Anyone doing a wrapping paper free holiday? - Page 3

[jillyofthevalley]

We've been paper free for 3 or 4 years now.  For my own family I don't wrap at all.  I take all their gifts out of any packaging, make sure everything that needs assembling is put together and set it all up under the tree.  I do hang gift tags off of the things meant for just one child as opposed to shared gifts.  The kids aren't any less excited Christmas morning.  It's just as much fun to take in everything under the tree and sort through it all.  They don't even notice the lack of wrappings.  I love it because there is no clean-up to do.

For my parents, we've been regifting the same gift bags (both cloth and paper) back and forth for about 10 years now.

[e13lorena]

I did an all Cloth Bag Christmas one year. I got lots of Christmas Fabric (Wal-Mart $2 /yard) and made mutliple sized drawstring bags.

I really love wrapping presents with ribbon and everything - so for the past couple years we've gone back to paper (that I got on sale after Christmas - not that that helps with the waste of it all).

This year we're going to use cloth bags for gifts from us and to each other, but "Santa's" will be wrapped in paper.

For Birthday gifts this year we've been wrapping things in scarves, towels, or just tied with ribbon that become part of the gift.

Here's a picture of the cloth bags that I made http://www.storksavers.com/albumpics/Accessories/giftbags-setof3.JPG

Erin

[happyhats]

I'm seriously debating this, or at least some variation.  I've decided I'm doing family baskets for everyone other than the children from now on.  I'm actually going to be using the costco boxes we bring home anyway, painted or drawn on, etc, if I feel crafty enough.  Nobody in my clan really reuses the baskets so it's a waste to buy them so they can sit around and never get returned or used, kwim? 

But I have two small children and I'm debating whether going completely wrapping paper free is going to work or now.  Hmmmm.  I remember the joy of ripping the paper off a present.  Of course on the other hand, I HATE wrapping gifts.  This year I had my dd color plain packing paper, and was thinking of making a tradition of that.  I like the idea of holding onto some of the paper and watching the art evolve.  But I do also love the idea of thrift store pillowcases painted up for the holidays somehow, and so far dd isn't super impressed with opening gifts (she's just about to turn two, and my ds is going to be born on the 16th this year). 

What do mamas of little ones think? 

[Toolip]

My friends have done it since their kids were babies and they love it.  It's just a different thrill then ripping through paper.  I vividly remember the first time that their youngest had to open a present wrapped in paper, she was so confused

I would go for it!  Better to start now and have a new generation of paperless presents then to get them attached to the nostalgia of unwrapping paper.

[happyhats]

I suppose that's true, Toolip.  I'll have to be on the lookout for pillowcases this year!  And whatever neat fabric scraps I can find too.  I'm liking the idea of getting some things in solid colors and/or whites so the children can personalize them and they can be momentos.  Believe me, moving away from wrapping presents is all pro, it's just hard to feel as if I'm somehow cheaping my children of an experience as irrational as that may seem. 

[Callimom]

We do fabric bags for our kids and gifts for each other and for many of the gifts we give to friends and family. I pick up heavy white sheets when I see them in the thrift store and Christmas fabric when it is on sale and sew up a bunch every year so we have lots to give away.  We leave the bags under the tree when we are done and our magic elf comes and picks them up and takes them back to the North Pole to be used again next year.

This year if I get my act together we are going to paint thin balsa wood gift tags with chalkboard paint and do reuseable gift tags as well.  

[tsfairy]

I'd really like to not use any wrapping paper this year. I hate the waste.

So far I've been using cloth napkins to wrap small presents using a fold & tie method sometimes called Furoshiki. I've bought a couple 2-packs of pretty red & green napkins from Walmart for $2 each, and they will definitely be used around here long after Christmas. I also like to get Christmas-themed fat quarters for wrapping, but the napkins are nice because they're already hemmed.

I've made drawstring bags in the past, and really liked them. I also save and re-use paper gift bags year after year.

Edited by tsfairy - 12/9/10 at 10:14pm

[treeoflife3]

I am!! I'm SO excited.  I bought some really pretty fabric and ribbon and got everything wrapped up nicely.  I am not using bags though.  I am using a mixture between traditional paper wrapping style with the fabric held together with ribbons and the japanese furoshiki Method.  I'm seriously LOVING it and I can't wait to see what my family thinks.

[KLM99]

We just use news paper...not very pretty though :)

[nanette0269]

Thanks so much for this post.  I've never known anyone to do this, but I love the idea.  Between the japanese wrapping link and the bag making...I think I'll know what I'll be making when I need a project to pull out next year!

[Cavy]

This is probably totally rubbish for the inner Martha Stewarts in some, but all we do is reuse the paper from year to year.  When it gets worn out I burn it (I use masking tape for the wrapping which makes it easier).  All the paper is from gifts people gave to us, I just saved it up in the loft (attic).

Sometimes DH breaks down and buys some paper because he is worried what his mother might think if the wrapping paper looks used, but nobody else minds.

Ditto with ribbon and bows, just trim as needed and reuse.

[Pinoikoi]

This year I found a bunch more nesting boxes at a thrift store, plus I found tons of tin gift boxes. My kids are used to it. In fact when they went to Grandma's they were confused about what to do with the paper and bows.

[nanette0269]

i found some wrapsacks on clearance....10 assorted sizes for $15.  I grabbed 4 sets.  I think its enough for most of the presents, but i also purchased some clearance holiday cloth that I plan on making into bags as well....just bought a new sewing machine, so this will be project #1 or #2.