Cranking the Mariah Carey “All I Want For Christmas Is You”, sipping hot cocoa, and wrapping gifts is a favorite holiday pastime for many of us. But traditional gift wrapping (paper, bows, and bags, oh my!) can be incredibly wasteful. Most are lined with plastic, which means they cannot be recycled and have to be sent to landfill.

Luckily for you, there are so many ways to beautifully wrap a gift using recycled, repurposed, and natural, compostable materials which can be most likely be found around your house!

For wrapping…

• Old paper grocery bags
• Recycled paper
• Newspaper
• Scrap fabric
• Old men’s button down
• A bag that’s part of the gift (think: tote bags, reusable produce bags…)
• Vintage scarf
• Pretty dishcloth
• Reusable food wrap
• Stainless steel container

For tying…

• Organic Unbleached Twine
• Plastic free, recyclable tape
• Hemp
• Leather cord
• Strips of scrap fabric
• Metal wire

For embellishment…

• Real plants and sticks
• Vintage jewelry
• Palo Santo sticks
• Pieces of Sage
• Recycled crayons

Gift Wrapping Ideas

Idea #1: Recycled paper, twine, plants, and paper tape

Idea #2: Recycled paper, twine, a Palo Santo stick, some sage, and a recycled crayon

Idea #3: Beeswax wrap, twine, plants, and a sage stick

Idea #4: Secondhand scarf (Have an old shirt lying around? Cut it up for DIY fabric!)

Idea #5: Reusable cotton produce sack, scrap fabric, wooden clothespin, plants, and a note on recycled paper

Share your zero waste wrapping with us on Instagram by tagging @trashisfortossers in your photos!

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