We are about to give each other Christmas presents and then Three Kings' Day presents (or, in each house, whatever comes to mind), so we wanted to show you different ways to wrap your gifts sustainably, reusing materials and decorating with natural elements that do not generate waste .
It's great to give sustainable gifts, but if we then wrap them in polluting materials, they are no longer sustainable.
We are committed to helping you make this Christmas the most sustainable one yet. On our blog you can already find a post about sustainable gifts and another one in which we talk about ecological food and decoration for this time of year. You can also visit our social networks ( Facebook and Instagram ) to see some ideas that we have left for you there.
Let's see what three options we suggest you use to wrap sustainably and then we will show you some elements to decorate and give it a Christmas touch .
Reuse paper
Let's start with the easiest thing, which is to reuse other papers . It can be the typical wrapping paper. Although this type of decorated paper usually contains petroleum derivatives, it is always better to reuse them than to buy new ones . So if you have the opportunity to carefully open the gifts and reuse that paper, all the better.
But there are other papers that you can use. It is increasingly common to find kraft or silk paper in the packaging of products that we buy, especially online. Don't throw it away! Save this type of paper throughout the year and you will never need to buy wrapping paper again.
Another option is newspaper , if you happen to get your hands on one. Look how cute it looks!
Wrap with fabrics
You can use handkerchiefs or pretty pieces of fabric you have around the house to wrap your gifts. You can use the same fabric to make a bow, just like in the Japanese furoshiki technique ( here is an example ) or, if you don't have enough, you can use a string so that the package doesn't fall apart.
You can also use old clothes that can no longer be used (not suitable for donation), cut them to the size you need and wrap them with these pieces of fabric. At the end of this post you will find a video with this idea.
It occurs to us that even waxed cloth wrappers They can be used to wrap a gift and, what's more, they are reusable. These wrappers have very pretty prints. Can you imagine giving something homemade that you have made wrapped in this way? For example, a jam, a cheese, some natural cosmetics. It can look beautiful.
Reuse pretty bags and cardboard boxes
Admit it. You have a drawer full of pretty bags that you hate to throw away , but that you never end up using. Alicia, from Orden y Limpieza en Casa , calls them holy bags, because they are like untouchable. We find this term very funny. There is no better excuse than giving a gift to give these bags another life.
We also encourage you to use boxes to wrap your gifts . In recent years, online shopping has increased a lot, so it's easy to have cardboard boxes lying around the house. Use them. Decorate them to make them look nice if you want, but use them.
The Alma Eko box , in which you receive your order, is now an option. It is a simple and pretty box and, in addition, during the month of December we are sending with a nice Christmas detail.
In addition, at Alma Eko we have options that already have their own beautiful packaging, for example, the Matarrania treatment packs , or the Golconda shower pack . These options do not require any wrapping.
Decorate your wrappings
Once you have seen the options that we propose for wrapping, we are going to give you options for elements with which to decorate that are either reusable or compostable, so they are zero waste , they do not generate waste:
- Citrus slices or dried apples : we already told you how to make them in the previous post.
- Raffia rope and bows : once used, save them for future occasions
- Rosemary or pine branches : to give a green touch.
- Cinnamon sticks : besides looking very pretty, they give a very Christmassy touch.
- Handmade Name Tags – You just need a piece of string and any piece of cardstock.
- Stamps : you may not have these at home. But if you have the option, stamps look great on kraft paper, for example.
- Kraft paper adhesive tape : it can look very nice on some packaging, but it is also more environmentally friendly than plastic adhesive tape. The one we sell at Alma Eko has natural rubber for stickiness. It can be thrown into the recycling bin along with paper or cardboard boxes, if you are not going to use it anymore.
We hope you like some of the options we have given you and that you are encouraged to put them into practice. If you do, we would love for you to tag us on our social networks so we can see it.
