Unique, Eco-Friendly Ways to Make the Gift Wrap Part of the Gift

Unique, reusable gift wrapping ideas that are also eco-friendly using items like dishtowels, scarves, napkins or reusable bags as gift wrap, instead of wasteful wrapping paper.

The eco-fairy in me makes sure that everything that can be reused is saved and all the recycling makes it to the proper bin. But maybe there’s a way to avoid such a crazy mess in the first place…

RELATED: Eco-Friendly Holiday Decorating Tips

Unique, Reusable Gift Wrapping Ideas

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Here’s a smart solution to the wasteful gift wrap problem:

Instead of traditional wrapping paper, wrap your gifts in reusable items like dishtowels, scarves, snack bags, and even socks! By wrapping gifts in reusable cloth, you not only eliminate waste from paper gift wrap, but the wrap is actually part of the gift!

Here are some of my favorite reusable gift wrap ideas:

Dishtowels

This is one of my favorite ways to wrap gifts – because who couldn’t use a new dishtowel? And there are so many cute dishtowels to choose from! Buy something special at a craft show (like the sweet tomato one above), choose from all the lovely screen printed towels from Etsy or pick up something inexpensive (but still stylish) at IKEA or Target.

Scarves

The centuries old wrapping technique from Japan called furoshiki is the perfect solution for wrapping with large pieces of cloth like a scarf. You don’t need to spend big bucks on a scarf either – I have found beautiful scarves at thrift stores at very reasonable prices!

Snack bags

This one’s great for kids or anyone who might need a snack bag for when they are on-the-go. I’ve used reusable snack bags as a sneaky way to package gift cards as well as other smaller gifts.

Napkins

A pretty napkin is another fun way to package a gift – and an extra napkin will always come in handy! I used another furoshiki technique to wrap the gift above. If you’re up for a little sewing, make your own handmade napkins!

Socks

This may seem far-fetched – but how about a pair of socks? In the photo above, I packaged up a couple bottles of my homemade kombucha in a pair of organic cotton socks!

Reusable Cloth Bags

These days many products come packaged in cloth bags – like bedsheets or beauty products. I save those bags and then use them for gift wrap later. Not only does it save me money on gift wrap, but I love giving a bag another purpose!

Reusable Gift Wrap

If you can’t come up with an actual reusable product that someone would want or need, then opt for reusable fabric gift wrap. The great thing about reusable gift wrap is that it can be used for many gifts over time. We actually have a really nice reusable wrap that we keep in the family, so we can use it over and over again – for birthdays and holidays too! 

Etsy is a great resource for reusable gift wrap. Here are a few that caught my eye:

• Beautiful hand-stamped fabric, with coordinating yarn and pom-pom decorations.
• Hand-stamped prints on second-hand fabric, with cotton or jute string for wrapping
• Reusable gift bag sets in fun fabrics

So this year, why not avoid the wrapping paper tornado and wrap in reusable items instead!

What unique gift wrapping ideas do you have? Please share in the comments below!