==== ==== For all the gift wrapping ideas & tips check out this link. http://www.addyoop.com ==== ====
Do you ever begrudge the dollars it costs to purchase expensive gift wrapping papers whose sole purpose is to be screwed up ripped off and discarded and in most cases not even noticed. Well I know that I do particularly at birthdays or at Christmas time when there's usually a lot of it to purchase then you really notice the cost, not to mention the needless waste it creates, that has to be sent to our landfills, as some gift wraps can't even be recycled as they are coated with chemicals that prevent it. Here are over 20 alternatives to buying gift wrap all just as nice some even better than purchased wrapping paper. 1) Piece together used or small left over pieces of gift wrap kind of a patch work quilt effect it looks better if all your colors are in the same color theme, but is attractive even if its not. 2) Alternate gift wrap pieces like on a chess board or cut them into strips and weave them together. All it takes is a little tape or a glue stick and a little patience. Okay, maybe a lot of patience - but if you're crafty, you'll love this idea and it looks stunning 3) If you're not up to patch working or weaving pieces of gift wrap how about decoupage a box from the blue bin with bits of gift wrap and creating your own gift box 4) If it's a large heavy gift, collage a larger box add nylon rope handles and present in the same way you would a gift bag 5) Old newspapers I actually like old regular black and white news print with some added decoration use paints or markers or stamps, can be great for occupying the kids and an easy way to wrap children's gifts. If you give the news print it a quick spray with hair spay (alcohol based) it fixes the ink and stops it from transferring can also be used for magazine print. 6) or magazines use whole pages or cut out flowers ,cars blank pieces of solid color to use as decorative pieces on plain papers. 7) Or colorful store flyers, in the same way 8 ) Use the funnies from the Sunday paper the cartoons are often in color and make great paper for wrapping gifts for men or children. 9) Another great free gift wrapping find, for boys of all ages are the free trucking papers and magazines found at truck stops displaying the big rigs. 10) Similarly use old maps as gift wrap either from an old map book or the tourist or state maps that you pick up at visitor centers or rest stops along most big highways. Not suggesting you
should take them just to use as gift wrap but usually people on trips acquire them as a part of their trip, my husband does but then he's a trucker. 11) Pages from old telephone directories white pages or yellow or both make wonderful and plentiful alternative gift wraps, add color with markers, paint, stamps, make a potato stamp or use leaves to print a design this is for fabric but can just as easily be used for on paper. 12) Use old seed and bulb catalogue pages, especially appealing to gardeners 13)Another great idea for gardeners and gardening gifts is to gather the gift into a piece of window screening mesh the nylon not the metal kind just as you would a piece of fabric and fasten it together with some garden ties or string add other pieces of out door embellishments to it such as leaves or dried flowers 14) Consider old paper shopping bags, cut flat, and reversed so store logos don't show 15) Or brown paper lunch bags to wrap smaller gifts. 16) Don't forget about re using regular gift paper bags if handles have snapped cut bag up and use as wrapping paper 17) Last year's calendar. Several of the glossy photos from last year's calendar make a beautiful gift wrap, and it's basically free! 18) Fabric. There are a huge number of sites promoting environmentally-friendly fabric gift bags. Dig through your fabric remnants or old brightly colored clothes that you don't wear any more and make your own. If you're in a rush, or don't or can't sew you trim the raw edges of the fabric and gather the loose ends up in to an elastic band and tie with a ribbon looks just as good as the fabric bag and the recipient can use the fabric piece for what ever they like. DIY fabric gift bags just like making a pillow case. 19) If you're stuck on the idea of a bag consider using a clean old pillowcase 20) Or a cheap dollar store new one these can be reused by the recipient, or passed on to others. As you can see utilizing other items as alternative gift wrap is not only kind to your purse but gentler on the environment
About this Author Article written by Wanrey of Pages from the heart. A unique Canadian handcrafted gift in the form of a book, left open at a much loved page, Made with real books rescued from the recycling, a gift of poetry and images, displayed in an often sentimental styled ornamental keepsake gift. [http://gift_books.wandasworx.com/]
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wanda_Reynolds
==== ==== For all the gift wrapping ideas & tips check out this link. http://www.addyoop.com ==== ====