by Linda St.Cyr

Created on: November 09, 2008   Last Updated: November 14, 2008

Green living is on everyones mind and it should be one of the first things we think about when it comes to the holidays. Winter holidays often require the wrapping and giving of gifts. More often than not we fill up our garbage without second guessing the effect it will have on our environment. Some of us may even recycle it but there are much better ways to avoid the dangers of glossy wrapping paper and yet still remain festive.

Green gift wrapping is better for the planet and can make an ordinary gift extraordinary. These 5 ideas for green gift wrapping will not only let you use your imagination to give a gift but also give back to the earth by not creating waste.

#1 Tote Bags as wrapping. Tote bags are an especially wonderful way to go green even for the holidays. You can get them in solid colors, with designs or with logos and slogans. They also come in many sizes so that you can put a gift that is small or large into one. These are also perfect because they can be reused for other gifts, groceries or for storage.

#2 Recycled Gift Wrap is a great option for greener gift wrapping. Watch the labels and look for special festive wrapping paper that is already made from recycled materials. This item can be re-recycled after its use but just purchasing it is good for the environment.

#3 Newspaper comics are a fun way to wrap presents. These often just pile up until we throw them away or recycle them with the newspaper. The holidays are the perfect time to use newspaper comics to your advantage. Not only can the paper be recycled but it makes the gift entertaining before its opened.

#4 Fabric is a favorite material for greener wrapping. Fabric can be bought in great quantities at an inexpensive cost. It can also come in festive or solid designs and patterns. Cutting the fabric to fit the gift saves you from wasting paper. This is also a great way to give a quilter or seamstress a gift because the scrap fabric will get used over again.

#5 Reusable holiday tins add a new twist to gift wrapping a present. Holiday tins range in prices however most are inexpensive. They come in an amazing quantity of designs, shapes and themes as well as sizes. They can be reused for other presents, as decorations for the home or candy displays.

Living green is something that should be done year round including the holidays. There is no better way to show the earth how much you care than to go green with your wrapping paper this season.

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