Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String…?

Here at Mike’s, we try not to use carry bags for customer purchases. If we do, we make sure they are nicely decorated and reusable. What we DO use is a couple of pages of the newspaper, which we make into a little bag by stapling the sides and bottom securely. Then we get a loop of whatever ribbon or string we have found at the op shop and staple that into the folded over top. Voila. Bag! Free! Recycled! Nice! Caring! OK, I’ll stop.

There are lots of green wrapping ideas to be had on the blogs this season. I think it’s really important to choose your wrapping wisely. It’s easier on the pocket and on the Earth too! Share your favourites, if you like… here are some of mine!

Lovely Mayamade has a fab tutorial on her green wrapping solution over here. The very excellent Georgie Love has the best wrapping technique I’ve ever seen here (and I kind of share her sentiment!)

You’ll find Eco-Chick’s rundown of the kindest ways to wrap here (including a cute picture of my craft-crush Amy Butler!), Treehugger’s guide to eco-wrapping here, celery printed wrap over at Creature Comforts, potato printed wrap instructions here, eraser block printing here,

That’s a whole lot of wrapping! PLUS… here’s a list of things I like to wrap with, which are recycled or recyclable!

• Vintage Dressmaking Patterns
• Newspaper
• Wax Paper
• Baking Paper
• Old Maps from National Geographic
• Old Calendar Pages
• Damaged Books
• Vintage Fabric
• Tea-Towels
• Pillowcases
• Vintage Tins
• Sandwich Bags
• Old Jars With New Labels
• Vintage Atlas Pages
• Old Street Directories
• Old Dictionaries
• Old Technical Books of Any Kind
• Big Brown Envelopes
• Small Yellow Envelopes
• Airmail Envelopes
• Brown Mailers tied up with String
• Accessorise with old stamps, rubber stamps, storybook pictures, buttons, elastic bands, string, luggage tags, yarn, ribbon, lace, shoelaces, deco tape, electrical tape, stickers, labels, little Christmas decorations, tinsel, hardware like nuts and washers… use your imagination!

How about you? What will you wrap with? Any hints or tips or links we might all share?!

xx Pip