4 ECO-FRIENDLY WAYS TO SPRUCE UP YOUR GIFTS THIS CHRISTMAS

At this time of year, I love to get creative. There's something so magical about Christmas that makes me want to make and give. Whether it's handwriting Christmas cards, gathering together a pamper hamper, or making the gift wrap look wonderful - I'm always down for a good go at it.

This year, I not only wanted to share my own ideas and inspirations for sprucing up presents, but I wanted to make sure I could do it in an eco-friendly way. Admittedly, my use of synthetic fabric ribbon does let my side down a little here but there definitely are alternatives out there as well as the possibility of reusing the fabric ones. Nevertheless, I simply wrapped all of my gifts in recycled brown paper and added my own personal touches. Here's what I did:

P O T A T O     S T A M P I N G

I've got to admit, I was very excited to try this one because potato stamping is something I've never done before. The inspiration for this one came from this article but I put my own twist on it, using black ink instead of white and allowing for a more rustic-style shape. I adore how it turned out too!

If you plan on doing this, all you need is a basic potato with a steady hand for cutting. I opted for a Christmas Tree shape as it was pretty easy and quick to do but still looks festive and fab. I can't urge how careful you must be here though - please remember that potatoes can be quite soft and a slip of the knife can be nasty, perhaps wearing gloves and sitting in a calm, well-lit place would make this easier.

In terms of colour, I used a basic black ink pad. Of course, you can use paint for this too and the colour possibilities are endless. I reckon this would look wonderful with gold ink/paint. Similarly, you can do some doodling on top of your designs. I was going to add some white stars on my tree but decided to keep it simple.

G E L    P E N    D O O D L E S

I'm surprised that this one turned out well, to be honest. I laid the paper flat with a white gel pen in my hand and just went in for some doodling. Being the perfectionist that I am, I expected to look back and think it looked rubbish but, I actually really enjoyed that rustic, doodle style that I'd achieved. The inspiration for my design was from this Pin and ended up being so quick and easy to do. 

If you want to give this a go, I recommend that you measure out your piece of paper, for the item you mean to wrap, then doodle across the whole sheet. You might feel as though some of your doodles will be wasted in the folds but it does end up giving a great effect when the drawings curve around the item seamlessly.

I used the Pilot Choose 07 white gel pen for my drawings which I believe gives great pigment but, with the brown paper being like a blank canvas, you could almost use any and every colour.

F E S T I V E    F O L I A G E

The last one is something that I've seen being done a hella lot on Pinterest, including here, here, and here. Adding foliage to things seems to have been all the rage over the past few years and we all know that I'm certainly not shy of plants. They give this natural, minimal look to everything they appear on and it certainly works well with the brown paper.

I gathered a few leafy twigs from our outdoor conifer and just tucked them behind the label on my gift - it's as simple as that. This foliage could easily be added to any of the previous designs too, especially as it carries on so well with the green ribbon. 

For my other gifts, I think I'll try adding some different types of foliage too, such as eucalyptus and pine leaves. What other plants would you add?

D I Y    L A B E L S

When we came home one day, started wrapping, then realised we hadn't purchased any labels/tags for the gifts, I had to resort to making my own. Luckily, my first one turned out great so I kept making them on and on. 

I cut these labels out of brown craft paper after creating my unique designs. For each design, I will write something Christmassy in my own typography style. For all of my calligraphy, I tend to use the Tombow Brush Pen which I adore (!) and completely swear by. It's such a trusty piece of stationery which would also be a good gift in itself for any of your bullet-journalling friends.

If you don't have the time to make your own gift wrap or find some foliage in the garden, you can opt out of plastic-coated card this Christmas by adding your own DIY labels to your gifts.

I'd love to know what ideas you all have for gift wrapping this year!

Let me know in the comments...