For generations, the conservationist behaviors of baby boomers have been mocked. I can't tell you how many people laughed at my grandmother for washing and reusing Ziploc bags, or for wrappng gifts in the funnies section of the paper. But in today's society, her attitude has triumphed. People all over the world are turning to "eco-nomical" logic to preserve the world. What better place to start making green logic than with our "White Christmas"? Here are a few suggestions for making your holiday a little more green.
First, "think outside the box". Clothing does not need to be wrapped inside a box. When folded neatly, clothing and blankets can be stacked into a plush, rectangular shape that is perfect for wrapping. Just tie the neatly-folded clothing with ribbon before wrapping to make sure the fabric maintains its geometric shape. In addition to clothing, shedding excess packaging when shopping for jewelry and toys is helpful as well. Instead of reaching for a cardboard earring or pendant box, try enclosing the jewels between two seashells. Or, if you must use a box, make an origami box out of pretty paper that will double as a keepsake when the joy of opening the gift is done. You might also consider wrapping jewelry in a music box, or wrapping clothing in tissue paper salvaged from last year's gifts.
Instead of giving greeting cards with gifts, why not give a book? Find a nice storybook or coloring book for the child in your life and inscribe the inside cover. Go to a library book sale, flea market, antique store, or a used bookstore to find some hardcover books and inscribe them. Another option for greeting cards is to recycle your junk mail into flower seed paper by blending the shreds with water in a food processor, adding flower seeds, and molding into creative shapes. SImply make a deckle out of an old screen and an old wooden picture frame by hammering the screen to the frame. Blend paper to a pulp in a blender, add seeds (after blended), and then pour it into a basin of water. Scoop out paper until it coats the deckle evenly, then flip it over onto a piece of wax paper or a towel. Tap the soggy paper "out" after about a minute and let dry.
Next, try making your gift wrap part of the present. Give wine wrapped in a table runner tied with a piece of ribbon. Attach wine charms in lieu of a plastic bow. Wrap up all the fixins for a romantic meal in a checkered tablecloth inside a picnic basket for your parents. Wrap picture frames or glasses in reusable linen napkins. Wind scarves around Snowman kits and fasten mittens to the outside for embellishment. Wrap baby dolls in receiving blankets, pinned at the corners with diaper pins. Encase superhero toys in costume capes for make-believe fun.
Other green wrap might include dried grass, birch bark, corn husks, and raffia. Many places offer gift wrap made from bamboo, an incredibly renewable resource that regenerates more efficiently than trees. You can wrap gifts in the pages of a magazine, or the pages from your previous year's calendar - calendars often have beautiful images just begging to be repurposed. Wrap gifts in scrap fabric, lace, tablecloths, and other bits of fabric. One method is to wind your gift up inside a ball of lace and ribbon - half the fun is unwinding the gift! You might even take a comical turn and wrap a gift in "stress-relieving" bubble wrap, or the Sunday comic strips from your local newspaper.
The real key to green gift wrap is exercising your creativity and turning toward renewable resources over the non-biodegradable plastics and wasteful paper versions of our gift-giving past. Use your imagination and this holiday can be both fun and ecologically friendly at the same time!