Gifts

Christmas tree and sparkling decorations, cookies and milk, gift boxes and stocking-stuffers are all part of the holiday seasons. However, most of the gift boxes, wrapping, and even decorations end up in the garbage day after the big celebration. This year make your holidays greener by incorporating these fresh ideas in your gift wrapping.

Be creative by using recycled and recyclable wrapping available at your house. For smaller gifts use brown lunch bags decorated with natural elements like pine cones and pine brunches. You can use figure-scissors to add a little twist to your gift-wrapping.

If you want to be more creative paint bamboo-skewers and uses them as fastening for the packages. Make sure to use non-toxic environmentally friendly dyes. Simply create a pattern with the hole-puncher and “weave in” the skewer. It could be a nice way to get your children to help you.

Here is another great way to involve your children in gift-wrapping. Use plain brown paper to wrap the boxes and decorate it with children’s seasonal drawings and appliqués. Or you can release your inner child and cut out the designes yourslef. For the template of the mitten visit the Craft section.

If opting for a traditional printed paper make sure to use the recyclable kind that is painted with non-toxic natural dyes. Try using strings and bows made out of natural materials such as hemp and cotton.

Another great way to reuse this season is making gift tags from old Christmas and New Year holiday cards. Make a template (available at our Craft section) and cut the tags out of cards. If using signed side of the card glue two tags together.

I hope that these simple fresh ideas not only help you to make your holidays greener but also show that green holidays can be beautiful.

Text: Anya Sokolovskaya
Photography: Eric Gloutnay