design finch

December is here and Santa’s elves are working around the clock to get all the toys ready for the good girls and boys by Christmas Eve. I would love nothing more than to be the elf in Santa’s workshop who gets to wrap presents! It’s my dream job, actually. I’ve mentioned before (here and here) that I’m more than a little obsessed with beautiful gift wrapping. Although, I have to admit that this year I’m reconsidering the way I’ve traditionally wrapped presents.

I read a startling statistic from Earth 911 that said Americans generate 5 million more pounds of waste during the holiday season and that shopping bags and wrapping paper account for 4 million pounds of that extra trash. Whoa! (I’m afraid that I may be personally responsible for approximately 2 million pounds of that garbage alone.) Another statistic from Green Living Ideas states that 50% of the paper consumed in the U.S. every year is used to wrap and decorate consumer products.

Something has got to change! And that “something” begins with each one of us (finger pointed at myself!).

Clockwise from top left: Vintage Sewing Patterns, Paper Grocery Bags,
Old Maps, Paint Swatches, Sheet Music

Fortunately, there are so many beautiful and eco-friendly alternatives to wrapping paper that gift recipients won’t even notice the difference! Start by looking around the house for paper products that would otherwise by thrown out – things like newspaper, magazines, calendar pages, shopping bags, children’s artwork, envelope liners and even junk mail.

Clockwise from top left: Calendar Pages, Magazine Pages, Newspaper,
Architectural Blueprints, Children’s Artwork

Fabric is another eco-friendly way to wrap gifts because its reusable and multipurpose. In Japan, its customary to wrap gifts in a cloth carrier using a technique called furoshiki, which is similar to origami. Consider tucking gifts inside useful things like a tea towel, scarf, baby blanket, t-shirt, beach towel or table cloth where the wrapping itself becomes part of the gift. This option is especially useful when traveling through airports during the holidays since presents can be unwrapped by security and reassembled relatively easily once you reach your destination.

Clockwise from top left: Knee Socks, Tea Towel, Scarf,
Vintage Linens, Thrifted Sweater

Think about ways to incorporate the recipient’s hobbies into packaging their gift. For example, tuck gifts for a gardner inside a watering can or flower pot. The gourmet chefs in your life might appreciate receiving a present presented in a mixing bowl, stock pot or oven mitt. A fashionista can easily reuse a hat box or tote bag while the handyman would love getting a gift hidden inside a tool belt or a gallon bucket. Get creative with those “gift bags”!

Clockwise from top left: Oven Mitt, Terra-Cotta Pot, Paint Can,
Bowls and Mugs, Measuring Cup

If, like me, you’re feeling convicted to take a more environmentally friendly approach to wrapping presents this year (or should your wrapping paper roll simply come to an end before the gift wrapping does), be resourceful and look around the house for other alternatives to packaging presents. You could even challenge your family to a gift wrapping competition and see who can come up with the most inventive wrapping using repurposed materials. Then, before the present-opening commences, take a vote of the most clever package (and email me a photo!).

If you have other ideas for greening up the holidays, I’d love to hear about ’em in the comments!

P.S. – Does Santa wrap presents at your house? Hubs and I have an ongoing debate on this issue. When I was a kid, Santa brought our gifts in “special” wrapping paper that was different from all the other presents under the tree. However, at Jason’s house Santa gifts were left unwrapped by the fireplace. Clearly there are some key discrepancies here which Santa’s elves need to resolve.