Birthday, wedding, anniversary, graduation, going away: the fun never ends. Neither does the gift-giving. Employ these tips and ideas to make your gift-giving easier, more frugal, and more sustainable.
Packaging as Part of the Present
The first order of business is to change the way you look at “wrapping a present.” There’s no need to go with the exorbitant amounts of tissue paper, gift wrap and bags, and bows and ribbons. Instead, look for a way to package your gift in something that is also useful and gift-worthy.
Here are some specific examples:
- An artisanal basket filled with locally produced artisanal cheeses, local honey, and a fresh loaf of bread
- A vintage lace pillowcase filled with all-natural soap, body oil, an herbal eye pillow, and a pair of organic cotton spa slippers
- An antique hatbox holding a great pair of eco-friendly sandals, chemical-free sunscreen, a bamboo sunbathing bat, and a great beach-read book
- A wooden box with a selection of high-quality tools and information about a local DIY class
- A milk crate holding notebooks and folders made with recycled paper, a good pen and pencil selection, and organic school snacks.
- A pottery bowl holding wooden salad servers, a bundle of fresh herbs, a bottle of red wine vinegar, a bottle of olive oil, and a bottle of wine.
- Annie | My Bio & Articles
One of the best gifts I ever got was an antique lapdesk from my husband; it wasn’t expensive, and something like that would be a great gift holder for a bookstore gift card or a set of monogrammed, eco-friendly stationary.
Another benefit to this type of gift-wrap is that you can make use of items you have around the house. No, don’t pull out your half-torn up cardboard box in the recycling bin; we’re going classy, not trashy. But do pull out those great vases you have but never use, or that antique pottery that just doesn’t match your color scheme, or the collection of pastel linen crates from your baby days. Those are all just waiting for new life, and using them as gift packaging is the perfect opportunity.
Read on tomorrow for gift ideas.
Image Credit: Lil Pie.
