Dec 24, 2018

10 How To Gift Greener

This happy season, besides planning for your long vacation, we are gifting our families, friends, love ones, and may have a gift exchange at your work or study place, aren't you?

Always, the problem is the wrapping paper.

No, not how to choose or wrap, but the wraps are waste and fill up the garbage.

We use it for just overnight, if not a few hours, then it goes torn off and thrown away.

The paper from trees giving us shade and oxygen, forests providing rains and vegetation…

However, if we use old newspaper, it might look ugly.

Brown or recycled paper would still be waste.

So, let's come up with the new way to wrap a gift!

1. Old Magazine and Calendar

Read but don't throw them away. A simple way, beautiful and costs nothing.

The colours and images in pages can make your presents different.

You can choose the pages with good contents and graphics for that to share with others.

2. Old Parcel and Mailbox

They can give you the brown and white tones. DIY to mix the colours and patterns you like.

Create the feeling from a premium to remarkable item, depending on how you craft it.

Try using leaves, branches, or flowers to decorate can make it stand out.

3. Snack Bag

We might not be able to stop our appetite for snack, but we still can recycle its plastic.

Try flipping it inside out, and clean out the salt and oil.

Revealing the reflecting silver that look like a gorgeous wrap.

Prepare for the surprise when they find out the snack name after unboxing.

4. Old Newspaper

Wait! Did you just say it would look ugly?

Or course, if we directly use it, the best picture would be a fragile item.

We can draw and paint or let your children join you as a fun family activity.

It can be nicer if you have foreign newspaper or coloured page.

5. Hide it in a Drawer

From a tiny cosmetic box to a big document drawer, we can hide the real gift inside.

The recipient would wonder why you don't wrap the present, until they see what is inside.

6. Put it in a Mini or Tote Bag

This is very easy, but looks wonderful. The recipient can also further use it.

There are several types and designs to choose these days, always in the trend.

7. Cloth Wrap

We use the Japanese way of wrapping a present called, Furoshiki.

It is easier than you think, just make it look more attractive with a small twigs or flowers.

See this simple 3-step video from the famous Japanese organiser, Marie Kondo.

If you feel like it is still too ordinary, you can try other types of Furoshiki here.

8. Clay Flower Pot

Try something unique. Clean it first before putting your selected gift in the pot.

It should come with a bottom dish for catching water. Use it as a lid. Then, tie it elegantly.

Anyone seeing it would be amazed. They can use it to grow a plant or flower later, too.

9. Glass Jar

Snack, biscuit, jam, and other kind of jar can be used as a neat packaging.

Use a piece of white cloth as a lining inside to hide the gift inside.

Your recipients can use it later, or they might get the wrapping idea for themselves next year.

10. No Wrap

But you will invest in something else.

This idea may suit more for a family or a friend party, because we will play a treasure hunt for the presents hidden in the house. With a small clue for them, any age can have fun together.