Zero waste gift wrap ideas for dressing up your presents while being super eco-friendly!
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Raise your hand if you currently have a large gift bag full of other gift bags in your house somewhere?
And maybe you and your family keep passing back and forth between each other instead of every buying new bags?
I know I do!
It might seem like a silly thing to do, but I love it! Because reusing gift bags is one of the easiest ways to start a zero waste gift wrap habit.
For a gift wrap to be zero waste, it should be something that can be reused, created out of something that is recycled, or recyclable in some way.
There are loads of ways to wrap a present in a zero waste way.
Some of these zero waste ideas might already be floating around your home:
Glass jar
Brown paper bag
Newspaper
Decorated cardboard box
Book pages
Brown packaging paper
Basket
If the idea of plain brown packages or newsprint isn’t your thing, you can always add stamped images or chalk paint designs. Even simple polka dots could dress up your upcycled packaging nicely!

Some zero waste gift wrap ideas could be incorporated into the present to make it more of a theme.
Think about using one of these :
Scarf
Handkerchief
Cloth napkin
Knitted hat
Tote bag
Tea towel
Terracotta planter

Don’t forget about adding some embellishments to the top of your gift!
Zero waste gift toppers can really pretty-up your reusable wrapper.
Some ideas could be:
Flowers
Leaves
Natural twine
Fresh herbs
Tag made from an upcycled greeting card or junk mail
Scrap ribbon, string, or yarn
For a really fun wrapping that is the definition of zero waste, check out this plantable paper.
The paper can be used for small gifts and actually grows flowers when its planted afterward!
Be aware that some storebought wrapping paper is recyclable! Not usually the super-shiny kind, though.
I’m sure that there are tons of zero waste gift wrap ideas that I haven’t thought of.
If you have any thoughts, please leave a comment below! I’d love to include more ideas!
