There’s only one week until Christmas, and if you’re anything like me, you’re still running around doing last-minute Christmas shopping, and have yet to wrap them all.
Our belief at Mama Qucha is that every step you take towards a sustainable future, no matter how small, adds up and counts towards the bigger picture. Here are some quick last-minute Christmas gift-wrapping ideas that are eco-friendly and won’t cost the earth. The great thing about most of these is you don’t even have to leave the house to choose and buy wrapping paper, and you avoid the temptation of buying convenient glossy paper, satin ribbons, plastics bows and glittery everything (because glitter is a microplastic, and that’s on my things-to-avoid list).
So here goes… our gift-wrapping list for all you eco-mums and dads
There’s so much ‘artwork’ my son brings home from Childcare, this is probably the easiest option to repurpose as Christmas gift wrapping. It’s colourful, eco-friendly, and handmade.
I don’t have much of this lying around myself, but an alternative would be to use the local paper (which always ends up in our letterbox). Because its minimalist black and white, all you’d need is a finishing pop of colour – some twine or cotton cord would do perfect. And voila!
Photo via Shutterstock by Menna
3. Tissue paper
My favourite gift-wrapping choice! Somehow, I always end up with a stash of tissue paper in our home… from shoes we’ve bought throughout the year, clothing, presents gifted to us, etc. Simple and effective.
Photo via Shutterstock by Natalia Lebedinskaia
4. Butcher’s paper
I went to the effort one year to buy butcher's paper to wrap everyone’s’ Christmas presents – to achieve a minimalist look that year. I only wish I had taken photos of all the presents under the tree! Top it off with red / coloured twine or cotton cord, and decorate with the kid’s stickers (mine that year were from kikki.K). Even better, get the kids to create works of art on the butcher’s paper first, then wrap – for a truly unique and special gift. Wrapped with love.
Photo by Cindy Malette from Burst
5. Wrap it in fabric – the art of Furoshiki
This has been on my bucket list of things to try for a while now. Furoshiki is the Japanese art of using fabric to wrap gifts and other things to transport them. Historically a special Furoshiki fabric was used, however this method has been adapted to involve any fabric. Take that eco-step a bit further, and re-purpose pre-loved clothing or sewing cut-offs.
Photo via Shutterstock by Shyntartanya
6. Last year’s calendar
Ah, maybe this is my favourite, seeing as my calendar is a work of art (literally), and has been ripped out of a Frankie magazine.
7. Repurposed / reused Christmas paper
Am I the only one who has a stash of reused paper from previous years? Every year, I save the best of the opened Christmas presents to reuse the following year. Saves money, time and trees. Another win for the plant. This year, however, my family moved to Ireland, so most of what I normally would have used is back in Sydney. So, I’m using Frozen II Christmas wrapping paper on ALL our presents - even the ones from Santa. Why? Because I caved, and bought a roll at my son’s request, and it was only when I got home, I realised I accidentally bought 10 metres of it… So now, it will have to be re-purposed for next year’s arts and crafts, and possibly Christmas 2020 too.
Tell us how you wrap your presents in the comment below. Feel free to share the Christmas spirit, and share this blog post with your friends.
Mama Qucha is a new Australian brand of beautiful, functional and unique nappy / beach bags and accessories for parents of babies and toddlers, or for those who like their beach bag organised. Designed by a mum of two in Sydney, Australia, we use natural fabrics and eco-friendly dyes in our products and have a vision to create a sustainable brand that has a minimal impact on the environment. For more on our Sustainability Vision, click here.
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