Wrapping paper? do you?

[snapdragon]

Am heartily sick of wrapping paper
Having a stash of fabric - new and used - that I've collected over the years, I'm using that - in the hope that the recipients will re-use it themselves.
For my kids and their OH's it's a square of fabric tied into a bag (a bit like the trad knotted hankie) filled with the house special socks/chocs/showergel/torch, for sister and bro in law it's wrapped around like a gift wrap. Most of this years are re-cycled coloured muslin curtain fabrics. Re-used ribbon or string to tie/attach label.
If I had more energy they would be pretty - seem to be at a low ebb just now

[becks77]

Wrapping paper is such a waste and not allowed in our recycle bins, its too low grade and covered in coloured ink.
So until we get a log burner, to dispose of it I have decided to reuse the gift bags that seem to have bred in the cupboard. Was going to try the "Japanese wrapping " thread but had insufficient supplies of fabric.
So recycled for us this year.

[Clara]

Newspaper this year - I have really enjoyed looking through and trying to find amusing photos to be the front of the wrapping. Fortunately our German wwoofers left us with a stash, so much less doom and gloom than the UK papers these days!

[Annpan]

I use plain brown parcel wrapping paper, but this year some of the more awkward shaped heavy things are in wee homemade gift bags... the recipients can do what they like with the gift bags, they only take 10 mins to make and are so much prettier and probably cheaper than a shop bought gift bag.

[Thomzo]

Recycled gift bags whereever possible and I save pretty paper bags that I get from shops. Most of the people that I give presents to would just chuck out fabric and think it a bit odd. So I do use wrapping paper as well. I have used the brown paper in the past and will do that when my current roll of wrapping runs out.

It's usually only the metallic paper that can't be recycled. I do save any paper that I receive if good enough to reuse, either on cards or for re-wrapping.

Cheers
Zoe

[red]

newspaper here

I save tissue paper pretty bags etc if thing come in therm - but mostly use that for birthdays

[Mr and Mrs luvpie]

We use brown paper for the majority of them, it gives us something to do in the weekends before christmas as the Kids are sent to work with paints and christmas stampers. We've also used newspaper this year, because I think it looks so good, and so we can work out what is for each kid after everything is wrapped, we have used wrapping paper for their stocking things, but in our defense I would say that the council will collect it as part of the recycling and it is stuff that has been in the house before we started to be all 'good' about everything. Next year it will just be paper!

[Shabba]

I use plain brown parcel paper which can be be easily recycled. I try not to use sellotape so the paper doesn't get torn when the parcel is opened (although if its a really awkward shape this is sometimes difficult). I tie them up with real ribbons or some very pretty string I've got thats made from recycled materials. I cut up last years christmas cards to make gift tags and I think they look gorgeous! I ask everyone to keep the ribbons and string for me if they won't re-use it themselves and I have been known to iron the used paper and reuse it!

[MuddyWitch]

We use the left over bits of wall paper, fabric & brown paper depending on gift or recipient. All our friends & family know I'm a keen patchworker & save the fabric to return it to me!

Hubby & I just tell each other to "shut your eyes & hold your hands out"

MW

[growingthings]

Deffo brown paper in this household, although when Hubby was hunting around in the loft he found some stray bits of wrapping paper. So I have added bands around the parcels, and then tied them with sisal string - IMHO they look really nice, and we can burn the wrapping paper in the burner.

Last year I got the eldest to potato print, and foot print the paper, and that looked SUPERB but with two young uns hanging off the ol' apron strings this year I have seriously had to simplify things.

[GabrielGadfly]

We have a collection of gift bags in various sizes that we re-use every year (or at least until they get so worn out they aren't usable anymore). We use little stick-on name-tags, and just cover last year's name tag. Some of these bags have name-tags six or seven layers deep. :)

[Helsbells]

I was really pleased with my selfsufficientish wrapping this year. I got some brown and buff paper stuffed in with the pasta maker I bought off Amazon for my mum, and used that to wrap all my presenta. I made them look good by wrapping strips of red plastic bags like ribbons round them. I also make little pompoms with the plastic bags and giant bows. They looked great and everyone loved them.
I just did for my family this year but will do it for the OH's family next year if I have time.

[GabrielGadfly]

I was really pleased with my selfsufficientish wrapping this year. I got some brown and buff paper stuffed in with the pasta maker I bought off Amazon for my mum, and used that to wrap all my presenta. I made them look good by wrapping strips of red plastic bags like ribbons round them. I also make little pompoms with the plastic bags and giant bows. They looked great and everyone loved them.
I just did for my family this year but will do it for the OH's family next year if I have time.

Using plastic bags as ribbons! That's such a cool idea. It's amazing the many uses one can come up with for those things.

[Seraphim]

This might seem a bit odd, but I wrap gifts in tea towels if they are small enough, tied up with a recycled ribbon. Something useful and an extra gift! Just cheapy ones usually (19p from A*da or somesuch), but if its a special gift I go out of my way to find a patterned one that suits the recipient, or handmake.

If a gift is bigger I try to put it in a recycled basket with a teatowel covering the opening, or a recycled box.... I try to be creative.

Lasy year my birthday present came in a reusable bag patterned with photos of marshmellows. The stuffing to hide the gift was real marshmellows. Yum.

Decupaged tins to use as cake tins also work.

[Green Aura]

For OH's 40th birthday I used an old shoebox, downloaded pictures of events from the year of his birth (all his presents were based on the same theme). The scraps from cutting out the piccys were used to pack the box - he not only loved it he's kept the box for keepsakes, so I don't mind having printed out all the pictures.