>7. I resist buying wrapping paper whenever possible.
It’s the green combined with the frugal in me. Wrapping paper seems so wasteful. Use it once, then throw it away. It can’t be recycled, it can’t be burned in the fireplace (too many chemicals), so it ends up in a landfill after one use. Does this make sense? Not to me.
My family gives me a hard time about this. I give in at Christmas, and I don’t complain if other family members buy wrapping paper (but it’d better be on sale!). But for birthdays, father’s day, and most other gift-giving occasions, I like to revive the first two Rs: reduce and re-use.
When I open my own presents, I carefully refold the paper for later. Smaller scraps will wrap stocking stuffers or combine with another coordinating wrap. Gift bags and tissue? Multiple uses. Small, attractive shopping bags? Again, multiple reuses. Bows? If possible, I set them aside to be part of another gift. Curling ribbon, well, I admit that’s hard to salvage.
But my favorite of the Green Wrapping techniques is this: last year’s cards become the next year’s tags. After Christmas (sometimes months later), I go through the holiday cards and cut them apart into gift tags. They’re unique and fun, and honestly — I haven’t bought gift tags in twenty years.
>We do the gift tag thing too, or use them for making cards and sticky pictures.
We also use gift bags to help store toys, e.g. Barbie clothes, building blocks etc.
>I like to use or re-use paper bags. I use small sponges cut into shapes and have the kids stamp with paint. A like the use of cord or vine as a ribbon. It looks so homey.
>I know what you mean about the paper at christmas. It’s so excessive.
I like to use bags because they hold a lot and can be reused. (If they stay REALLY nice, I’ll reuse them for Cheerful Givers.)
I like your idea for the tags. I’ve been letting the kids cut them up and make stuff with them, but this way, they’d actually be USED again.
Thanks for stopping by! I’ll definitely be back!
>I thought I was the only one who squirreled away used gift bags, tissue paper and wrapping paper that’s still in fine condition. Glad to know I’m not alone! I’ve got a Rubbermaid bin in my upstairs linen closet where I keep all of this so whenever I need to wrap a gift, I know where my supplies are.
Also, I like the idea of reusing Christmas cards as gift tags, though here’s another trick I learned from my mom and still use today: take the extra wrapping paper that you’ve maybe cut off when you cut to fit the paper to the package, and use those scraps to create a matching card.
Leah Ingram
http://suddenlyfrugal.blogspot.com