>He didn’t stop Christmas from coming: it came!
It came without ribbons. It came without tags.
It came without packages, boxes, or bags.
He puzzled and puzzled ’til his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before.
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store?
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?
–How the Grinch stole Christmas, by Dr. Seuss
I’m giving some gifts from stores (brick & mortar and online), some from my kitchen, and some from creative secondhand shopping. I’ve taken to heart the thoughts of wrapping, though. I don’t like the waste or the cost of commercial wrapping paper, so this year I’m working on alternatives.
– The bags protecting the newspaper have been red lately. Tie at each end with curling ribbon or twist ties, and the package looks like a great big piece of candy!
– Seasonal grocery bags have simple but nice graphics; cut them out, add them to the fireplace motif wrapping.
– All this wrapping material will get recycled or thrown away. Don’t get attached to it. But who gets attached to wrapping paper anyway?
– There’s always Wordle.net!
– Martha doesn’t live here. Really. And it’s okay.
This goal was born of my environmental streak. The frugal piece is a byproduct of the green, but a valid one. I haven’t purchased wrapping paper, ribbons or tags, boxes or bags. It lets me focus our budget dollars on the gifts, the keepers, rather than the byproduct that ends up in the trash. And even with my lack of scrapbooking skills, I’m having fun thinking of new ways to make the wrapping look nice.
If Dr. Seuss wrote about gift wrap, he might suggest:
What if wrapping, itself, didn’t come from a store.
What if thoughful gift wrapping meant just a bit more?
Just reuse the boxes, the ribbons, the tags.
Make use of the packaging, boxes, and bags.
If you and your clan enjoy Christmas each year,
Be nice to your budget, the message is clear.
Parent Bloggers Network and FFDA are working together to find out how families are handling this holiday season, adapting financially and in other ways to make the season less overwhelming. FFDA is an organization that provides support and counseling year round, not just at Christmas.
>Very well put, I reuse ribbons and boxes, if they are in good shape. I have been known to tape a tear, stopping by to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas.
>Great post. I’m using up Christmas wrapping paper from like two years ago. I has to go some where, so I at least want it used before it’s thrown out. But next year I don’t think I will have enough of the old stuff so I will be using ideas like this.
>I just TEAR UP wrapping paper when I unwrap a gift, Have you tried making your own gift boxes from old Christmas cards? I’ve save Christmas cards for years, with no real purpose, and last year started using them.
http://scrapbooking-paper-crafts.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_make_greeting_card_gift_box
Photos at the bottom of the page. I love them!
>I’ve only bought “Santa” gift wrap because, well, we have to still…but the rest is recycled and inventive and I must say, quite lovely.
I did find a good deal on rolls of gift wrap at Hobby Lobby–the big rolls that are so hard to find.
>What fantastic ideas. I’ll admit I was naughty and went out and bought gift wrap this year, but only b/c it’s the first year we’re spending at home and thus my first opportunity to choose my own rather than use others. Next year, I promise I’ll better.