Get Creative with These 10 Sustainable Gift Wrapping Ideas

1. A Beautiful Digital Gift with GroupTogether

If you're a busy mom or gift organizer for work or school, this is for you.

Group gifts are a great way to give more sustainably – give one great gift that someone REALLY wants instead of less "stuff" that ends up in a landfill or in the back of a closet.

With GroupTogether, everyone can chip in online and sign a digital card. Then, you can give a beautiful digital gift for a zero-waste option:

• Choose Your Group Gift: The best zero-waste gift is the GroupTogether AnyCard. It's a digital gift card that lets the recipient choose from 150+ leading brands to pick a gift they REALLY want.
• Give Your Gift & Card: While you have the option to print and physically give your gift and card, for a more sustainable option, simply forward it along as an email or share as a URL. If you're giving a group card & eGift Cards, they'll be all included together.
• Receiving the Gift: The recipient will open their card online and see a beautiful digital gift box unwrap to reveal their gift and card.

GroupTogether offers customized digital group card designs for everything from farewells to birthdays.

Your group card can also be signed by unlimited people with an unlimited message length. You can even upload photos and GIFs.

We're all about helping you do good things for the people in your life.

2. Fabric wrap

Get creative with fabrics you already have around the house, like old blankets or curtains, or your kids' old clothes or patterned tea towels.

You can also find tailored fabrics at specialty shops. For an even more sustainable option, choose materials with a low carbon footprint, such as organic cotton. You can purchase them in bulk (multiple yards), customize them with your desired shapes and sizes, and then sew or trim the frays to prevent unraveling.

If you don't want to spend too much time measuring and sewing, ordering pre-cut and sewn fabric gift wrap (from Etsy, for example) is a great time-saver.

Furoshiki, a traditional Japanese gift-wrapping method, is becoming more popular. All you need is a two-sided square cloth and some basic folding skills (you can find great tutorials on YouTube).

3. Old magazine or newspaper

Get creative with the old newspapers and magazines lying around your house and turn them into cute and eco-conscious gift wrap in no time. Here are some ideas:

• Use the comic section of a newspaper for wrapping gifts for kids. Head to the sports or culture section for adults.
• Transform magazines into glossy ribbons and bows.
• For the travel lover in your life, use an old map or page from a road atlas for a unique touch.

Bring new life to something simple and inexpensive with a little creativity and a fun craft project to do with kids.

4. Mason jars and glass jars

Here are some ideas for putting together amazing gifts in a mason jar:

• Food gifts: Give cookies, candy, or other tasty treats in a jar as a thoughtful and waste-reducing gift, being mindful of any food allergies.
• Decorated jars: Decorate a jar in a festive theme to give as a home decoration gift.
• Jar vases and planters: Give flowers or plants in a mason jar as a beautiful gift.
• Homemade bath and body gifts: Package homemade bath and body recipes, like sugar scrubs or bath bombs, in a jar.
• Gift containers: Use a jar as a container for small gifts instead of wrapping paper.

5. Kraft paper

Butcher/Kraft paper is a highly sustainable gift-wrapping option.

It is easily accessible, affordable, and offers a minimalist and clean appearance that can be either composted or recycled.

Note: Avoid using waxed or oiled butcher paper, as it cannot be recycled.

Butcher paper can also be utilized to wrap holiday cookies, providing a better option compared to plastic wrap or foil. Just keep in mind that if it absorbs any oil from food, it will no longer be recyclable, although it can still be composted.

The idea of using butcher or kraft paper for wrapping gifts may not seem fancy, but a bit of creativity can go a long way. Add some charm to the plain paper with the help of dried plants, fruits, and other decorative elements to make it look sophisticated.

6. Shoe boxes or shipping cardboard

Transform those old shoe boxes or eBay boxes collecting dust in your closet into gift containers for your loved ones. Wrap them with leftover wrapping paper or get creative with ideas from this list.

Make a child's gift extra special by painting the box with chalkboard paint and attaching a piece of chalk - which makes for a fun and creative child’s gift.

Showcase your children's artwork as wrapping paper for close family members, giving the gift a personal touch. Finish it off with a touch of care by sealing the box with eco-friendly Washi Tape, which is strong, easy to tear, and removable, making it a great choice for gift boxes and wrapping paper.

7. Beeswax wraps

Beeswax wraps are an ideal option for smaller gifts. Although they may be pricier to purchase, they are relatively simple to make with various DIY recipes readily available on Pinterest.

The best part is, they double as a gift themselves! Your beeswax wraps make a fantastic addition to any present. The recipient will be able to use them in their kitchen to keep food fresh. Beeswax and cotton serve as natural, yet breathable barriers, making them a superior alternative to plastic food wrap.

Additionally, they are fully compostable. Once the wax coating has worn off, you can simply bury the wrap in your garden where it will break down and biodegrade completely, leaving no residue behind.

8. Potato chip bag (yes, really!)

If decorating with Doritos doesn’t sound like the gift-wrapping hack you had in mind, this idea may change your mind!

By turning the bag inside out, you get a shimmery, silver, and stylish recycled gift wrap.

Clean the crumbs and any oil and cut it to the desired size before wrapping. Your metallic gift will look stunning, and you'll feel good knowing that your plastic-lined chip bag has been given a second life.

9. Plants, leaves and flowers

For an earth-friendly gift, add a natural touch by skipping plastic bows or ribbons.

Instead, use elements from nature, such as rosemary, lavender, pinecones, twigs, or bark, as unique and sometimes fragrant finishing touches for zero waste wrapping.

Flowers, both fresh and dried, are also a great option. These natural materials will create a rustic appearance that will enhance your newspaper or butcher paper wrapping.

Secure the wrapping with jute or hemp twine, or weave it through several leaves to create a ring of greenery on brown paper

10. Vegetable oil stamps

Add a natural touch to your gift wrapping using wooden or rubber stamps. These stamps, when used with vegetable inks, can make your brown paper wrapping compostable and recyclable.

Get creative and try making your own patterned wrap by carving an image onto a potato and using it with paint to stamp onto the brown paper. If your local recycling program accepts painted paper, this makes for an eco-friendly gift wrap option.

Giving not only opens our hearts but can teach us to do more with what we already have.

Luckily, many items have become popular and sustainable replacements for gift wrap and no, you don’t need to buy anything new! Most of the items on this list of sustainable wrapping ideas can be found around the house.

How does that sound for some gift-giving cheer?

Sustainable gift wrapping can be for everyone. And with our list of 10 ideas, you don't need to break the bank to join the movement.

Share your creative and quirky sustainable gift-wrapping ideas with us at GroupTogether. It's time to have some fun!

Meet the experts

Ali + Julie

Co-Founders, GroupTogether.

Life’s busy. That’s why we’re here to make it easy for you to collect money from a group. Less wasted time, less packaging waste, and spending a little less but giving a lot better!