Following on from Second Hand Presents

scuzz

I re-use wrapping paper. Infact one of my friends knows me so well, she hands the paper back to me when she's unwrapped the present!

I tend to get the metallic stuff from pound shops, as they crease and tear less easily I find. So easier to reuse it.

We recently had a big clear out and found tonnes of paper from about 15 years ago - loads of it we've pulled out to reuse!!

Lillibet_2

[quote=thriftlady
Lilibet do you make your 'reuse' labels,or is there somewhere I can buy them?[/quote]

I make them, I print them out (using draft format to save ink) using sheets of avery lables (Dad got them free) & also include my return address bit on the bottom. They would be easy enough to hand write, or even write straight onto the packaging though if I didn't have the lables etc.

HTH;)

pavlovs_dog

thats a really good idea lillibet.

we always save and reuse jiffy bags and boxes for ebay packaging. we try to keep postage cost down anyway because we are recycling packaging, but i think i may start doing that anyway.


as an aside, for those of you who reuse envelopes, you can buy special stickers from oxfam etc to stick over the orignial address details - so people can see you are supporting a good cause, and not just being stingy

sophistica

I have got 2 books on gift wrapping and I have learned some simple and very cheap ways to make a gift look fab and expensive using decorations and ribbon/braid etc. I think it is worth making the effort to wrap things nicely.

Murtle

my mum still has our Christmas wrapping paper from years ago in her cupboard, she'll use it again rather then chuck it, you can see all the tape marks from where it's been used year on year!! Still makes me smile

calleyw

Lillibet wrote:

I've taken it one step further. On the odd occasions that I give a "proper" birthday/xmas/occasion card as opposed to an e-card I don't write on or seal the envelope unless it's going through the post, that way the envelope gets re-used too.

You are not my mum in disguise are you :rotfl:

That is what she does. Or even writes in pencil some times on it so that I can rub it out.

I was naughty I stuck down but did not write on the envelope of my fathers days card

I do use paper and gift bags where I can.


Yours


Calley

Jays

Slightly different, but I used to use the return envelopes that came with the junk mail, for my children's dinner money when they were at infant and junior school.

Have not managed to re-use wrapping paper, but do re-use the gift bags, and buy cheaper packs of bottle bags when I see them, ready for Xmas (usually in Asda).

Jays

filigree_2

I confess to getting really frustrated when people rip paper to bits when opening a present. If they open it carefully I gather up the used paper and I'll cheerfully admit that it will get used again. My family are all trained to hand over bows and gift tags, after all this time they just think it's funny and don't seem offended. They spend silly money on posh gift wrap, it would choke me to throw it in the bin!

If the paper is a bit tatty you can trim it a bit and use it for wrapping a smaller gift next time round.

Something else to try is to wrap gifts without any sticky tape at all. It can be done, it's hard to explain but it's a knack that comes with practice. All you need is a teensy bit of tape or tie a ribbon (reuse the ribbon) to hold the paper together. No more torn paper

juno

I don't show my sellotape, which makes it even easier to reuse paper as the sellotape is then stuck to the "wrong" side and can't fetch off much of the print.

jessicamb

I always reuse gift bags - normally if I'm buying them I dont write the tag so other people can use them too.