December 11, 2011 -

This time of year, "news" includes helping you get your holiday needs under control! This article is more tip than news but we are getting a lot of questions surrounding gift wrap and what is the best green gift wrap. It seems we are all just about overwhelmed these days trying to find the perfect gift for our loved ones. More than ever consumers understand the importance of thoughtful gifting and making eco-friendly decisions when gifting as well. Once you get the perfect eco-minded gifts, you’ll need to complete the gift presentation with eco-friendly gift wrap no doubt. This article is all about green gift wrap ideas and tips for finding and making eco-friendly wrapping paper. Hey, its as easy recycling and using recycled materials in most cases. What’s more, use these gift wrap ideas year around!

While the majority of American living rooms will be chock full of gifts that use not so eco-friendly gift wrap on the 25^th, we are very hopeful that many consumers will turn to eco-friendly gift wrapping products. There really is no need for a sea of crumpled paper and tossed-aside bows anymore. You can still present gifts using much less paper waste folks. The EPA states that wrapping paper from holiday gifts accounts for about 25% increase in curbside trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.  Burning these paper products in the fireplace is even harmful to the environment folks (all those chemicals from foiled gift wrap and such carry toxins).

Keep the glitz

If you still want the shiny foil look to your gift wrap recycled aluminum foil adds shiny happiness and closes the loop on recycling. It looks amazing when you use your imagination. Even add some raffia or hemp twine to these gifts. Many eco-friendly paper products sellers carry organic yarns that even make really cool looking bows. You can even use recycled aluminum foils as a bow for a present wrapped in recycled paper products. That’s green gifting!

Reuse

Reusable gift bags are a great way to save money and the environment. We all have aq family member that saves every bow for next year, but have you considered the impact this same concept would have if we saved newly purchased eco-friendly gift wrap? This is a win, win situation for sure! Reusable shopping bags are a clever alternative to gift wrap. You know all those bags you see at the cash register that they sell for a buck. Just make sure you are buying bags that are made eco-friendly in the first place.

If you are at all a crafty person, sew your own bags from recycled materials. Drawstring style is the best as it can prevent “peeking” and saves you from buying tissue.

Use old magazines and maps to make paper

Using cartoons as gift wrap ideas has been done for many, many years. But what about that map you saved from your summer vacation? How cool would it be to give a gift that reflects on the year  you spent, or the vacation you took, or a cool subject your giftee enjoyed that was covered in a magazine. I just wrapped a gift in Occupy Wall Street articles. When you use your imagination and create eco-friendly wrapping paper from meaningful memories your gift is that much more thoughtful.

Creative toppers

Try ditching the typical bow and opt for adding a useful household product to the top of your gifts. One friend I know uses compact florescent light bulbs as bows. I found these really cool little eco-friendly fire starter sticks that I will be adding as bows to gifts I give to friends and family with fireplaces this year.

Gift wrap that “makes” the gift and is part of the gift

Staying on the on the creativity theme we have mentioned so far, consider just how well the gift will be perceived when it looks amazing to begin with. Yeah, we are all on a budget. Try ramping up the gift by creating a presentation that will upstage the actual small gift inside. Even using recycled products to come up with green gift wrap ideas is not expensive at all. Make the wrap the gift. Save money and show a big heart, usefulness and thoughtfulness. Containers make great “no gift wrap needed” packages. A reusable food container, bucket or watering can is easy to fill with food products and gardening supplies and other gifts. Use scarves to wrap a gift. Why not wrap a beach or product in a beach towel? You get it. Try sticking to a theme that will tantalize the giftee with a little hint as to what's inside.

Ready made green gift wrap ideas

If you just want to buy ready made eco-friendly gift wrap products, banana fiber paper turns wasted bark from banana production into an attractive eco-friendly gift wrap option. Treeless paper, such as 100% recycled paper printed with soy-based inks is ideal.

 Author: Amy Wermuth