5 routes to eco-friendly wrapping this Christmas
However you celebrate it, we can't help but get excited when Christmas comes around.
It’s a time for family, friends, good food and, often, the joy of gift giving... but with this usually comes a lot of wrapping paper - and something we might not always consider is the impact of the waste wrapping paper we use, not to mention the plastic bows and non-recyclable tape.
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For some people, the Christmas hustle and bustle can be stressful, without the added concern of purchasing enough eco-friendly wrapping alongside them, and where do you even start?
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So, to make your life easy, we’ve gathered some recommendations for easily accessible environmentally-friendly wrapping.
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(Image credit: ethicalunicorn)
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1. PARCEL PAPER
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Give your presents a cool and creative look by using newspaper. Every day, across the world millions of newspapers are thrown away, often these are recycled, but it is still much better to give the paper another job to do beforehand.
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Another alternative that is readily available and fairly inexpensive is brown paper. Presents look gorgeous with brown paper and a big coloured ribbon under the tree. We also suggest that you could paint images or use stencils and stamps to create patterns across the wrapping. Using stamps are a much more eco-friendly option to stickers, are better value for money, as well as being super fun to create with!
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2. WINTER WILDLIFE
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It's time to forage! Find your local forest or park and have a look at the leaves on the trees. There are naturally occurring decorations everywhere, you just have to look! Some popular choices include pine needles, which you can get by simply plucking a few from your Christmas tree. Ivy, holly, and any other leaves you like the look of. Tying pine cones to the paper also looks super Christmassy! If you're feeling super creative, you could even paint some of your leaves or use some biodegradable glitter. You can also forage to make Christmas decorations such as wreaths.
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3. FABULOUS FABRIC
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Ever heard of fabric wrapping paper? Yes you heard us right, and how gorgeous do they look! You can get yours from companies online such as Planet Wrap It (https://www.planetwrapit.com/collections/all-gift-wrap), or The Fabric Wrapping Co (https://fabricwrappingco.com/collections/all).
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(image credit: fabricwrappingco)
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4. CRAFTY CREATIONS
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Want a completely free alternative to the above idea? Go search for old t-shirts or other items of clothing you no longer wish to keep and cut them to the correct size to fit your present. You could sew them to the correct shape or simply use the fabric like you could wrapping paper and use string to hold it all together, fold and tuck in any lose ends. Your receiver could then recycle the fabric by doing the same for future presents, or use the fabric as rags for cleaning. If your receiver isn't an eco king or queen, it may be worth mentioning these ideas to them to inspire them. Check out tinyboxcompany.co.uk for eco friendly string, tags and more.
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(image credit: planetwrapit)
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5. SCRAPPING THE SELLOTAPE
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Sellotape is a common choice, but it is completely un-recyclable. Re-usable ribbons or natural string are fantastic alternatives. String also gives the wrapping a beautiful organic look to your presents, and looks lovely paired with various leaves and black and white newspaper. If you have a fiddly present to wrap, or you do want to use tape on paper wrapping, there are biodegradable tapes on offer, that won’t contaminate the recycling process and reduce plastic use too. Check out places such as www.eco-craft.co.uk to get yours.
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Do you have any other ideas for making your present wrapping more sustainable? If so, we’d love to hear from you - please reach out to us with your ideas and any pictures of your own eco-friendly wrapping at marketing@dvrequestrian.com.
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Wishing you all a lovely Christmas!
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Written by Rosa
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