? Paper grocery bags? Or have outdated paper maps? They can make a fun alternative wrapping. One of my great joys each year, is my friend Andrew, who makes his holiday card and envelopes out of old maps. 

(Source)

5) Try the furoshiki wrapping method, where you wrap the gift in fabric. You can have specific wrapping fabrics that you reuse each year, or make part of the gift into the wrapping, like a scarf. Here I used a tea towel.

6) Make reusable fabric gift bags. Again, these can become part of the present, or be re-exchanged with your family and friends each year. 

Each of these will also save you $$$. The tea towel for my furoshiki wrapping? Since it was part of the gift, I paid $0 for wrapping. A fabric reusable gift bag? Costs the same or less than a paper gift bag, and lasts for many more uses.

Happy Wrapping!

Waste Free Gift Wrap #2 - Gift Bags

With the holidays approaching, let's talk gift wrap: Each year, billions of dollars are spent on wrapping paper in the US alone, with millions of pounds of wrapping paper usually used once. Holy cow!

In February, I showed one alternate way to wrap presents, by wrapping the gift with another, such as a tea towel or scarf.

In this post, I'll share another: fabric gift bags. Gift bags are pretty easy to make. They are essentially tote bags, made in a variety of sizes. Last year, I got a bunch of holiday fabric by the yard at Seattle Recreative. You could also work with curtains, tablecloths, etc, from a thrift store near you. Not only are you up-cycling the fabric, but you are also creating wrapping that can be used over and over again for years to come. By using thrifted fabric, the cost comes to about $3/bag, about the same cost as a new paper gift bag.

1. Cut out the 4 sides of your bag, slightly larger than your gift. Add a few inches of length, which will be used to create the bottom of the bag. If your fabric is thinner, might fray, or you just want a contrast lining, cut out 8 sides (you'll be making two bags, outer and lining).

2. Sew the four panels together, with the pattern on the inside. 

3. Sew the bottom shut. Note: For this bag, all my sides are equal width. Check the placement of my seams when I go to sew the bottom. Two of the sides are folded in half; this is important for making the flat bottom of the bag. If your bag is rectangular instead of square, make the shorter sides the halved sides. 

4. Sew perpendicular across the bottom seam on the two corners, resulting in two isosceles triangle points. This triangle should happen naturally when you flatten the sides of the bag. 

5. When you flip the bag right side out, those triangles formed the squared base of the bag.

6. To make handles, sew strips of complimentary fabric into a tube, and then flip right side out. These can be any width you like, but keep in mind if you can't fit your finger inside, you will have a very difficult time flipping them right side out. 

7. Put your lining bag inside your outer bag. Fold the rough top edges inside, place your handles, and pin together to hold everything in place which you sew this top seam.

8. Once you've trimmed any long threads, you are now ready to fill your bag with gifts! Want reusable tissue too? Use complimentary fabric squares.

Not crafty, or running out of time? You can purchase reusable gift bags from many places:
From TheRubySwan on Etsy - ribbon closure means no tissue needed!
From Cohasset Party Supply on Etsy
From Appleby Lane on Amazon
From Illumen on Amazon
From The Container Store

The example bags above average $6, meaning payback after just a few uses.

Happy Holidays!

Waste Free Gift Wrap, Japanese Style

There are a number of different ways to reduce waste in gift wrapping, from as simple to reusing gift bags until they are well-worn to more elaborate methods.

Today, let's explore a traditional Japanese method of wrapping with fabric, called Furoshiki. Wikipedia states that this practice started back in the 1600s as an early equivalent of the gym bag: bathers at the public baths would wrap their clothes to distinguish them from other bather's belongings. It has since extended to wrapping bento boxes and then as gift wrap. The practice declined with the emergence of plastic bags, but is on the rise again with environmentalism.

The different wrapping techniques are varied in how elaborate they are and how much skill is needed. Being brand new to this practice, I needed some help and used this basic YouTube tutorial. There are hundreds of videos and how-to guides out there for different techniques.

You have a lot of options for fabric choice: from a square of festive holiday fabric that is specifically for wrapping, or a fabric item that is part of the gift itself, like a scarf. For my friend Allison, who is a fan of biking, I found this cute tea towel, that doubles as part of the gift.

Start with your fabric and whatever needs to be wrapped.

Center the book in the middle of the fabric, on a diagonal.

Roll two of the sides around the book, like you're rolling up a burrito.

Take the two remaining corners, pull them to the center, and tie a knot. Voilá! Cute little bundle with "bow". 

Result: no disposable wrapping materials needed for a festive birthday gift.