Pack gifts - but sustainable!

Who hasn't seen the piles of paper and plastic scattered all over the Christmas room after the presents have been given? It's no surprise that this isn't particularly sustainable. However, you don't have to forgo the aesthetic appeal of a wrapped present. So you can now wrap gifts sustainably, Here are my tips for sustainable and imaginative gift wrapping.

Basic things you when wrapping gifts

While wrapping paper is usually not made of plastic, it still consumes wood, water, and energy. Therefore, it makes sense not only to produce less plastic waste but also to rethink the use of paper.

The first principle is to give several gifts – if possible – to pack togetherIt's even more resource-efficient if you give multiple gifts, one of which serves as wrapping. For example, you can fill socks with small items, wrap a cookbook in a tea towel, or hide a book in a scarf.

If you are working with conventional wrapping paper, it is worth checking the paper carefully before cutting it to size. to measureOften, large strips of paper end up in the wastepaper basket, simply because the wrapping paper has been cut too generously or too short. Personally, I collect smaller wrapping paper scraps in a drawer to use later. z.B. to continue using for crafting.

Speaking of wrapping paper: Gift wrap bearing the “Blue Angel” seal is made entirely from recycled paper. This more environmentally friendly Recycled wrapping paper – which saves water and allows trees to remain standing – is available at dm, for example. It's even better, of course, to do without paper altogether.

One of THE traditional gift-wrapping utensils is sticky tape. Unfortunately, this makes recycling quite difficult. But here, too, there are paper alternatives; so-called Paper adhesive tapes.

I probably don't even need to mention this explicitly here. Nevertheless, sustainable gift-giving also includes reusing wrapping paper (as well as gift ribbons) whenever possible. This assumes, of course, that the wrapping paper already used still looks reasonably nice and hasn't been torn.

Paper alternatives: materials

You'll be amazed when you look around at home and gather everything you no longer need and that could be used as gift wrapping:

• Newspapers and magazines, comics
• Sheet music
• Maps or city plans
• Calendar pages
• Shoe boxes and other boxes
• Wrapping or baking paper
• tin cans
• Jute bag
• Preserving or jam jars

And here are my three favorite insider tips:

• Empty toilet paper or kitchen rolls: They're perfect for small gifts. The rolls make great candy packaging by wrapping them in packing paper and tying them with natural string.
• Cans: Next time you cook with beans, peas, tomatoes, etc.from the can, then open the can not as usual using the tab at the top, but at the bottom; preferably with a can opener. You can then fill the empty and cleaned can with a gift and cover the bottom with cardboard and glue (z.B. with a hot glue gun). The can can then be decorated further, of course. The effect when unwrapping it by pulling it open is truly something new!
• fabric scraps: Maybe you have some fabric scraps at home that would be suitable for gift wrapping. If not, it's worth stopping by your nearest craft or fabric store. They usually have baskets filled with fabric scraps that are no longer needed. Super inexpensive and also resource-saving!

Decorate sustainably and plastic-free

Especially during the Christmas and Easter season, stores are brimming with pretty decorative items that make for simple and unusual gift wrapping. These are often made of plastic or end up in the trash after one use. That doesn't have to be the case. Of course, there are more sustainable alternatives here too:

• Instead of plastic straps, better fabric bows or use cords made of natural fibers. Fabric ribbons are easy to iron on and can therefore be used multiple times.
• Glue can be done without effort make it yourselfTo do this, simply mix a tablespoon of wheat flour with water and add more water until the desired consistency is reached. Powdered sugar can also be used instead of wheat flour.
• Pressed leaves or flowers, pine cones and twigs can be wonderfully clamped between gift ribbons or stuck onto the packaging.
• Small Nutshells like a walnut are perfect for storing jewelry or other small items. The nutshells can be z.B. seal with homemade glue (see above).
• For decorations such as Gift tags For name tags and nameplates, it's worth raiding your own paper waste. Here you'll find boxes and cardboard that are perfect for cutting to size.
• potato stamp: Not only does potato printing take you back to your childhood, but it also allows you to create uniquely printed wrapping paper.
• For material in Gold or silver colored Yogurt cup lids, tea lights or chocolate wrappers can be reused.
• The same applies to decoration basically: Use whatever you can find. This could include buttons, craft beads, scraps of paper, or fabric. You can also create collages from old magazines to add a beautiful touch to boring packaging.

As you can see, there are many ways to wrap gifts plastic-free and sustainably. I hope I've given you some inspiration. If I've missed something important or you have another plastic-free gift idea, I'd love to hear from you in the comments!

If you would like to learn more about healthy eating, mindfulness or sustainability, Check out more exciting blog articles on these topics here.