The holidays are here! Not going to lie, I’m one of those people who loves listening to Christmas music at the beginning of November. If it weren’t for my husband insisting we wait until after Thanksgiving, I would have put up the Christmas Tree on November 1st.

As I mentioned in a previous post, while this is one of the most wonderful (and festive) times of year, it’s also one of the most wasteful. Even wrapping paper, which we think is relatively sustainable is not. In general, wrapping paper is not recyclable because it has metallic fibers. Plus, wrapping paper is usually wrapped in plastic film. And given the current state of recycling, I generally try to avoid recycling. So, here are some plastic-free gift wrapping options.

Paper Wrapped

There are many options when it comes to paper wrapping. One option is to reuse your paper grocery bag. Just like when you used to cover your textbooks by wrapping them with a paper grocery bag, you can wrap presents with a paper grocery bag! You simply cut or tear along the seams to open the bag and use it like regular wrapping paper.

If you want to jazz it up you can add some:

• cinnamon sticks
• sprig of rosemary
• sprig of pine
• dried orange slices

Another option is to use newspaper or even junk mail. Many years ago (read pre-COVID), I would wrap my White Elephant Gift Exchange gifts in newspaper or junk mail. It’s a funky and fun way to wrap gifts.

Cloth Wrapped

Next, consider a cloth wrapping. Furoshiki gift wrap is a Japanese style of gift wrapping that uses a cloth. You can use a cloth napkin, handkerchief, or get some scraps of fabric from the fabric store.

Here’s a quick tutorial:

Metal Boxes

Finally, we have the metal boxes or tins. These are common for gifting Christmas cookies but could be a great way to wrap a gift as well.

What do you think? Can you wrap your gifts using one of these options this year?

For related and random posts, check out:

• Plastic-Free Holiday Gift Guide
• 4 Warm Drinks to Keep You Cozy During the Holidays