Just a friendly reminder as you unwrap all your gifts this year to save that paper {those gift bags, too!}. I’m not sure who decided that wrapping paper and gift bags in perfectly reusable shape were a one-and-done item. It’s crazy talk to me! People unwrap and then toss. Or even crazier, pull out an item from a gift bag and toss. The bag was barely even touched!
You are throwing away money, people.
And depending on how frequently you attend baby showers, birthday parties or buy presents for holidays, that adds up. I haven’t had to buy bags OR wrapping paper for 3 years now. THREE YEARS! I simply carefully fold up the paper or the gift bags after the present opening and then store them on a shelf in the closet until they are needed. I even save tissue paper if it’s in great shape!
So the next time you tear into a present, pause before you go to town on the paper. Saving that paper instead of chucking it is a great penny pinching tip!
Do you save wrapping paper? What about gift bags? Anyone save tissue paper?
Not wanting to re-gift those bags or that wrapping paper? Here are 12 Clever Ways to Re-Use Wrapping Paper.
Kristina says
I’m a big fan of real ribbon for the same reason. It is so much easier to untie and save than paper or plastic ribbon, plus it is so much nicer and prettier. ( There are some of my relations who are OFF the list for nice ribbon, because I know they will throw it away, lol.)
Deborah from FL says
Gift bags, yes. Wrapping paper, it depends. Decorative touches (bows etc), yes!
I haven’t bought gift wrap supplies for at least 5 years, except for tape. 🙂
Kathy says
I’m a HUGE fan of saving gift bags (and boxes!), wrapping paper not so much unless it is in pristine condition. Tissue paper…YES! Makes for great padding on those delicate items wrapped in a box. Also ribbon, as the MIL (mother in law) used to make fabulous bows from real ribbon, she used to be a professional gift wrapper at a department store.
Rubi says
Hi Mavis!
I’m definitely an advocate of recycling and find buying paper and ribbon a real waste of resources (and money)!
A long time ago I used up left over paper to ‘permanently’ wrap boxes and their lids so that I could just put the gift inside and tie up with a reusable ribbon that I stored in the box when not in use. And gift bags/tissue received are always reused!
In recent years I stopped buying ‘stuff’ and we don’t really do presents anymore but if I need to wrap something, I find brown paper bags and biodegradable ribbon like raffia to be really effective, and pretty if I stamp or paint some designs on them. Or, I will use reusable fabric and trim to wrap presents, which don’t require any glue or tape if you do it right. (A great way to recycle old un-donateable clothes too!)
Check out the long practices Japanese tradition of using decorative two-sided cloth to wrap gifts etc. It’s smart, pretty, and green!
FUROSHIKI
https:// en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furoshiki
Sandra says
When I was just out of college and had no money, I reused wrapping paper by first ironing it with a dry iron. That sharpened it up so it looked new. Just keep the iron moving, and don’t let it scorch. Don’t try it with the foil or Mylar wrapping paper, though!
Mavis Butterfield says
Love it! I don’t think I’ve ever tried to iron gift wrap before. Thanks for the tip.
lynne says
I save it all as well, and though I don’t iron it, my sister does – we tease her unmercifully :-). My hubster gets one gift at Christmas that’s wrapped in all the little scraps of paper that are of no use otherwise – it’s kind of a long-standing joke, but hey – I’m a quilter, and this is just a “quilted” present, right??
Mavis Butterfield says
Oh I LOVE the idea of the “quilted wrapping paper.” Totally going to use that idea next Christmas. LOL.
Jen Y says
I save it all though I’m a little more picky than I used to be. I can’t seem to out give my friends & family & was being over run with wrapping supplies. I reorganized & donated many gift bags, began using the not-so-new ones as trash bags in my bedroom & only keep ribbon & nice bows, not the cheap plastic ones. I can’t remember the last time I bought Christmas paper.
This year, I’m wrapping my husband’s gifts in newspaper….because that’s what he wanted. 🙂
Beverly says
I save all of it. I am a little picky about the tissue paper. I buy it right after Christmas
when it goes on sale.By saving all these it saves me money and time.I like to keep anything that can be reused or passed on to someone else.
Love your website and that Lucy puggles is the cutes ever!
marie says
I save all ribbons, bows, paper and bags to recycle again. We even have a tradition that one box is dated and who got it, after 15 years we had to retire the box as it had gotten too bad and mostly held together with tape. It was fun to read who had received “the box” and for what occasion, Christmas, birthday, graduation, Mothers Day, etc.
Marcia says
two of my brothers in law are still exchanging the same Christmas card. It’s been 30 years.
CathyB says
I save boxes, gift bags and ribbons/bows, but not usually wrapping paper. I find that it is just hard to store the scraps in a way that keeps them looking nice – if i fold it then the crease is always in the middle of where I wanted it to be flat. If I try to roll it up around a tube the little pieces always fall out. I never can find the right size I need…..Just not worth my time to make it look new again. A couple of really nice big rolls of wrapping paper can last many years. (I will use craft paper or newspaper if I am wrapping a giant box.) I do however reuse gift bags and bows for years and years – but I will toss them when they start to look scraggly.
M says
I want to go to the Japanese tradition of wrapping in cloth, but I would only do that within my own family as I know others would just throw it away.
Unfortunately, every time I try saving gift wrap, my family just throws it away anyway stating that it’s really cheap to just buy more. That isn’t the point! It is so wasteful!
Coleen says
I save gift bags, boxes and bows to reuse and the tissue paper is used to wrap up all the Holiday decorations that are stored. As fas as gift wrap goes, it gets torn to shreds when everyone opens their gifts…..
Marcia says
wrapping paper, no. My boys destroy it.
gift bags and tissue paper yes
Cass says
I’m with all of the above….throwing out gift bags and boxes is a total waste. I will admit that I do throw out wrapping paper….but I use it to start the wood stove….so not a total waste. Bows? Don’t use them any more….no one, in my family, pays attention to the outside any more….so I save by not using them. If someone puts a bow in my gift, I do save it for future use, tho. (usually used for gifts to folks outside the immediate family, who still notice the little touches)
I save the tissue paper inside the box it was folded to fit, so when I go to wrap a gift, I just grab the right size box and the tissue is already inside the box. (replaced if it gets ratty looking, but I have used the same tissue paper in 2 of my boxes for almost 10 years.)
I have never had anyone even notice that I am reusing a bag, box or tissue paper….perhaps they are concentrating on the gift inside?
Renee says
I bought Christmas cloth on sale and made present bags with tie strings. I hope everyone likes them this year.