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Many Ways to Make Your Own Gift Wraps. Simple. Green.

For any occasion!

DIY Eco friendly Gift Wraps and Bows

The 4 R's of Gift Wrapping:
Gift Wrap Alternatives

Here are some inventive and unique ideas for either creating your own wrapping papers or using materials you have on hand to decorate presents ands wrap gifts in new ways

  • Use fabric and fabric scraps as you would paper
  • Wrap a gift in a poster or full-page magazine photo
  • Wallpaper makes a unique and sturdy gift wrap
  • Use old sheet music or old calendar pages as wrapping paper
  • Use kids' drawings or coloring book pages to wrap smaller gifts
  • Wrap gifts for family in your kids schoolwork... particularly those A's!
  • Scarves, tea towels, napkins, or handkerchiefs also make wonderful fabric wraps. The wrap becomes a gift, too! 
  • If you are giving an antique or vintage gift-use a vintage box towel or scarf to wrap it!
  • Reuse paper from last year
  • Use colorful but outdated maps as wrapping paper
  • Newspaper is great for larger gifts and comic pages are colorful!
  • Use handmade papers made from paper scraps-see: Make Your Own Paper Instructions
  • Plain brown paper becomes an excellent base for any number of homemade paper techniques
  • Plain white paper on rolls (butcher's wrap works well) can become a great base for decorative techniques
  • Use coffee cans, oatmeal boxes, kleenex boxes, chinese food containers, tin cans or cereal boxes covered creatively
  • Make boxes from cereal and food boxes turned inside out
  • Use store shopping bags and add drawings or decorating
  • Use your practice paintings as wrap!  Particularly calligraphy, handwriting or watercolor looks nice
  • Cut out colorful magazine pictures and glue them on plain papers with craft glue, or make cutouts and glue them on
  • Stamp plain paper with colored ink or scribble and draw with paint pens 
  • Decorate with used holiday stamps and greeting cards


Bow Alternatives:

  • Instead of bows decorate with natural items such as pine cones and pine sprigs or ther natural objects
  • Instead of trimmings use buttons and beads
  • Use an ornament or toy instead of a bow
  • Fold an origami object instead of a bow--such as an origami star
  • Make your own name gift tags with old cards or scraps of wrap
  • Instead of ribbon use gift wrap scraps to make a bow

Have fun! Be creative

Make recycle bows for your box!

DIY Green Ribbons and Bows

A great way to recycle gift materials and make attractive and fun bows. A different twist on gifwrapping that's greener...Free download and printable instructions.

make your own ribbon bow

One Green Idea !

Make a Wrap recycle Box. A great way to recycle Gift Wrap during the holidays or at a birthday party - and it's festive, too!

Make a Giftwrap Recycle Box

 
 
 

Check out Planetpals Green Journals. Guide to any holiday complete with eco friendly Ideas, tips, crafts, fun healthy foods, more!

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