If you are a gift giver, how do you handle wrapping presents? At Gatherhaus we delight in discovering tokens of love to be shared with friends and loved ones. Meaningful gifts are a beautiful way to live your values and appreciation for the relationships you are in.

However, did you know that much of traditional wrapping paper is not recyclable? We wanted to explore how to extend meaningful gift giving to meaningful wrapping. Below are a few tips and tricks and materials that we like to use and reuse when packaging up your tokens of love.

Why explore alternatives to traditional wrapping paper?

• Better for the environment
• Reusing materials already in your home refuses waste
• It also is a cost saver
• The wrapping can also be a gift in and of itself
• It can be compostable
• You stretch your creativity
• It brings a small sense of wonder and simplicity to the interaction
• It can bring in elements of nature adding a whimsical connection to the world

Here are a few gift wrapping ideas to steer us away from traditional non compostable wrapping paper.

Wrapping:

Brown Grocery Bags
Fabric
Newspaper
Magazines
Pages from Children’s books
Old Pillowcases
Sewing Patterns
Old maps
Comic Book pages
Tin Foil
Dish Towel (Make your own or buy a beautiful new one)

Ties:

String
Striped fabric
Old T-shirts cut into strips
Twine
Hemp

Adornings:

Dried Flowers
Fresh Flowers
Native Grasses
Any of the wrapping materials listed above and cut into shapes
Candy canes
Homemade Cinnamon Stars
Potato Stamps to decorate plain paper
Bells
Snowflakes
Pinecones

Containers:

Old boxes
Baskets
Tins

You can find these in your home. If you don’t have these items already on hand, don’t purchase new by putting more items into the world, but buy second hand. It is cheaper and more environmentally friendly.

I like to keep a bin of fun wrapping materials that I add to throughout the year as I find little trinkets around the house or when I go thrifting. It is one little way that I use my life to be an earth and water protector.

Less waste.

Less stuff.

Less money.

Less mess.

Less.

I have discovered that finding meaningful ways to engage with the world around me strengthens my resolve to expand those ways. The more intentional I am with honoring myself, others, and the natural world, the peace and purpose I find in my life.

For this holiday season and for all those gift giving reasons, we hope you find joy and a creative expression in wrapping to align with meaningful gift giving.