Every year after the holidays, tons of gift wrap ends in the trash. However, it is possible to opt for aesthetic, original, and durable packaging so that Christmas does not rhyme with waste. Here are 9 alternatives to disposable gift wrap.

1st alternative: furoshiki, a zero-waste and elegant packaging

Furoshiki is a folding and knotting technique, and by extension, refers to the square of cloth used to wrap gifts. Used since the 8th century in Japan, the furoshiki was used to carry objects, clothes, or even the bento of the day.

For some time now, it has appeared in the West and seduces thanks to its elegance and its ecological aspect. With it, there is no need for disposable wrapping paper: you can wrap your Christmas gifts in a durable way, whatever their shape and size.

There are squares of different sizes, which you can easily make yourself. You can save the furoshiki for the next Christmas or give it to the person you are giving the gift to.

If you have some nice scarves, you can use them as furoshiki, inspired by traditional Japanese knotting techniques.

2nd alternative: recycled boxes, a good alternative to disposable paper

What if you replace gift paper with boxes? Shoe boxes and tin cans that once held tea or cookies, you certainly have in your closets containers that you no longer use.

You can customize them with pretty designs by getting ink stamps from hobby stores, adding personalized labels, or embellishing them with a pretty bow made from a sheet of recycled paper, like a magazine page, for example.

Alternative 3: glass jars for small gifts

If you are giving a piece of jewelry, perfume, a ticket to a show, or any other small gift, you can use glass jars, which you keep in your closets over time.

To hide the gift, use your imagination and use sand, semolina, or salt! Be careful, however, if the gift is fragile, to protect it well. You can also simply hide the contents of the jar by placing a scrap of fabric inside.

4th alternative: a gift wrapped in a bee-wrap

Have you heard of bee wraps, those reusable food wrappers? They are made from a square of fabric, usually organic cotton, and coated with beeswax or vegetable wax and pine resin. Washable and reusable, they are ecological and natural, replacing the plastic food film wonderfully.

They can also replace gift wrap! Simply fold them around the gift: when your hands warm them up, they follow the contours of the object and stay in place without adhesive. You can buy them or make them yourself.

In addition to being ecological and reusable, they simplify your task and allow you to wrap presents much more easily than with disposable gift paper.

Alternative 5: recycled wrapping paper made from book pages or newsprint

Book lovers, be reassured: there is no question of tearing up the books in your library but of recovering the pages in good condition from a damaged or stained book or an old manual found at a garage sale.

The same goes for newsprint or the pages of a magazine you’ve read and reread. You can close your packages/pockets with small wooden clips, ink stamps, or a few raffia bows into which you can slip flowers or herbs.

Old road maps can also be used for original and vintage gift packages.

Alternative 6: hide a gift in a bulk bag or pouch

There are bulk bags in all sizes, which you can buy or easily make yourself. They can be reused in a thousand ways by the person to whom you are giving a present! With a little patience, a needle and thread, or a sewing machine, you can also prepare beautiful custom-made pouches in which to slip your gifts.

Alternative 7: a warm gift in a recycled sweater

If you have an old sweater in your closet that you no longer wear, you can cut out rectangles and sew them together to make cozy pockets. A pretty bow, a small pine cone, and the tip of a fir branch will enhance the whole. If the sweater is not too thick, you can also knot it without sewing it, like a furoshiki.

8th alternative: custom tin cans

Guaranteed success with this recycled packaging! To wrap your gift, you’ll need the following:

a can

a can opener

eco-friendly tape (there is a biodegradable tape or tape made from recycled kraft and natural rubber)

fabric or paper to decorate the can

homemade ecological glue

Start by getting an unopened can from your cupboard. Open it from the bottom with a can opener, peel off the original label, and save the contents for consumption. Slip in your gift, wrapped in a pretty cloth, to prolong the surprise effect.

Then wrap the can with fabric or custom recycled paper that you will glue with your natural glue. Then you have to fix the bottom of the can with a little ecological tape. Here is your original packaging, which will make its small effect!