More Sustainable Gift Wrapping Ideas

Last year I shared some eco-friendly ways to add some flare to Christmas gifts - this year I'm back at it, making sure my Christmas gifts look great while also being sustainable and not costing a bomb.

Just as I did last time, this year I'm still always using brown paper for my wrapping. Not only is this paper easy to recycle and customise, I seriously think it looks better. This year, I went for a patterned brown paper from IKEA. They have some fabulous designed brown paper in IKEA, but I especially loved the simple white print for this year.

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S T A M P E D    L A B E L

Using my miniature stamp set from Flying Tiger, I added a little 'Merry Xmas' to a piece of card, not caring too much for it to be perfect - I think the rustic look is gorgeous for this. I then simply carefully tore the card, added some holes with a hole punch, and threaded some red string through it. Tie and tape the string at the back, then arrange the lines to look nice and neat (don't worry about any crossing over at the back).

Obviously, for this one, you can add your own flair to it wherever you wish. I chose red string to match my colour scheme and added a little personal note for the gift receiver on the inside of the card.

It really couldn't be more simple but really does turn out looks sophisticated and full of thought.

W A X    O R    S C R A B B L E

Or both! Whether you have a wax stamp in your craft draw (which, I admit, not everyone does) or maybe just a few old scrabble letters knocking around - they can definitely be added to your wrapping! I loved the idea of using the wax stamp for the end of the string - it was a little bit tricky but with the addition of a teeny little bit of glue, I managed to keep the string end held down while prepping the stamp. 

It was also nice to add a bit of different coloured string; I love the black-white with the brown and white paper and also reckoned my red wax would go better with this one. 

Of course, you guessed it, the J is significant for the giftee which I think is a great way to add another personal touch. 

M I N I   P I N E    C O N E S

This has to be one of my favourite designs I've created! I got my hands on some mini pine cones (but you could also find and use acorns, twigs, or leaves) and threaded the string around the bottom wings, knotting it securely. 

I placed the cones a bit off from the centre, just to add some dimension then looped the rest of the string around the package. With this, I love the deep red in combination with the dark wooden pine cones - I think dark green or gold would also be a beautiful combination.

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Adding simple touches to your Christmas gifts can be sustainable AND beautiful - I hope this has definitely inspired you to forget about glitter and ribbon this year. Try something new and wow your family.