.15+ Low Waste Gift Packaging Ideas.
Dear Friend,
Here is a cost saving, environmentally kind, and unique way to go about wrapping your gifts from now forward - stop buying any gift packaging and use what you already have at home. I have not bought gift packaging for years. This has not lessened the care, beauty, or thought in the gifts that I have given to loved ones. In fact, I think they look more unique and fantastic!
Remember the order of the phrase “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”? Ideally we want to first reduce our consumption! This means buying less! Reducing less items in general and certainly less items that cannot be reused or recycled easily is the best preventative step (reduce things like wrapping paper and some gift bags with glittery or plastic designs…not recyclable!). Of course, secondly we want to reuse the items we may already have. If you have already been gifted glittery gift bags etc., then please reuse and send that on to another person! Every time I have reused a bag or package to a close friend that has an identifiable brand, no one has minded. If anything they are happy to know I saved and reused. Lastly, hopefully the packaging you gift or receive can be recycled (or better yet- composted like certain papers).
However you wrap your gifts, include a small note to suggest reusing or how to recycle the packaging. If the recipient is not familiar with reusing or recycling, maybe this will prompt a conversation between you two!
Let’s get into all the suggestions for the most unique, environmentally kind, and cost-conscious gift packaging that you’ve ever made.
Low Waste Gift Wrap
As a quicker, easy-to-transport solution to wrapping, I think that gift bags have become more prominent and cheaper in recent years. While I admit to using them, here are some suggestions for better alternates to brand new gift bags or net-new wrapping paper:
Boxes: Of the many items bought or gifted, many come in sturdy boxes that can easily be reused. Have a gift that is an oblong shape and hard to wrap? Keep the boxes from candles, stationary, shoes, subscriptions, clothes, or trinkets to reuse. Make sure if there is a scent to the box (like a candle’s) that it compliments the new gift.
Boutique Store Bags: International trips, any vacations, or trips to small local stores usually will give you a unique plastic bag (recycle at certain grocery store drop-offs) or cute paper gift bag. Saving these and reusing will add a quaint or interesting twist to the gift wrapping. This is even a way to market brands that you love to those whom you love!
Brown Bags: Some stores give plastic bags, others like Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods send you out with paper bags. These are great for larger gifts or to store and transport many smaller gifts. If you are a spirits store fan, save those tall brown bags too! Those can certainly be used for wrapping smaller gifts (I put the gift in the bag and tie a nice ribbon to seal). Any brown bag can also be deconstructed/trimmed to wrap a package.
Containers: Glass from purchased food, mason jars, takeout containers, etc. all work well especially for food-related gifts. If you’re making the gift yourself it is easy to store in a cleaned, brand-free container such as those above. Especially with the influx of containers in restaurant take-out this year, reusing these for gifts is a fantastic way to reuse. Bonus points for including instructions to the recipient for how to properly recycle/dispose of the packaging.
Finished Fabrics: Scarves, tablecloths, towels, a finished/sewn item that can be part of the gift! The Japanese tradition of Furoshiki is important to acknowledge and understand before practicing this in an honoring way. Please look up Furoshiki for the history of it and diagrams to reference wrapping techniques.
Fabric Scraps: Spare fabric from home items or a local textile store can be a great way to use the scraps from a previous craft project. I have found many small fabrics at a local shop. There are also the bigger chain craft stores to consider, though I’m not sure if they sell scraps at discount.
Gift Bags: Gift bags from others are great to store until you can reuse as a gift. Make sure you remove any tags that are addressed to others! Besides that, these bags should be the quickest way to wrap a gift for someone.
Packaging from shipments: Items like brown paper, bubble wrap, tissue paper, etc. all used as stuffing to safely pack a shipment can certainly be reused. I use these items to either wrap the gifts, as tissue paper in a gift bag, or as stuffing to safely pack my own shipments.
Papers (Magazines, Newspaper): If you are like me and still get a newspaper delivered daily, this gives you a lot of material to work with after the initial read (material to compost, recycle, collage, clip and mail to others). Regarding newspaper for wrapping, use the fun advertisements, interesting articles, or the comics (comics were always the wrapping paper of choice for the kid’s birthdays in my family). Magazine size is more limiting and harder to fold/manage, but same concept applies for small gifts: pick the relatable advertisements, the pretty designs, and cool covers to wrap gifts.
Reusable Bags: I’ve gotten cotton bags from promotional events, conferences, other gifts, and other places I cannot remember! One year a friend gave me my gifts simply wrapped in a reusable canvas bag that I still reuse to this day. If you are like me with MANY reusable bags, think of which are ready for a new home. Who can use more reusable bags? There are plenty to go around that more reusable bags don’t need bought.
Low Waste Gift Décor
Again, pulling from the items already in your house, there is actually a plethora of options to snazz-up the packaging you chose from low waste wrapping options.
Drawing: With any pens, pencils, art supplies you already have at home let your creativity guide some simple art on the packaging! I’ve long since stopped buying the sticker address labels and instead write out the To and From on the packaging in a sparkly marker or pen. It adds another touch of care and less stickers.
Nature: From old dried flower bouquets I have, to picking up leaves and sprigs on a nature walk, there are quite a few ways to naturally acquire unique and lovely embellishments.
Nick-Knacks (pins, buttons, earrings): old or mismatched earrings? Spare Buttons or pins? Extra bracelets or necklaces? Decorate as tastefully or as quirky as you’d like. These can be strung on ribbon, taped, or glued to the package. Earrings or items with a stick backing can probably pierce the gift bag or box. Or, with a fabric gift wrap, just pin them to the fabric. Remind the recipient that these can be worn or reused! A great reuse for the pins or and earrings is in place of push pins on a cork board.
Ornaments: Have any extra ornaments that have lost their luster on your tree? Add those to the packaging design. Additionally, if you are gifting an ornament from a Christmas market or elsewhere that was not bought in a box, adorn it to the outside packaging of another gift.
Ribbons/Twine: I keep ribbons from gifts, clothing, and packaging. These can be tied on the outside of a box or to tie a bag shut.
The ribbon sewn inside certain clothes for easier hanging is great to reuse as tying material. I never hang my clothes using these ribbons, and they are usually a hassle (always popping out). A quick snip and subsequent tie to a small package is a great second life for that ribbon.
Stamps/Stickers: How many of you had sticker books as kids? I had quite a collection. Rather than toss them or keep them in a box forever - add them to your packaging. Add to cards, envelopes, or boxes as additional design. Same applies to stamps if you have a collection of ink and various stamp designs.
Tissue Paper: From shipping materials or past gifts, tissue papers can always be reused to add in a reused gift bag or to embellish a package. I have not gotten this fancy with tissue paper, but you can always take this material to craft flowers or other designs.
Tea, Spice Leaves: Look no farther than what is in your kitchen. One I recently thought of was whole spice leaves! Something like a dried bay leaf is perfect to seal into the package design using warm wax or a craft glue gun. Rosemary, lavender, oregano sprigs can be tied into a ribbon via their long strands. Lastly, how could I forget cinnamon sticks - a quintessential scent for the holidays.
Washi Tape: traditional roll tape, masking tape, and packaging tapes are not biodegradable, but washi tape is. If you have this around the house, use this for two purposes: taping the package shut and decorating it! Cellulose tape and other paper tapes are also biodegradable if indicated, just not as common as washi.
Wax Seals: This is a favorite addition of mine to seal cards. It can be used to seal ribbon on a box, to seal a small twig or flower, a paper note, or any little item you’d like to affix to your gift’s surface.
Low Waste Shipping
If you are like me, more of your gifts will be mailed than last year. This warrants more packaging (and support to the post office!). The best tip is to start saving the boxes and packaging from previous shipments. Besides ribbons and attachments to the exterior box (the post office does not allow that), use any of the ideas above to decorate your boxes before shipping.
Final Thoughts
As you can tell, the suggestions range from quick and easy reuse to more time-intensive creations. Which wrapping and décor ideas will you use this season and in future birthday/gift events? Are there some materials that I missed which you used? Please let our group here know in a comment below!
In Sympatheia, The Holistic Stoic
p.s. yes, I have upgraded you all from ‘Reader’ to ‘Friend’. I want to create a more inviting and loving environment here at The Holistic Stoic. And we can all use a friend.
cover photo by @processrepeat article photo by @struvictoryart
References and additional guides: Gift Wrapping Alternatives, Low Waste Christmas, Never Buy Gift Paper Again, A Guide to Zero Waste Wrapping
