Reusable Fabric Gift Bag Question

The fabric bags are easy to make. We used to sell them years ago in our gift shop. Essentially they look like pillow cases with draw strings at the top..

They came in all sorts of sizes and fabrics with cording or pretty ribbons for the draw strings.

We then also sold the fabric "wrap" that was like a large square with long ends that you wrap around a box and tie the ends together into a bow.

Again, they came in all sizes and fabrics..

Some of these were as small as a fabric napkin and some as large as a square table cloth.

We also sold fabric covered boxes. with pretty ribbon attached.

All of these were expensive and we did not sell many at the time. But I thought they were very clever.

I cannot find that vendor on line, but here are the current products it looks like.

http://www.lnt.com/show_product/263437-15/?utm_source=fro...

http://www.kraftykatscuriosityshop.com/kr-mi00002.aspx

http://www.ecowrap.com/fabric-gift-wrap.html

http://www.fabricwrapper.com/

I think they said something about felt bags for Santa.

We reuse some wrapping paper if it's not Santa's paper and if the kids didn't destroy it in the process.

We also reuse boxes and bags (not felt) if they are in good shape. SD joked that one box had seen at least 3 years of use. Yup, and I packed it up to use again. We just put a new sticker on it for the next recipient.

I'm sure if you googled you would find more alternatives to paper that is tough to recycle or find recycled paper. OR you can get big sheets of blank paper, some stencils (or cookie cutters) and make stamps with sponges and let the kids decorate the paper for next year. Art and function. Is any of the packing you get paper you can recycle with some artsy stuff?

There are many ways to be greener with wrapping. Like using twine vs ribbon or packing it back into the Amazon box and using that vs buying another box to wrap it in.

We also give a cardboard box to each kid and at the end of the presents, everybody has a box of loot to take to their room. When they are done, we either put them out on Freecycle for people moving (and the packing materials, too) or put them out for the county's recycling program.

My family also often gives nice grocery bags to adults for gifts. Not only is it a good gift wrap, but with more and more counties going to a bag tax, everybody can use/needs a reusable bag.

I always save the comics section from the newspaper to use as wrapping paper.

HTH

Ha. Too much eggnog - nah. I say just have fun with it. I use wrapping paper minimally - having fun with tissue paper, brown paper bags with raffia or ribbon, re-using gift bags, and so forth. Newspaper with a ton of green and red curling ribbon looks pretty darn cute. And if you are worried about expense - I often buy all of my years or two worth of wrapping paper and tissue paper and ribbon and tape the week after Christmas when it's on sale. Tags? Eh I like them, but this year I ran out. I just got a Sharpie for gifts for my son and wrote directly on the paper. Books and board games got wrapping paper. Consider getting larger stockings and tossing all the small gifts in there to save wrapping paper. Wrap a gift with a gift -- for my nephew I got him a shirt, and wrapped it in a reuseable hankie, tied with red ribbon. No tape, no paper, nothing to trash except the tag on the shirt. Bandanas and hankies can make pretty cool-looking wrapping. You could do that with napkins on a bride's registry. For smaller gifts, have your child color a page in his coloring book and use that to wrap the gift. Easy and 'custom' for your friend. I have used magazine pages (a cute baby) to wrap small baby shower items. Have fun with it. I don't know any websites. Sorry.

added: Oh yes forgot to add that this year, at home, I did reuse clear nylon-ish bags I've had for years. I put two small flashlights in them. I had a small cute canvas bag with a snowman painted on it that I've also had for many years. I've used that bag a few times for gifts. The problem is -- I have to make sure to keep them in the family. I know too many people who would trash it when done. So gifts for others - I often use paper. Gifts for my kids, for my husband, for my parents, SIL, etc - I will use a reuseable bag often. And for gift bags - there is one bag we've used again and again and again. Last year my SIL opened the gift b/c it had her name on it. It had my Dad's new gift of underwear in it. Oh fun! Gotta remember to put a NEW gift tag and tear any OLD ones off! (I snatched up that bag and have it in my posession now. I will make sure to clear up the bag of any other person's name before we re-use that one again.)

You could always get the brown (or white) packing paper, which is recyclable, and use reusable fabric bows.

I have 2 large ones that we received gifts in many years ago. Personally, I like the wrapped gifts.

My SIL has used aluminum foil (because shes not a wrapper and it's easy to use). Yes, it can be expensive, but could be reused or recycled.