Wrap It Green: Alternative Gift Wrapping Ideas

Enlarge Image Image Gallery A flurry of activity on a December afternoon yeilds a stack of lovely and unique packages. Photo By Povy Kendal Atchison

In the midst of all the hubbub, it’s easy to forget that the holidays are meant to be a time for connecting with others and that gifts are a happy token of kinship with those we love. This year, turn what’s usually a harried, solitary to-do into a fun excuse to get together with friends by throwing a wrap party. A little food, some holiday music, and lots of great ideas for eco-conscious wrapping make for a creative, festive, and productive afternoon.

We gathered seven creative, environmentally aware friends and asked each to bring a half-dozen gifts that needed wrapping. We prepared a light, healthy selection of sandwiches (wraps, of course!), fruit, and bite-size cookies to nibble. The real smorgasbord, however, was the table laden with wrapping materials: recycled papers crumpled to resemble Florentine fabric; colorful, eclectic wallpapers cut from discarded sample books; raffia, hemp, and jute string; an intriguing pastiche of baubles and tags; and rubber stamps, stickers, and colorful pens to put a personal stamp on the packages.

After a couple of hours—and a heaping helping of enjoyable chatter —everyone had an armload of stunning, unique packages to share with others.

Crushed Paper 

Transform paper that looks unfashionably utilitarian into something that has a handmade texture resembling crushed silk. Paper that would otherwise be too stiff to use as wrapping can be crumpled and crushed to make a soft paper that wraps beautifully and defies its roots. The secret is to first ball up the paper, then unroll it, then crumple it repeatedly until it crushes easily into a small ball. Unroll it, smooth it out, and it’s ready to wrap.

What to recycle (and re-create!): 

• newspaper or newsprint
• brown paper bags
• kraft paper
• manila envelopes
• wallpaper scraps
• white bond paper
• old sheet music
• maps
• last year’s wrapping paper

Recycled Wallpaper 

Wallpaper comes in a dizzying array of colors, patterns, and materials. Many share the same palette and are designed to look beautiful together; they’re made to mix and match, so they’re ideal for decorating packages. For instance, use a wide swath of a floral wallpaper to wrap the package, cut a thin band of a stripe to make a color-coordinated ribbon, and cut out a paisley or a medallion to decorate the tag. And because wallpaper patterns change with each new season, wallpaper sample books are often free for the taking. Look for books full of more “papery” wallpaper; vinylcoated wallcoverings are too thick and stiff for wrapping presents.