I can’t lie. I really, really like Christmas gift wrap. I love looking at the glowing Santas, oh-so-jolly, and the glittery snowflakes, sprinkled gracefully on the paper. In my heart I know it’s a waste – but my holiday spirit tells me otherwise.

For all other occasions I use newspaper as my gift wrap of choice, but come Christmas, I like choosing the commercialized route. But this year, I’m trying to keep my gift wrapping a little greener – and here are five ways that you can, too.

Gift bags: the no-brainer

Surely you have a pile of giftbags from past Christmases? Instead of storing them in bins or tossing them in the trash, opt to reuse for a few special folks on your list this year.

Reusable shopping bags

Give a double-duty gift with reusable shopping bags. We love this Five-Pack of Reusable Bags so you can split ‘em up and divide them among your friends and family! And each design delivers something original for everyone.

Gift within a gift

So you buy your pregnant sister a Yoga Journal and Lamaze present: Yoga for your pregnancy DVD, but need a clever way to wrap it? The perfect remedy is another gift, like this Eco Friendly Natural Bamboo Pashmina Shawl/Stole. With fourteen colours to choose from, there is something for everyone.

Our aforementioned newspaper

But how do you make it festive, you wonder? Save Christmas-driven flyers and catalogues, and cut out the holiday cheer.

Go with the glass

Finished with those olives? Polished off that mustard. That’s just great – you have yourself a few great gift holders. Rinse and dry well, stash with your gift and some paper shreds, then tie the top with a holiday ribbon.

Image courtesy of scrapbookgraphics.com

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