Recycle that holiday wrapping paper!

Within the next day or so, you will be wrapping your gifts for the Holidays and unless you have a trick up your sleeve, you will be using paper wrapping paper. There are alternate “green” ways to wrap gifts without filling up our landfills with holiday wrapping paper and cute ways to decorate gifts and save money.

You can wrap with scarves, and simply tie up. Wrap a bottle of wine in a newspaper, forget the bows this year! Use anything from paper bags to leftover wallpaper, and cut out images from magazines, comics, children’s drawings or old greeting cards to give your package an artistic flair. Decorate the gift with sprigs of berries, branches, shells and pinecones. Tie on raffia or yarn to add to the décor! Put your gift(s) in a recycle bag that you buy from the grocery store, it might encourage them to use it.

OK, so the gifts have been opened and you see a room full of wrapping paper, what now?

• After the holidays, use the wrapping paper to wrap your child’s books
• Use wrapping paper to cover a cork board and hang on the wall.
• Use the paper to cover the inside of the drawers or cabinets.
• Keep your paper and re-use if not too wrinkled for gifts next year.
• Give to local schools for crafts
• Keep it in the garage or under the sink. Clean windows with crumbled up wrapping paper, it is great!
• Use the paper to fill hats or boots
• Use as placements when our kids eat or craft

So, enjoy your holidays with your family and friends, and when cleaning up, remember to recycle that old wrapping paper, it won’t take any time away from your festivities, and you will feel better helping out our environment!