Top 10 Alternatives to Wrapping Paper
Posted at 5:00 AM Dec 21, 2009
By Merritt Martin
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This holiday season, I'm looking for ways to be more environmentally friendly and less--oh who am I kidding? Being green is awesome, but I'm looking for ways to hide the fact that I ran out of last year's wrapping paper, am holiday-broke and I have no intention of visiting the holiday section of any store. Ever. Again. I've got gifts to cover and I'm desperate. But after looking around the house, there are actually a few options:
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10. Newsprint
Boring. But I work at a newspaper so there's plenty of it around. I love using comics, adult ads or a section that somehow relates to the gift. Would look even better if I hadn't also run out of bows. Fuck.
9. Maps
Expired Mapsco and foldout from that Kansas road trip, watch out. Good colors and who doesn't appreciate a nice compass rose and lesson in cartography every now and again?
8. Fabric
That scarf that you used for a window treatment and it's faded on one side? Dust that thing off and fold it around something. Use some scrap fabrics as ribbons.
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7. Salt crust
What? Well, I'll be honest: I was watching a Feast of the Seven Fishes special on Food Network and they salt-crusted some cod. I may or may not have also been under the influence of Tylenol-3 when I said, "I wonder if you could hide anything in a salt crust...you know, like a necklace or a Slanket." I've also considered--while sober--the variety of uses for pastry dough.
6. Glitter
If it's in shrink wrap already, roll it in glue and glitz the shit out of it. Sequins too, please.
Comments
I have a friend who every year would put his gifts into brown paper bags. He would fold them over, staple them, and give them out. Totally practical and green. :)
Posted 12/21/2009 at 11:25:42 AMAluminum foil etched with colored pens!
Posted 12/21/2009 at 02:59:02 PMI'm a big fan of taking picture calendar pages - really big picture calendars - and wrapping them around reasonably small gifts...or supplementing insufficient wrapping paper on really large gifts.
Posted 12/21/2009 at 03:30:40 PMWow, thats amazing dude! Newspaper ROCKS!
RT
Posted 12/21/2009 at 06:18:20 PMwww.anonymous-web.cz.tc
Use comics! not just ordinary newspaper
Posted 12/21/2009 at 06:28:36 PMTaking it back! = http://bit.ly/4IPtNC
Posted 12/21/2009 at 06:43:25 PMI second the old calenders and also and colorful magazine pages, and junk mail! The junk mail will be given a second chance to bring good instead of evil into someone's life!
Posted 12/21/2009 at 07:32:30 PMYou forgot my personal fav, Sheet Music. It always looks classy.
Posted 12/21/2009 at 08:48:14 PMWrap your gifts in porn!
Posted 12/21/2009 at 09:24:04 PMI like the glitter idea... Might get a little messy though.
Posted 12/21/2009 at 10:32:07 PMI wrapped a coffee can in the comics (Garfield out) to give some cookies this year. And used a shtickle leftover yarn to make a bow/pom-pom type thing that I glued on the lid. I'm sure the recipient will keep it forever and ever.
Posted 12/22/2009 at 12:11:40 PMSheet music! How could I forget?! I love using sheet music. And coffee cans are awesome for baked treats...and homemade knits (provided the edges aren't snaggy).
I'm adding calendars and junk mail to my wrapping for sure. I wish I'd had comics or porn lying around. I know some folks who'd then like the wrapping better than the gifts!
Posted 12/22/2009 at 03:14:12 PMMerritt,
Get ready to find on your desk your Chrismukkah tsotchke wrapped in yet, another common junk drawer / household find. woohoo!
Posted 12/22/2009 at 09:27:24 PMI prefer the old "ok, close your eyes now" and give it to them without wrapping. :)
Posted 12/23/2009 at 02:47:54 PMI always use newspaper, that's how everyone knows they're from me.
Posted 12/25/2009 at 09:48:32 AM