Ok friends, let’s talk gift wrapping! I have noticed this year especially that there is a ton of waste associated with gift wrapping. Now don’t get me wrong, I am in no way 100% eco-friendly or waste-free! But after having several baby showers in the span of a couple of months, it really hit me just how much waste is happening when opening gifts!

After doing some research, I found that there a bunch of fun ways to help reduce the waste involved with gift-giving so I thought I would share my findings with you today! When trying to cut back on waste try to think of things that are reusable, vintage, natural, and recyclable!

Wrapping Alternatives

• Newspaper
• Paper grocery bags
• Fabric
• Mason Jars
• Blankets
• Scarfs
• Dishcloths
• Old shirts
• Shoebox

What I love about these options is that you probably have at least a few of these things around your house already! So not only can most of these be reused by the gift recipient but it saves you money!

Ties Alternatives

• Twine
• Hemp
• Leather cord
• Strips of scrap fabric
• Metal wire
• Vines
• Bow ties

We have all probably done a craft with at least one of these and bought way too much. I know I have and its just not gonna be enough for the next project so might as well use it to wrap my gifts!

Embellishment Alterniatives

• Real plants
• Vintage jewelry
• An old Christmas card
• Cinnamon sticks
• Leaves
• Pinecones
• Twigs
• Winterberries
• Broaches
• Dried Fruit
• Fresh herbs

Ok, I think my favorite from this list is the cinnamon sticks, fresh herbs, or the fried fruit! How dreamy would that be to receive a gift that smells delicious!

Get Creative!

Now that you have the ideas for materials, it’s time to get those creative juices flowing! Have fun with it and I guarantee all your gift recipients will feel so special from the extra effort you put in!

Have you ever had to get creative, maybe just because you had to wrap something last minute? What materials did you end up using?