Save Money on Gift Wrap by Recycling!
Submitted by
Elizabeth
You've found the perfect present to give—now how do you wrap the gift?
We've all tried saving old boxes and recycling them. It may be eco-friendly and economical, but it wastes so much space! Unless you live in a palace, you probably don't have the closets to store them all. (And if you do, we're jealous!) With these creative and eco-friendly gift-wrapping solutions, you'll never have to use a boring old box again.
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Wrap infant clothes in a receiving blanket and roll the blanket into a stout cylinder that you can hold together with a ribbon. New parents need extra blankets almost as much as they need a good night's sleep.
- Instead of using wrapping paper, put irregularly shaped items in an old pillowcase tied with a pretty ribbon. (Just make sure it's clean first!) If you need extra support, put a piece of sturdy recyclable cardboard underneath.
- Wrap small gifts for kids in a lunch box. Even if the child doesn't take lunch to school, he or she can use it to collect and store toys or art supplies.
- Many craft stores sell inexpensive wooden boxes or pretty decorative canisters that the gift recipient can recycle for use afterward as a pencil case or desk organizer.
- If the giftee is a gourmet, place a culinary-themed gift inside containers like new dry goods jars, large mixing bowls, or deep cake pans.
- Don't forget about gift cards! For children, punch a hole in the envelope and tie the gift card to the neck of a stuffed animal. Put the card inside a book—if you find a weird old book to throw the recipient off track, that's even better! Or try putting a gift card under the glass of a picture frame.
- If you're giving a jewelry gift, spring for a travel jewelry roll or a small travel jewelry box, which will always come in handy later.
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