Did you know that there is a 25% increase in the amount of garbage we dispose of around the holidays? And most of it is packaging and wrapping paper. According to an article in The Atlantic (12/22/12) we spend €2.6 billion annually on wrapping paper. Wasteful!
Cloth wrapping has been used in traditional cultures for over 1,200 years and is still used today by many wise parents. Furoshiki is the ancient art of cloth wrapping from Japan which is elegant, practical and eco-friendly. In Korea it's called Bojagi and is often silk or hemp patchwork cloth.
Another advantage is that different shaped gifts are easier to wrap with cloth. Here are some ideas:
We love how simple and beautiful cloth wrap is. And your wrapping becomes another gift or can be used year after year.
Playsilks are especially beautiful as wrapping because of how luminescent and shiny the colors are. Plus, after the gifts are open the children can play with them!
Our starter set of silk wrappings is available here.
Leave a comment about your ideas for reusable gift wrapping below and enter to win a Holiday Gift Wrap Set!
Two winners will be chosen 11/14/18.
Hang them from the bottom of a chair as a stuffed animals hammock/swing.
Deborah wallis on
I purchased silks this year with this idea in mind! I also like to use wooden boxes with cotton ribbon or string year after year. Wrapping is part of the fun for me during the holidays! I love getting creative with wrapping!
Randi Gardner on
Since 2016, I have been using playsilk for Christmas and birthday wrapping. I started with wrapping the balance board. It was so much easier than paper. I also love the reusable cotton bag. The only wrap paper is from Santa Claus’s one present. It is usually recycled paper. And my girl loves to have more playsilk to dress up, sort her lego or create her own doll house.
This week to celebrate her great school accomplishment I wrapped one Lego into playsilk. Hint: buy the second hand.
Annie on
We have used left over material sewn into gift bags instead of wrapping paper. What a wonderful and beautiful way to use the silks!
Kara on
I grew up in a home where my parents actually reused Christmas wrapping paper year after year. It can be done! However, this year, with my children’s permission, I am going to wrap in my children’s artwork. Pieces of artwork that are torn off the easel are actually the perfect size for so many packages, and the paper is just the right thickness for wrapping.
Luci on
I was considering using playsilks for wrapping for my kids for the first time this year. I’ve recently been making small changes to become more eco-friendly and this is a beautiful option!
Emily on
My family had used newspapers in the past as well as the brown kraft paper that comes inside of UPS packages, then we would decorate them with evergreen branches and bows. We have reused brown paper grocery bags that we would cut down and then glue decorate ribbon to to make handles. I have also reused the small fabric bags that new sheet sets come in as reusable wrapping paper. Using scraps of fabric or leftover fabric pieces is something that have also used in the past, but using beautiful playsilks would bring it to the next level. The colors are so vibrant and beautiful it would be an absolute joy to use them to wrap my children’s gifts!
Megan Porretta on
One of my life goals is to leave as small a footprint as possible on our earth. That said, I love to wrap gifts in paper maps, trying to match people with places that are meaningful to them. Friends and family know I do this and send maps my way when no longer needed. Sometimes I find them at book sales or thrift stores. Unfortunately for me but better for the earth, new technology means fewer people need paper maps. When my stash is gone, I will recycle something else!
Marguerite Donnelly on
I’ve used paper bags and newspapers. The silks look so pretty!
Meg on
Thank you for this! I like wrapping with cut open paper grocery bags and adding old twine or wool yarn as a nice addition. This past year, I have started using Sarahs playsilks for my son too!
Wren on
I have a collection of traditional gift bags I’ve received that I’ll reuse. I’ve also used reusable shopping bags to wrap gifts. Considering using old swaddle blankets to wrap gifts this year.
Karen Lopez on
This is so much fun!! I would love to teach my children this new way to take care of our earth!! We only have one silk so far(more coming for Christmas) but I bet my daughters will love doing this in the future! The bows on top are so festive and beautiful!
Teresa McMullen on