JANE KOOPMAN ART AND JEWELRY

Messy Rest

ideas and observations about everyday wonders
from a girl who has never been able to keep her room clean
Blog Home
  • Home
  • About
  • Gallery
    • Maps
    • Domestic Materials
    • Art Cards
    • Jewelry >
      • Necklaces
      • Earrings
      • Bracelets
  • Sales
  • Start a Jane Jar
  • Contact
  • Blog

2/7/2013

Economical and Eco-Friendly Gift Wrap

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Valentine's Day is next week, and people who are much nicer and more romantic than I am will give gifts to their significant others. So this is as good a time as any to talk gift wrap.

I'm ambivalent about wrapping paper, gift bags and other gift wrapping stuff. It's so nice and spirit-lifting to get a package beautifully and thoughtfully wrapped. The moment ends, however, as soon as you tear apart the wrapping paper or yank the tufts of tissue paper out of the gift bag. All too often, the lovely packaging ends up in the garbage. Some conscientious gift-receivers carefully unwrap their presents, being extra careful to pull the tape off without tearing the paper, and then neatly fold it for another use. But let's face it: lots of people don't.

I have a few gift wrap ideas that are cost-effective and perhaps more eco-friendly.
eco friendly gift wrap
  • The newsprint used by stores and online merchants to protect fragile items can make nice wrapping paper if you give it a little imagination. You can go the old school Sound of Music "paper packages tied up with string" route by wrapping your gift in this rustic paper, and tying some jute, twine, or kitchen string around it. If you're extra industrious, you could stamp some patterns onto the paper. Most of this paper is compostable (though it shouldn't be composted if you've stamped it), and all of it is recyclable.

reusable gift wrap
  • My Mom used to do this when I was a kid: wrap gifts in tea towels, dish cloths, hand towels, wash cloths, pillow cases, cloth napkins or receiving blankets, depending on the occasion and size of the gift. This works great for baby and wedding showers especially. It's pretty and useful!

reusable gift wrap
  • You can also use any sort of container as a gift receptacle: flower pots, baskets, cookie or tea tins, orange crates, vases, mason jars . . . the list is as long as your imagination can take you. Your giftee can enjoy your present and make good use of the container it came in.

If none of the above mentioned ideas strike your fancy, you could try any of these: reusable shopping bags, tote bags, newspaper or comics pages (recyclable), teacups, mugs or photo boxes. There are lots of ways to make your presents look pretty without spending much money or creating much waste.

Share

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

Details

    Jane Hogeterp Koopman

    Picture

    Subscribe to  Jane's Blog by RSS or email:

    RSS Feed

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Categories

    All
    Gardening
    Happy At Home
    Inspiration
    Making Art
    Making Food
    Remaking/Upcycling
    Ten Thousand Villages Artisans

    Archives

    January 2018
    December 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    January 2016
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Stuff I love:

    • All Sorts Gallery
    • Burlington Centre for the Arts   
    • Love2Upcycle blog
    • Mixed Media Art Store
    • The Mustard Seed Co-op
    • Ottawa Street Farmers Market
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About
  • Gallery
    • Maps
    • Domestic Materials
    • Art Cards
    • Jewelry >
      • Necklaces
      • Earrings
      • Bracelets
  • Sales
  • Start a Jane Jar
  • Contact
  • Blog