15 Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping Ideas To Make Your Holidays Jolly
Chloe Williams serves as B+C’s Entertainment Editor and resident Taylor Swift expert. Whether she’s writing a movie review or interviewing the stars of the latest hit show, Chloe loves exploring why stories inspire us. You can see her work published in BuzzFeed, Coastal Review, and North Beach Sun. When she’s not writing, Chloe’s probably watching a Marvel movie with a cherry coke or texting her sister about the latest celebrity news. Say hi at @thechloewilliams on Insta and @popculturechlo on Twitter!
We know that the holiday season can lead to a lot of waste, and that's why we're big fans of eco-friendly gift wrapping. Landfills hold about 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper, according to Earth911, so we rounded up some ideas — from sustainable gift wrap to unique ways to eliminate wrapping paper altogether — to make your holiday season a bit more eco-friendly.
Central 23 Wrapping Paper Sheets ($13)
Have you ever spent time carefully wrapping a present only to realize one of the corners of the gift broke through the paper? We sure have. Not only are these sheets thick enough not to rip, they're made with sustainable paper and vegan ink.
Upgrade Your Brown Paper Bag
By the time the holiday season begins, we've collected tons of paper shopping bags and the brown paper that comes inside packages. Collect all those sheets you'll probably never use and give your gifts an old-school look.
Recycled Paper Star Kraft Wrapping Paper ($4)
This glamorous design is great for all kinds of holiday parties. Made from 95% recycled paper, these sheets are also Forest Stewardship Council® Certified.
Hallmark Sustainable Christmas Wrapping Paper ($15)
These high-quality sheets can be recycled, thanks to the limited ink coverage. Rudolph would definitely approve of the fact that they're made from trees in well-managed forests.
DIY Wrapping Paper
There's a good chance you have some art or scrapbooking paper around, so try making your own wrapping paper! You can use paint pens or sharpies to create designs that are as personal as your gift.
BDG Wide Wale Corduroy Tote Bag ($29)
If you're all out of gift wrap, consider making the bag part of the present. Pick up a tote that you know they'll love instead of a paper bag.
Turn Your Holiday Cards Into Gift Wrap
If you have as many holiday cards lying around as we do, turn them into part of your gift wrapping! Grab some plain paper to wrap your present and cut the cards into geometric shapes until you find a design you like.
Tea Towels as Gift Wrap
If your gifts is for a foodie, wrap it in a tea towel. Everyone can always use another one of those!
Recycled Christmas Plastic Free Wrapping Paper ($5)
This wrap features 100% recycled paper and earth-friendly inks for a finished product that will make Mother Nature smile.
Plant Life Stone Wrapping Paper ($10)
We didn't know you could make wrapping paper from stones, but we're totally here for it. It's eco-friendly, water-resistant, and reusable.
American Greetings Reversible Christmas Wrapping Paper ($17)
We love that this paper is reversible, because that means you can get double the use out of a single roll and you can change up your patterns!
Wrappily Warhol Santa & Soup Cans Eco Gift Wrap ($11)
Made with premium-grade newsprint and soy-based inks, these gift wraps (which are also 100% recyclable and compostable, FYI) make the perfect addition to your Christmas shopping list.
Change Up Your Gifts
To completely nix the wrapping paper, give a gift that isn't physical! Gift an experience, like tickets to a show, or a gift card to their favorite local business.
Christmas Tree Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping ($6+)
FabWrap is a great alternative to wrapping paper because it's cut from cotton fabric and stamped by hand. Not only is it better for the earth, but each sheet is unique!
Repurpose Your Wrapping Paper
There's a good chance that no matter how hard you try, you'll end up with a few pieces of wrapping paper. Never fear! Turn the paper into a garland, a mobile, party hats, and more with these fun DIYs.
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Featured photo via Wrappily.
Chloe Williams serves as B+C’s Entertainment Editor and resident Taylor Swift expert. Whether she’s writing a movie review or interviewing the stars of the latest hit show, Chloe loves exploring why stories inspire us. You can see her work published in BuzzFeed, Coastal Review, and North Beach Sun. When she’s not writing, Chloe’s probably watching a Marvel movie with a cherry coke or texting her sister about the latest celebrity news. Say hi at @thechloewilliams on Insta and @popculturechlo on Twitter!