by B. Taylor

Created on: November 09, 2008   Last Updated: January 31, 2012

It is easy to create earth-friendly gift wrapping. The following creative ideas will give you enough variety to wrap beautiful, individualized presents and keep your holiday green.

PAPER AND PAINT

Make your own lovely gift-wrap! Purchase a large roll of recycled paper at your local craft store or Discount School Supply online. Also try opening up brown paper shopping bags, decorating them and using as wrapping paper.

In addition to paper, Discount School Supply has a great selection of non-toxic acrylic paints (which are water based.)

Stamping:

Start by cutting an apple in half. Pour a small amount of paint onto a paper plate. Dip the flat side of the cut apple into the paint and stamp a design on your paper. Afterward, take a small paintbrush and add little stems and leaves to each stamped apple.

Sponging:

Achieve fabulous results with little effort by stamping with a big sea sponge. They are easy to find at hardware, craft supply, and beauty supply stores. Dip the sponge lightly in the paint. Dab it on another paper plate to remove the excess, then touch it repeatedly to your paper for its own unique effect.

Combing:

Take a wide paintbrush and cover the whole paper with one color of paint. While the paint is still wet, take a comb and run it over the paper, the same way you would through your own hair. Let the design dry.

Experiment by using wide and fine tooth combs, and also by creating strait and wavy lines.

FABRIC

Fabric remnants can be bought in small bundles in any notions department or store. . Remnants tend to be relatively small. They are wonderful for wrapping small boxes.

RIBBONS

There are ribbons to match each type of earth-friendly wrapping paper.

If you take pinking shears and cut remnants into long pieces, the fabric becomes a colorful replacement for ribbons, and looks best over solid-color wrapping, such as recycled rolls of colored paper.

Premier Packaging makes an assortment of biodegradable raffia. You can purchase natural, matte colors or more colorful alternatives. Read about Premiere Packaging's Green Program here.

Raffia looks best along with more colorful papers, such as recycled white paper that you painted using one of the above methods.

When you use brown paper shopping bags as wrapping paper, natural hemp twine gives the appropriate rustic touch.

Cotton or wool yarn adds a nice, earth-friendly touch when used as ribbon, and goes extremely well with fabric wrapping.

These ideas will get you started. Have fun and experiment to come up with your own projects, as well!

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