Get crafty this holiday season with original and beautifully ordinary packaging materials
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1 /8 Photo by Jeffery Cross; written by Jess Chamberlain Reusable fabric wrap
Make the wrapping part of the present. Cotton wraps such as the one at left, which are often made with environmentally gentle soy-based inks, are a beautiful and reusable way to present a gift.
2 /8 Photo by Jeffery Cross; written by Jess Chamberlain Floral wrapping paper
Stock up on 100% recycled papers. They're out there and often come in whimsical prints, like the floral one above, that won’t feel stale come January.
3 /8 Photo by Jeffery Cross; written by Jess Chamberlain Accessorized scrap paper
Recycle your own newspapers, magazine pages, or junk mail as gift wrap. Add a bit of greenery (here, rose hips and redwood sprigs) for color and a festive scent.
4 /8 Photo by Jeffery Cross; written by Jess Chamberlain Stamps on kraft paper
5 /8 Thomas J. Story Magazine pages
This material makes the perfect wrapping for small boxes. Look for sheets with large and colorful images, graphic prints, or old-fashioned black-and-white type.
6 /8 Thomas J. Story Recycled cloth
Use neatly pressed fabric remnants from sewing projects for soft or hard-to-wrap objects. Cut, fold, and punch holes into pages from old calendars or prints to make gift tags.
7 /8 Thomas J. Story Jam jars
Reuse jam jars for items such as jewelry. Cover lids with fabric secured with glue.
8 /8 Thomas J. Story Paper bags
Shredded paper lines the inside of a shoe box covered with a paper grocery bag. To dress up packages and add color, tie with vintage ribbon.