Eco Friendly Gift Wrapping

I think this is a great example of a small bit of paper adding more elegance than a lot of paper. Simple and Eco-Friendly!

This purr-fectly adorable cat was cut from a page in a partially torn book. Isn't it much more attractive and unique than a bow? The fact that it was made from something about to be discarded adds to the beauty! You can apply the silhouette technique to any shape. Simply do an online image search and print your selection on cardstock to use as a pattern. Although any Christmas shape would be lovely, think outside the box and try fruits, furniture, birds, ... the sky is the limit!

When I discovered eco-friendly felt squares I could hardly wait to use ( and re-use ) them for gift wrapping. Here are some ideas ...

You can make these envelopes easily. They are cut, folded, and the sides hot-glued. You can decorate them as much or as little as you like. I use them for giving gift cards, earrings, and all sorts of small items; it makes me particularly pleased to hear people say they will reuse the cute envelope for another purpose.

An easy way to wrap cologne, candles, lotions, things in bottles ...
check it out ...

EcoSpun felt is made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles and it's also allergy and animal cruelty free.

Clean out the glove compartment and take an outdated or unused map on a new journey. Most maps are large enough to use for wrapping books, clothing, and a number of items. The paper is a nice heavy-duty, non see-through material and is a good choice for recipients that are not into frilly packages. You can do as much, or as little, with the map as you like. This close-up shows an embellishment made from the map.

We simply rolled a ball from the pattern scraps and glued it in the center to give our pom-pom more of a flower style.