23 replies to this topic

[MercyL]

It is that time of year again.

We will have piles of gift wrap lying around the house for days, so I go into repurposing mode.

I'll take the best wraps and make paper beads with them. I'll take the not so great wraps and use them to make cards for friends, or collage pages for my home made calendars.

If there are any really sorry wraps, I will turn them into new, homemade paper permeated with wild flower seeds. This way, I will wrap gifts during the rest of the year with paper that, when buried outside, blossoms into wild flowers.

What do you do with holiday wrapping paper?

[mariaandrea]

I save what I can to re-use for as long as it holds out. I save scraps to make collages and cards and bookmarks with. I also use the scraps to cover old shoe boxes for storing things in.

I've been meaning to make seed bombs and all the recipes I've seen call for newspaper, which I don't have on hand, but I love the idea of using wrapping paper! I think January will see me making lots of seed bombs!

BTW - love your avatar!

[Mon-Jes]

MercyL, not to hijack the thread, but how do you make seed paper? That sounds cool. (I don't mean to ask for a tutorial--just the general idea. Do you shred waste paper, mix it with seeds and let it dry?)

[zararina]

I use paper bags for some gifts and those paper bags could still be use as shopping bags or bag to carry their everyday item like umbrellas. And for some other gifts I use paper gift wrappers. I do not buy cards anymore and would just cut some from those paper wrappers and made them like cards where I could write the  name of the receiver for that certain gift.

[omkar1991]

I am not too much of an artist, but my kid brother likes to work with all sorts of stuff like this. He recently made a beautiful show piece out of scrap pages, newspapers, and gift wrap. Its almost impossible to imagine you can actually make something beautiful out of something that we ordinarily throw way. I will be sure to upload an image the next time I get home.

[karmaman]

I like to make homemade paper and use really nice scraps for art projects. I have bought wrapping paper before just because I liked the pattern and used it to decoupage a side table or a small box for a gift.

[Daisy]

I've cut pieces of wrapping paper and applied them to blank index cards as thank you notes to the person who sent the gift. The comments are always fun and surprising.   But decoupaging special wrapping papers to any item, a jar, box, table top makes a special long lasting use out of the paper. If it's a large item, like a table top, I apply ten to twelve coats of varnish sanding with 400 grit sandpaper between each coat.

[mariaandrea]

Mon-Jes, on 27 November 2011 - 08:49 PM, said:

MercyL, not to hijack the thread, but how do you make seed paper? That sounds cool. (I don't mean to ask for a tutorial--just the general idea. Do you shred waste paper, mix it with seeds and let it dry?)

Here's the site I bookmarked a while back for when I get around to making seed bombs. These are really easy with clear pictures for each step. http://mademoisellec...seed-bombs.html

Daisy, on 28 November 2011 - 05:08 PM, said:

I've cut pieces of wrapping paper and applied them to blank index cards as thank you notes to the person who sent the gift. The comments are always fun and surprising.  

I love this idea. A lot. In fact, I think I'm going to use this idea for making postcards. I've made postcards in the past, but not like this. I like sending postcards to people. It's fast, easy, cheaper than a letter, and still lets people know you're thinking of them. It's shocking how many people LOVE getting letters in the snail mail in this e-age.

[Belligerent]

The seed bombs are such a great and cute idea! I was just going to use normal newspaper, but that sounds like a much better idea and so much fun! Thanks for the idea. :)

[magickat]

We always try to unwrap gifts very carefully so the paper can be reused again where possible - this also saves money! I will try to use some in decoupage projects and usually recycle the rest.

If you are buying paper do not get the foil or plastic based types as these cannot be recycled, so just normal paper is best.

[GreenQueen]

i always assist with wrapping gifts and let other assist me. Though we are older
doesnt mean that the simple skill of gift wrapping is there. We mess up a whole lot.
So what I do is cut them up in small pieces and put them in a baggy for later.

What we do: I find some blank cards and a glue stick. I let them glue the front of the cards
and then sprinkle the small pieces on top. I then allow then to make cards for santa, their class,
or even to their dad.

Its a great activity to do with your kids.

[Green Thumb]

What I do is cover small carton boxes with used gift wrappers. It makes for an artistic mini storage. I also have cut-outs from tags to be used as added design.

[GreenQueen]

magickat, on 02 December 2011 - 12:38 AM, said:

We always try to unwrap gifts very carefully so the paper can be reused again where possible - this also saves money! I will try to use some in decoupage projects and usually recycle the rest.

If you are buying paper do not get the foil or plastic based types as these cannot be recycled, so just normal paper is best.

That is funny. Does it ever ruin the excitement  for the kids. I know my family like to just get right to the gift. I don't even think they realize the gift wrapping. How do I get them to slow down?

[magickat]

GreenQueen, on 11 December 2011 - 07:08 AM, said:

That is funny. Does it ever ruin the excitement  for the kids. I know my family like to just get right to the gift. I don't even think they realize the gift wrapping. How do I get them to slow down?

No, the kids are pretty into it, especially if they really like the design on the paper. It has always been tradition in our house for everyone to open one gift at a time - that way it makes the whole thing last a lot longer but also you get to see what everyone else has received and it gives mums a chance to make  note of who gave what for when the kids come to write their thank you letters.

[mariaandrea]

magickat, on 11 December 2011 - 12:33 PM, said:

No, the kids are pretty into it, especially if they really like the design on the paper. It has always been tradition in our house for everyone to open one gift at a time - that way it makes the whole thing last a lot longer but also you get to see what everyone else has received and it gives mums a chance to make  note of who gave what for when the kids come to write their thank you letters.

We do the exact same thing. We can draw out the gift opening for hours on Christmas morning! And, we think it's more fun. Since my kids grew up with it that way, they're determined to do the same thing with their kids.

This year, however, we're going gift wrap free. I got a huge bag of fabric scraps and pieces for free from freecycle. org and we're going to cover all the old boxes I've saved over the years with fabric scraps. They'll eventually make their way into quilts and pillow covers.

[jasserEnv]

In my home the few gifts that we do exchange are in holiday decorated fabric bags. We avoid wrapping paper altogether. Often times you see that it is coming from China so the sustainability of such paper is in serious question. Although we don't see much new in the way of wrapping paper every year, we also don't contribute to deforestation. Of all the things to get rid of the in the holiday season, it is one of the easiest. You can buy the fabric bags made my many senior's groups for their charitable activities.

[GreenQueen]

magickat, on 11 December 2011 - 12:33 PM, said:

No, the kids are pretty into it, especially if they really like the design on the paper. It has always been tradition in our house for everyone to open one gift at a time - that way it makes the whole thing last a lot longer but also you get to see what everyone else has received and it gives mums a chance to make  note of who gave what for when the kids come to write their thank you letters.

I guess that is definitely something to try this year. I don't know how I am going to slow them down though.

[Wallie0912]

mariaandrea, on 11 December 2011 - 03:33 PM, said:

I got a huge bag of fabric scraps and pieces for free from freecycle. org and we're going to cover all the old boxes I've saved over the years with fabric scraps. They'll eventually make their way into quilts and pillow covers.

That's a great idea!

Now I just have to find someplace stable to put my sewing machine . . . .

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Wrap a gift in a gift is always nice too.
A scarf for a lady, or a cuddly blanket.

T-shirts for guys, or fold socks around a gift for a kid.

[GreenQueen]

I want to try some of these things that you guys mentioned but I don't know how to get the kids into it. They are not all for the going green. The don't understand what it really mean.