Can you believe in about two weeks we already celebrate Christmas? Are you well prepared for the festive season? If you are like me, you probably did not start thinking about presents this year or even purchased them.

Recently we have provided tips for sustainable presents which are applicable also for your Christmas presents (I already got inspired and my favorite are the seed bombs!). In advance here are some ideas for sustainable gift packaging.

Waste paper deluxe

Most time it ends up in the paper garbage; however, Christmas is Show Time for the good old printed newspaper. With the right decoration, newspapers can look great, provides that the colored displays are dismissed. Small presents like earrings, for example, are creatively packed in decorated loo paper rolls or painted matchboxes. Old calendar sides, note sheets (perfect for Christmas), city plans or maps are suitable as well as a wrapping paper. To give it an individual touch you can use a comic, fashion magazines or recycled sewing patterns – or you make a collage with motives matching to the recipient. Moreover, try to avoid sticky tape when wrapping the gifts.

Instead of garbage – reuse

To avoid garbage at Christmas, choose a reusable packaging! A nice option are fabric bags, which you maybe want to paint yourselves or a great shopping basket. You intend to give away small or ductile presents like socks and gloves (or the seed bombs ), a practical preserving jar or a nice storage box is the choice. If not only the packing should be reusable, you may reuse old things as presents. Find up-cycling inspirations on our blog as well.

On Old World New, Addie shows in detail how you can wrap your gifts with fabric. By the way, this technique is called Furoshiki. 

Ecologically friendly and tacky

Confessed, at Christmas, I love it the cheesy way and as already bespoken, daily papers and Co together with Christmas decoration (which must be kitschy of course) can be very shiny under the Christmas tree. Maybe you still have some fabric leftovers in your sewing box? You can convert those as tapes and decorate it with all kinds picked up from nature: Fir cone, mossy branches, and what else you find in the forest. For the typical Christmas smell use cinnamon sticks, dried slices of orange and use small Christmas tree balls for the decoration. (Woolen) yarn or package strings are also suitable as wrapping tape.

When the present is the packaging

Lunch boxes are my everyday companions! At Christmas, I would be delighted about a  stainless steel lunch box, a microwave-suitable glass bowl or a colorfully decorated box made of cornflower or bamboo. If you plan to make such a present you can use the lunch box as a gift box when filled with home-baked little cookies or chocolates and the joy is on your side! If you decide for a  portable drinking bottle as give away, you can fill them with tasty syrup or homemade liqueur or mulled wine.  Simply bind a small fabric bow, decorate it with a pine cone or something else and ready is the present.

All images © Green Pearls