I always reuse like cereal boxes, poptart, macaroni and whatever I saved around then. Paper towel rolls are great for stuffing a shirt or whatever in. Wrapping paper empty tubes. Pringle containers can be lined and used, nut cans.
When Jaymee was first dating Ryan and I put a gift certificate inside an empty wax box (from candy making) and it was in his stocking and I saw him umwrap it but then just kind of looked at it and tossed it aside. Told Jaymee later to have him open it. I kind of watch people now with some boxes.
My grandmother would save her wrapping paper and fold it up until she used it for someone's gift. I don't save wrapping paper. I have seen the thicker gift wrap used for covering items and then decoupaged or clear contact was put on top of it.
I don't save wrapping paper but it does go in the recycling bin.
Over the past few years I am reusing gift boxes and bags and recycle jars to put small gifts in. I do not hesitate in telling the kids to give the bags back when they are unpacked,
Our "stockings" which are actually cloth sacks have been used for probably 15 years now. I made myself a new one this year but the kids and DH are still in great condition..
I saw a store recently selling essentially large squares of fabric with nicely finished edges and matching ribbons. The idea was that you wrap the present like you would with paper, but you use the fabric squares and rectangles and secure them with the ribbon and reuse them every year. I loved the idea....but they were very expensive. I imagine someone who is good with that kind of stuff could make a beautiful set at a reasonable cost.
Right now though my kids are still at the age when they just want to rip the paper off and make a mess. When they're a bit older I'll switch to something more reusable.
This is a great idea, someone with a serger could do this by buying Christmas fabrics and cutting to various sizes. There are so many beautiful Christmas fabrics.
My grandmother would save her wrapping paper and fold it up until she used it for someone's gift. I don't save wrapping paper. I have seen the thicker gift wrap used for covering items and then decoupaged or clear contact was put on top of it.
I really like the idea of wrapping gifts in fabric. No waste, no ongoing costs (after the initial cost). easier to store than long rolls of paper. Something to really think about,
FS - that is a great idea about the fabric - you could just cut it with pinking shears if you don't have a serger.
Katrina - about the boxes - I wrapped something for one of DS's grab bags in a cereal box - the poor child who got it just stared and DS was embarrassed! Also, one Hanukkah I put DNiece's gift in a box for file folders and she complained to her mom - in the middle of the party - that she just got some dumb file folders. I think then she started to cry. She was very immature then but is now a doctor.
Also, one Hanukkah I put DNiece's gift in a box for file folders and she complained to her mom - in the middle of the party - that she just got some dumb file folders. I think then she started to cry. She was very immature then but is now a doctor.
Last year I unwrapped an apartment-size refrigerator from dd. I was so excited. I asked if that was really what was inside. Dd had a silly look on her face. I opened the box. Nope it was something else. We laughed and laughed. The real fridge was hidden in another room. Our standard question when we open an unusual box is, "Is this what it really is?" - because we have done it for years. A couple years ago I gave a dgs a box that was supposedly an earwax remover kit. He looked at it and asked, "Who would do such a thing?" Dd told him to open the box (I had given her a heads-up) and inside was college supplies.