I hate wrapping paper - what to use instead?

Mrs Manners

I think wrapping paper is a MASSIVE waste of paper, the resources to create the paper and money. I've started giving some gifts in a "gift bag" that's actually a reusable shopping bag (I buy cute decorative ones and I think most people DO end up using them later). However, even when I do that, I feel like I need to shove some tissue paper in the top to conceal the gift. We don't have a newspaper subscription so I can't use it to wrap gifts....like my grandparents used to do and back then I thought was so odd...but now I see that it was brilliant 

So...what do you use instead of wrapping paper? Or do you use recycled or some sort of alternative paper?

With a kid, I feel like we're starting to go to birthday parties all the time and someone in my huge family is always having a birthday/wedding/baby.

blue_elle

We give everything in gift bags, but everyone in our family reuses them so we know they aren't just going in the trash. My mom's started doing like you and giving gifts in reusable shopping bags which has been a big hit since it's kind of two gifts in one.

As far as how to conceal the gift in the bag, I haven't found a good way to deal with that aside from keeping the bag away from them until it's time to give the gift or using one gift to conceal another (a scarf for example). What's the point of hiding it in paper versus handing them the bag anyway - it's not any less of a gift or a joy because you didn't have to rip some paper off. We were big gift wrap people, but honestly since we switched completely to bags we haven't missed the paper and bows at all.

WendyGR

we mostly reuse gift bags as well. I don't put any tissue paper in it, I just tape the top shut. Not as cute but no one seems to mind.

jolata

I have a mountain of giftbags that i have saved so I use those.

But I saw this idea on a blog this week and thought it was cute.
Part 1 and Part 2

uncannycanuck

Some presents can be wrapped with a small extra present. Baby gifts w/ a cheap receiving blanket. Kitchen or bath gifts with a towel.

I grab the free Chinese newspaper from the grocery store and use that sometimes. 

My mom made a few and bought a few cloth gift bags with drawstrings. They're definitely reused for future gifts, and look pretty.

Durve2008

I reuse girt bags, and I have a ton of tissue paper from gifts that I received folded up neatly so that I can reuse it. 

jazzyag

I use fabric a lot.  search Furoshiki on google, it is a Japanese fabric folding/wrapping technique for bags and gifts.  it can be really beautiful.

mcgee

My mom, sister and I pass the same gift bags back and forth. I save ribbons, bows and other pretties from presents we receive and try to reuse them when wrapping gifts for someone else.

I usually wrap baby gifts in a receiving blanket, tied up with ribbon.

I once bought a roll of thick white craft paper from Hobby Lobby to use for wrapping gifts. I let my daughter draw or paint all over it first though. She got time to create, I got "unique" wrapping paper for family members.

I almost never buy bows. I usually have a great supply of ribbon on hand from various craft projects, and I use that instead. I also bought a big roll of raffia, and I'll often use that to tie up a gift. If I've wrapped something in craft paper or butcher paper, I can tie it with raffia ribbon and tuck a sprig of rosemary from our garden in the bow.

kass11

I have been eyeing these cloth options but wondering if I could make them myself:

http://www.reusablebags.com/search?q=gift+wrap&site=store&osCsid=3ea527487b43cebdd40622cd812b94d9

ksdk

Some of my friends and I wrap with fabric we already have, I use it to line drawers or set it aside for a project. But I mostly use newspaper. I've been known to go buy the paper for 50 cents if I don't have any. But I usually have saved stuff in the house to make a present work. 

treesapplaud

Depends what it is... I try and make it creative and match the gift. For a housewarming gift, I might buy a pretty kitchen towel in addition to say, a bottle of wine or a few jars of nicer spices and I would wrap it in the kitchen towel using some twine (which is compostable).

I also use newspaper, scraps of cloth (sometimes from secondhand shops) gift bags I have received, etc..

I love the idea of giving a reuseable shopping bag as a gift bag. Nice! 

ariel06

I've been wrapping things in fabric market totes (I use the tutorial on filminthefridge.com). I figure pretty much everyone can use one and it's a nice addition to the gift. 

Otherwise I reuse any paper giftbags/tissue paper people give us.

Jen&Joe06

Gift bags are great or recycled wrapping paper.

SuperGreen

For small single gifts I use our collection of re-used gift bags, I normally just take them back (before they make it to the trash can) when my mom/dad/sister has opened the gift and throw the bag to the side.  This Christmas since we had so many gifts at 2 celebrations, we used brown craft paper.  You can get it from any art & crafts store, it's soooo much cheaper than wrapping paper, it's like $3 for 150-200 ft versus $4-5 for 25 ft of wrapping paper.  We used some of it to make cat toys, and the rest we recycled.  I also used organic cotton yarn to make bows and whatnot, it came out so cute!  We used the discarded yarn on the cat toys too.  I still have a whole ton of yarn, red and green, for less than the cost of one bag of stick-on bows.

Pescalita

I save up tissue paper from purchases throughout the year, as well as paper grocery bags from when I forget my own. I decorate them with rubber stamps.

married_eg

My grandma started making fabric bags (like a pillow case) and tying the top with ribbon about 20 years ago.  My family has been passing these bags in various sizes around the family for years.  You can buy various holiday fabric on sale after each holiday.  Here is a picture of bags I made this year so you get the idea:

 

CourtneyRDH

Gift bags! I always reuse them as does my mother. We both reuse bows, tissue paper and ribbons too.