For those of us who celebrate Christmas, it can be a time of year that’s filled with magic and sparkle. When I was a child, I loved the build-up to Christmas day. The sparkly lights. Christmas shows at school. Writing a list for Santa and buying and wrapping gifts.
And of course, I loved the excitement of Christmas morning and opening presents. We had some lovely traditions like stockings with shiny coins and a satsuma in it. We didn’t have them in our room, but under the tree with the other presents.
To be honest, other than a dolls pram, I don’t remember any of the presents I received (sorry mum!). But I remember the feelings, sounds and smells. And I also remember the mounds of wrapping paper that were left to be tidied away afterwards.
Reusable magic and sparkle
Now that I’m a parent, Christmas is a very different experience. I love being able to create magic and sparkle for my kids. But in a world that still wastes so much, I want to teach them that the sparkle doesn’t have to cost a lot. And can be things that are used time and time again.
My eldest daughter’s favourite present from last year is a pink planner I gave her. It was my planner which I’d bought a few years ago, but didn’t do what I needed it to so didn’t use it much. I took out all the used pages, and bought a few new ones – some with squares, some coloured paper – and gave it to her. She has spent hours writing in it. She uses the squared sheets to do some maths and has written some lovely little stories in it.
A lot of the gifts her younger sister received were her toys she’d grown out of. Our eldest daughter loves that Santa re-used things.
Reusing doesn’t have to be limited to passing on gifts that are no longer used. The Christmas stockings I loved seeing every year as a child, were made by my mum. They were made from a burgundy velvet material, with a white fluffy bit at the top. I knew it was getting close to Christmas when they appeared in the living room.
Reusable fabric wrapping and table accessories
Reusable stockings, advent calendars, wrapping, and table decorations not only help you create Christmas traditions that make the time of year special. But they help reduce the amount of waste that’s thrown out which pollutes our beautiful planet.
We haven’t used paper wrapping for a few years now. The first year we did it, I was worried the kids would be disappointed there wasn’t any paper to tear off. But they weren’t in the slightest bit bothered. They just wanted to see what was inside!
And the best bit for us as busy parents, is it is so easy to clear away afterwards. No overflowing bin. Just a neat little pile of fabric wrapping sheets and bags, ready to be put away and be used next year.
Reduce waste
In the UK, we use 227,000 miles of wrapping each year which means most households use around four rolls of wrapping paper each. Of that, over 83km2 ends up in our bins. Paper is one of the main things that we can recycle. However, not all wrapping paper is recyclable.
Therefore using reusable wrapping has a massive impact on the amount of waste dumped in landfill. For me, it’s a no-brainer. Reusable wrapping sheets and bags are better for the environment and are SO much easier to clear away. And whilst it may cost more initially, it is so much cheaper in the long-run, than buying rolls of wrapping paper every year.
We have a range of reusable fabric wrapping options in our shop, as well as reusable cracker kits. The crackers come flat – all you need to do is add a cardboard tube (or rolled up piece of cardboard) and a gift, roll it up and fasten it. You’ve then got a stunning, unique addition to your Christmas table.
The fabric we use is mainly end-of-line or leftovers that would otherwise be thrown out. So our products are unique and no two are the same.
Click here to see our full range.
To get more eco-friendly tips that save you money too, click here.
I’m still trying to use up paper from donkey’s years ago because now our nephews and niece are older they just get money rather than gifts that need wrapping. I’d aimed to make my own gift bags – but I’m not sure people would give them back to reuse the following year.
We tend to use reusable fabric ones for family and then reuse either paper gift bags or boxes for people who aren’t likely to give them back. I guess it could be part of the gift and then they can use them the following year.