| Giving gifts is an integral part of our lives. We | | | | a small piece of screen to create paint spatter. The |
| celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, | | | | color will speckle all areas of the paper except those |
| promotions, weddings, and religious holidays with gifts. | | | | that you protected with decorative shapes. You can |
| However, consider all the giftwrap, plastic packaging | | | | let everything dry, and spatter more than once to |
| in which it is merchandised, cardboard tubes, ribbons, | | | | create interesting effects. |
| and ribbon spools that end up in landfill. Although | | | | Search the local department store or Internet to |
| some communities have recycle depots that will | | | | locate food-safe or biodegradable transparent tape |
| reprocess this garbage, many do not. Here are some | | | | and glue. Use them for wrapping instead of regular |
| eco-friendly tips for wrapping gifts. | | | | tape. |
| You do not have to purchase fancy gift boxes. | | | | You can make ribbon out of 100% wool, 100% |
| Instead, scrutinize your home for items that are | | | | cotton, or strips of old clothing cut on the bias. If you |
| usually trashed or recycled. You can turn things like | | | | know how, try to knit, crochet, or tat decorative |
| paper towel tubes, coffee tins, DVD jewel cases, | | | | ribbon. Alternatively, plaiting several color-coordinated |
| shoeboxes, and even old hardcover books into great | | | | strands together produces a nice effect. |
| containers for presents. | | | | You can decorate the outsides of packages with |
| Save advertising flyers and the colored pages of | | | | decorative buttons, shapes cut out of egg cartons, |
| your daily newspaper. They make interesting | | | | or other items that might be destined for the recycle |
| giftwrap. | | | | bin or trash. You can also crochet little snowflakes or |
| Wrap with brightly colored beach towels. Your gift | | | | flowers from 100% crochet cotton. The recipient can |
| recipient gets two gifts! | | | | use them as Christmas tree ornaments, coasters, or |
| You can decorate brown paper bags or | | | | window hangings. |
| black-and-white newspaper pages with potato | | | | You can turn old DVDs or CDs into large gift tags. |
| stamps to create unique giftwrap. The stamps are | | | | Glue the printed sides together then decorate the |
| easy to make. Cut large potatoes into halves and | | | | shiny surfaces with whatever you can dream up. If |
| carve designs into the cut surfaces. When finished, | | | | you drill a small hole near the edge of each creation, |
| dip the designs into food-safe water-based paint or | | | | your gift recipient can hang it as a Christmas tree |
| food coloring and stamp them onto the paper. When | | | | ornament or sun catcher. |
| you are finished, be sure to put the potatoes in your | | | | Be sure to include a little note with each gift. Let |
| compost bin. This is a fun activity that can involve | | | | your recipient know that the giftwrap is something |
| the entire family. | | | | special just for him or her, and ask the person to |
| You can also decorate brown paper bags and | | | | recycle or reuse it. |
| newspaper pages with spatter painting. Cut shapes | | | | (c) Copyright Kathy Steinemann: This article is free to |
| out of newspaper and place in a pattern on the page | | | | publish only if this copyright notice, the byline, and the |
| you wish to decorate. Dip an old toothbrush into | | | | author's note below (with active links) are included. |
| food-safe paints or food coloring, then scrape across | | | | |