DIY gift wrap

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Not at all, most of my presents this year were wrapped in recyclable tissue paper and tied with fabric ribbon with single knots so they wouldn't be cut

And I was ather thrilled to receive a) a gorgeous foodie hamper, b) wrapped in loads of organza

Crazychik

Hi Quasar

How about this for being stingy! (your not on your own)

I always re-cycle christmas cards, by cutting the nice pics up and using them as gifts tags the following year, or even embellish them some more and make my own cards.
Any ribbons, bows etc, I use for my craft projects.
Any lovely wrapping paper (gifts to me), I tend to open carefully, cut the sellotape off, and re-use that paper for other gifts the following year. (trying to remember who gave it to me initially, so not to send it back to them)
Same with the lovely paper on crackers - I cut and re-use for HM cards!

Ive had some lovely sets this year in well wrapped decorative items, like lace, bows, ribbons etc, again - Ive carefully removed and shall use them when making cards!

Well done for you for saving/re-cycle

mary43

Crazychick you're not on you're own..............we went to see my son a few weeks ago and his MIL laid on a pre-christmas dinner, crackers - the lot. Couldn't salvage the cracker paper but the hats were good quality -not the tissue ones that tear, so I brought them home with me for card making............lol Its not being mean, its being creative.:j

lil_me

Recycling stuff had took over my dining room, all the cardboard is in there from everything, orders we've had delivered to presents. I've offered the boxes which could be used for storing/moving etc on freecycle first but I will ask whoever collects them to recycle them when finished.

I'm not crafty enough for card making etc, but my sons took anything he possibly could use to his shed for his crafts making, if it's shiney, glitters or Christmasy he's like a little magpie and scuttles off with it, saves me buying crafts stuff aswell. I do reuse the cards like Crazychik for gift tags then recycle the rest. I tend to use them for the boys presents then reuse what I can each year until they become damaged. Seen a few people before Christmas who brought gifts in nice bags, so the tags were removed and they went back out on Christmas day, will have to just keep all the leftover wrapping paper for next year.

I'm wondering where we can recycle our tree aswell, never had a real cut tree before, I don't want it to just end up on landfil which is what I was told one company who was being paid to collect them last year was doing..

candygirl

My Daughter had wrapped my presents in a velvet striped wrapping paper, which was apparently £5 a roll:eek: :eek: !!!I have saved that and other gift bags too, so no Q you aren't being stingy hun

culpepper

We are keeping all the amazon and similar boxes when we have things delivered because they are ideal for sending stuff up to the uni. They usually have quite good balloon type packing in them.
Ive got my eye on a couple of nicely shaped boxes that some pressies came in too. My daughter usually nabs the ribbons though for her craft projects.
Gift bags can be reused next year.If they have a label on,just stick another one over the top.

MRSMCAWBER

Im another "guilty" party too lol

I was sat at the dinner table eyeing up the lovely organza ribbon tied around the crackers... got all 8.. the rest are going to a Party on the 30th -guess who will be playing hunt the ribbon :-)
I also removed the lovely 3d part of the gift tags and got a lovely box of biccies in an organza bag -i was more excited by the bag..hehe

they will all be used again..everyone else opened their pressies so quickly i didn't get chance to nab anything...
Oh an mum has been grabbing empty choc boxes to keep the sugar flowers she makes nice and safe :-)....

ceridwen

You know the old phrase "Waste not, want not".

Lot of truth in some of these old phrases.

mary43

There is too. I've even wrapped presents in offcuts of pretty material when I've made curtains.
Had a lovely silver coloured tin this year with incense burners in........very small, in fact OH thought it was a tin with cigars in..........lol Shall have to think what I can use that for.
I always keep boxes of all sizes and hoard them for christmas or birthdays......mind you if I really get into this gift basket thing they might end up being surplus to requirements...........lol

Thought OH just had............we were given 5 bottles of bubble bath, tescos own, by a friend of ours who'd just bought a second hand car and found it in the boot. OH said couldn't I do something with that, like put it in another bottle................we don''t seem to get nice shaped bottles for household stuff anymore so I thought I could use his wine bottles.............wash them out thoroughly, peel off the labels, decant the bubble bath, pop on the cork, tie a ribbon round it and there's a 'free' pressie..................lol:T

taplady

You're not alone!;) I've saved a lovely metal basket type gift box that smellies came in so I can turn it into a hamper next year, will be buying stuff all year to put into it!( bogof of course;) ) and I have also saved all gift bags and bits and bobs of ribbon to reuse!
I think its great not to just throw it away!:T its also very satisfying:D