Eco-Friendly Gift Wrap Ideas

For me, wrapping is part of the fun of gift giving during the holidays. I love picking a theme and wrapping all of my gifts in a similar style. Over the years, I’ve collected quite a few eco-friendly gift wrap ideas, so I thought I’d share a few with you here.

1. Use biodegradable/recyclable paper & tape

I’ve been using brown kraft paper to wrap my gifts for several years now, but biodegradable paper comes in other colors too. This year, I’m using black for all of my gifts! You can also use recycled brown paper leftover from other projects, or even shopping bags. Give your “trash” paper a second life, and you’ll be surprised at how stylish it looks. And this year, I’m also going to be adding biodegradable tape to my routine.

2. Greenery instead of bows

Rather than using those sticky bows made of plastic, I like to forage some greenery from my yard. I start with twine or un-dyed natural string to tie around the package, and then slip a sprig or two underneath to keep it in place. I love the nature-inspired look it creates! Plus, you can create added texture by mixing in different types of greenery from different plants in your yard.

3. Get creative with other natural decorations

Last year, I dried some orange slices in my oven to add as extra gift embellishments. They turned out great! And I threw in a couple of cinnamon sticks, too. The more variety the better. I also found some old ribbon that had been on a gift I’d previously received, and it made a great addition to the decorations. Eco-friendly doesn’t have to be boring!

4. Try wrapping with fabric

I think I’ll try this one out next year! You can find lots of techniques online for this. I’ve heard it works best with natural linen, but I’ve also heard you can even use an old scarf you no longer want. Such a cool idea, and it creates lots of gorgeous texture to mix in with your paper gifts.

Here are a few more inspiration photos of some eco-friendly gift wrap ideas to get your creative juices flowing!