Every year, I pick out the nicest wrap (with the grids so that I cut straight) and then painstaking fold and apply tape. All that and still the wrap is torn and crumpled up into a trash bag on Christmas morning. In less than a half hour.
No more!
The answer to my frustration came when someone turned me on to the idea of reusable gift bags. Yep, those bags at left contain presents for my son and sister-in-law.
I am hopeless when it comes to all things involving needle and thread, so I asked my crafty grandmother to make drawstring bags for me as last year's Christmas gift. I bought some cute fabric and ribbon, and gave it to her to assemble. You can find these on Etsy and there are many tutorials like this one available.
Wrapping gifts this year was a cinch (pun intended) and I am thrilled about the eco-friendliness of the whole idea. However, I'm curious to see what my extended family thinks. I'm also a little nervous about giving them to people outside the family. So, I came up with a little saying that could be pinned to the bags, in case people don't get the idea that I want my bags back:
"This wrap was meant for many friends. Kindly return or use again."
Oh, and for the record, it's December 2 and my shopping is DONE! The next post will give you a peek at the gift tracking spreadsheet I use each year.
Love it! And the note is great way to gently make sure it doesn't end up in the trash. Looking forward to hearing the response you get--both about receiving that wrapping and also how many are returned to you. =)
ReplyDeleteI've gotten so bad about wrapping presents, for that very reason--I can't stand the waste, both of time and trash. Recently I've tried to be creative in my presentation. I've even decorated the envelope from an online order (got a little sticker crazy!) and given it as is. I remember how I used to chuckle at relatives who wrapped presents in the comics. Now I'm considering it . . . .