We're about to give each other our Christmas presents and then our Three Kings' Day presents (or, in each house, whatever else happens), so we wanted to show you different ways to wrap your gifts sustainably, reusing materials and decorating with natural elements that don't generate waste .

And it's great to give sustainable gifts, but if we then wrap them in polluting materials, they cease to be sustainable.

We're 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 about organic food and decorations for the holidays. You can also visit our social media ( Facebook and Instagram ) to see some ideas we've shared there.

Let's see what three options we suggest you use to wrap sustainably, and then we'll show you some elements to decorate and give it a Christmas touch .

Reuse paper

Let's start with the easiest option, which is reusing other papers . It could be traditional wrapping paper. Although this type of decorated paper often contains petroleum derivatives, it's always better to reuse it than buy new . So if you have the opportunity to carefully open your gifts and reuse that paper, all the better.

But there are other papers you can use. Kraft or tissue paper is increasingly common in the packaging of products we buy, especially online. Don't throw it away! Save this type of paper throughout the year and you'll never need to buy wrapping paper again.

Another option is newspaper , if you happen to get your hands on some. Look how cute it looks!

Wrap with fabrics

You can use scarves 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 the Japanese furoshiki technique ( here's an example ), or if you don't have enough, you can use string to keep the package from falling apart.

You can also use old, unusable clothing (that isn't fit to be donated), cut it to the size you need, and wrap it in these pieces of fabric. You'll find a video with this idea at the end of this post.

It occurs to us that even the waxed cloth wrappers They can be used to wrap a gift, and they'll even be reusable. These wrappers have beautiful prints. Can you imagine giving something homemade that you made wrapped this way? For example, jam, cheese, or 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're afraid to throw away , but that you never get around to using. Alicia, from Orden y Limpieza en Casa , calls them "holy bags," because they're almost untouchable. We really like this term. There's no better excuse than giving a gift to give these bags another life.

We also encourage you to use boxes to wrap your gifts . Online shopping has increased dramatically in recent years, so it's likely you'll 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's a simple and pretty box, and we're also sending out a lovely Christmas gift during the month of December.

Additionally, at Alma Eko, we have options that already come with their own beautiful packaging, such as the Matarrania treatment packs or the Golconda shower pack . These options don't require any special packaging.

Decorate your wrappers

Once you've reviewed the wrapping options we suggest, we're going to give you options for decorating items that are either reusable or compostable, meaning they're zero 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 the green touch.
• Cinnamon sticks : in addition to looking very pretty, they give a very Christmassy scent.
• Handmade name tags : You only need a piece of string and any piece of cardstock.
• Stamps : You might not have these at home. But if you have the option, stamps look great on kraft paper, for example.
• Kraft paper tape : It can look very nice on some packaging, but it's also more eco-friendly than plastic tape. The one we sell at Alma Eko uses natural rubber to ensure it sticks. It can be thrown in the recycling bin along with paper or cardboard boxes if you're not going to use it anymore.

We hope you like some of the options we've given you and are inspired to try them out. If you do, we'd love for you to tag us on our social media to see what we're doing.