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In an effort to live a more sustainable life, I decided this holiday season that I didn’t need any new wrapping paper. I still have about 5 rolls of wrapping paper downstairs that I have yet to use up. I am a graphic design junkie and love packaging so it was really hard for me to turn the other way when I was gift shopping. All those beautiful printed wrapping paper was just calling out my name! To avoid temptation, I just think of all the amount of trash my own family accumulates every Christmas and it’s enough for me to seek other ways of gift wrapping and gift giving. So, I will be sharing with you 4 ideas of how I am reducing my carbon footprint this holiday season.
Wrap your gifts in a scarf or spare fabric. I love this idea because what I remember fondly about my late Grandmother was how she would always use a scarf to pack her lunch or her clothes in. I still use scarves or spare fabric to wrap my heavy silver Hmong necklaces in. So, recently when I heard of the Art of Japanese Furoshiki, it was like a sign that I was on the right path. If you don’t know what it is, I highly recommend searching on YouTube for video tutorials. The wrapping gets to be a part of the actual gift and hopefully your gift recipients will pass on that art too!
Repurpose newspapers or kraft paper. We have a ton of newspaper lying around because we used them to wrap fragile household items when we moved this past June. Another thing you could do is use up all those rolls of wrapping paper that doesn’t really correlate to your gift by flipping it over and using the back as your print. Because we all know that kids don’t really care about how it’s packaged. They just want the gift!
Give a gift that requires no wrapping. This is easily one of my favorite gifts to gift (and to receive) because the plant itself makes a beautiful package AND houseplants also work as natural air filters. If your local greenhouses don’t have any suitable plants, then I highly suggest ordering from The Sill. I recently got a Monstera Deliciosa and it exceeded my expectations! Their website is full of great information and is also a great guide to help you order the best plant for your lifestyle. Their customer support is also top notch!
Gifting an experience instead of a physical gift. When we moved this past June, we had donated at least $300 dollars in just toys alone! My kids had way too many toys that they would play with for only a couple of hours and then never play with again. It was a poor financial and sustainability choice I made. I was shocked and embarrassed at my impulse buys and made a commitment to never do that again. So, instead of giving my kids physical objects, I decided to gift them an “experience gift” instead- like a membership to the Children’s Museum. Or tickets to a concert. Also, I asked my family members to not gift any toys for my children’s birthdays and to instead gift them their presence or money for their savings. This has worked well and my children has not once even complained that they didn’t get any toys for their birthdays since they were too busy having fun with their cousins. And that I think, is the best gift of all!
Early Risers Gang 