by Krystal Russell

Created on: November 10, 2008   Last Updated: January 31, 2010

If you're looking for an affordable and creative way to wrap your gifts this holiday season while keeping your eco-footprint as tiny as possible, look no further! Here you'll find several easy techniques and unexpected materials for wrapping presents that are probably already in your home!

Aluminum Foil

The best perk for wrapping with foil is there's no tape requiredjust fold, pinch, and crinkle to your heart's content! It's already shiny, but you can customize each gift by rubbing the foil over different textures (like cooling racks or pineapples) pre-wrap. It's incredibly easy to open, and best of all, it's recyclable!

Newspaper

Start saving those newspapers now and you'll have enough to wrap a department store's worth of gifts.

The comics have the most color, but feel free to put secret messages in the crossword puzzles or circle unusual classified ads. If you want to be extra artistic, break out the markers and add some holiday cheer to those glum news stories. When the holidays are over, you can recycle all your wrapping paper!

Egg Cartons

For a dozen eggs, you can get 6 tiny boxesperfect for jewelry, candy, or small toys. Cut a half-circle out of two opposite sides of each cup to help them fit together and tie the box closed with ribbon, or punch holes around the edges and lace the two halves together. Then decorate your tiny box! Use cardboard cartons for a more biodegradable package.

Fabric

If you don't have a sewing basket on hand, most craft stores have remainder bins where you can get fabric for a few cents. This can be a fun, reusable way to wrap your holiday gifts! With paints, markers, or bleach pens from the laundry room, you can create personalized designs for each gift.

Furoshiki-Style Wrapping

This is a fun way to wrap gifts with fabric or newsprint. From Japan, this wrapping style uses folds and tucks to wrap objects without tape. It's fun to do, easy to open, and will probably not be done by anyone else at your Christmas party! You can find directions (complete with pictures) at www.furoshiki.com.

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