16 Simple Sustainable Ways to Wrap Your Gifts
Susty baddies around the world have already thought up a million alternatives for wrapping your gifts, so we decided to put them all in one place. Below, you will find our ultimate guide to all things susty gift wrapping.
A Gift in a Gift!
One of our favorite ways to wrap is by including an additional gift item that can be used for wrapping. Many of our favorite susty brands and designers are selling great accessories that can be easily used to not only be your gift but to wrap your gift too!
1. Baggu’s Baby bags are perfect for use as a gift bag, and they can be easily tied at the top for a bow effect. Although seemingly small, you can fit quite a bit of gifting goodness into these reusable bags. We also love their reusable cloths (made of leftover recycled textiles) to tie around a box or make a DIY gift sack. Another hack is to stuff small gifts in Baggu tote pouches. Your giftee will be so excited about their new Baggu products that they might even forget to look inside!
2. Silk Scarves from Oima are naturally dyed silk scarves made by hand by Marilyn Sanchez, an artist based in New Jersey. These scarves make for an ideal gift /gift wrap combination, and can be repurposed into wall decor, hair accessories, tied on a bag, or repurposed as gift wrapping for someone else! (And that's on circularity!)
3. Lush Knot Wraps are another accessory that makes for a great wrap alternative. Based on the Japanese tradition of Furoshiki, these knot wraps are intended to be tied around small boxes and gifts. Many of the Lush gift sets already come wrapped in these susty alternatives. They are made from recycled plastic or organic cotton and can be reused or turned into accessories too!
Stock up on materials
Credit: That Curly Top
We encounter wrapping-like material all the time in our day to day. It might take a little bit of creativity, but you can mix and match these materials to make some one-of-a-kind wrapping creations.
Consider:
4. Fabric Scraps - for using the leftovers from that t-shirt you just cropped!
5. Tissue Paper and Packaging - Are you still hoarding that fancy tissue paper that wrapped your recent skincare splurge?
6. Newspaper and Magazines - Whether you pay for your morning paper or just have a lot of old Vogues lying around, your recycled paper materials make great wrapping or stuffing.
7. Leftover boxes - We love collecting boxes (even if our roommates and partners hate it). All those packages you get in the mail will come in handy as vessels for this year's gifts!
Eco-Friendly Wrapping Brands
Maybe you are just not the DIY type, and that’s ok! Fortunately, some pretty fantastic susty brands saw the need for alternatives to wrapping paper and made their own. Check out some of our favorite small businesses and artists who decided to take susty wrapping into their own hands:
Credit: Wrappr
8. Wrappr Japenese-Inspired Reusable Fabric Wraps, inspired by the culture of Furoshiki gift wrap, are a susty alternative similar to our gift-within-a-gift section. These wraps from Wrappr make for a great sustainable option for gift wrapping, and can be a gift all on their own!
Credit: Rani Ban
9. Rani Ban Reversible Eco-Friendly Wrapping Paper is designed and made by small business owner and artist Rani Ban. Made to be reversible, recycled, and recyclable, this wrapping paper is not only a better paper for the environment, but it showcases Rani’s original artwork, making it a unique accessory for your giftee too.
Vintage and Thrifted
Credit: FoundToBeLovedAgain on Etsy
10. Thrifted Tins
There are so many fun and unique secondhand tins and boxes at thrift stores, both in person and online. Reusing a gift box that has already been passed down is a very susty option, and you can often find some pretty sweet, unique packages.
Credit: Goodwill Finds
11. Jars
Whether or not you have your own collection of old jars, thrift stores are constantly brimming with leftover jars. Jars are the perfect container for a cute foodie treat, a pair of socks, and any other small gifts that can be tucked safely inside!
DIY & Crafty
Once your wrapping paper is secured, adding a little glitz and glam is easily done with the help of our favorite sustainable wrapping crafts.
12. DIY Bows From Recycled Paper
All that extra paper from your collaging collection can finally be used for something immediate. Cut and paste strips of whatever paper you have around and create these colorful bows to adorn your already susty gift wrapping work!
Credit: Sustainable in the Suburbs
13. DIY Gift Tags
You can make gift tags with leftover paper or recycled cardboard from your leftover shipping boxes. String them onto your gifts with leftover fabric scraps or hemp string, which is a more sustainable option than plastic ribbons.
Spice up your wrapped gifts by adorning them with small winter plant arrangements. We love tying on clipped pine fronds and small strings of cranberries or dried orange slices to add color and character to our presents.
We hope these ideas help you have your most zero-waste season yet. And if it still feels overwhelming, remember that you can always opt for going simple, like leaving gifts in boxes they came in, wrapping them in old reusable bags you don’t use, or fabric scraps that you still have lying around. Sometimes the best susty option for you is the simplest and most accessible. What matters most is the thought behind our gifting and giving!