Best Wrapping - Best of the West - gift wrap - Brief Article

Sunset, Dec, 2003 by Mary Jo Bowling, Abigail Peterson

Each year, tons of gift wrap go to landfills after the holidays are over. Here are six easy ways to cut down on waste.

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Roll it up. Soft gifts like clothing can be rolled in sea-grass beach mats or bamboo placemats or sushi rollers. Tie them up with twine for a rustic, earthy look.

Recycle old maps. Choose maps with favorite family destinations, then paste maps into scrapbooks or photo albums later.

Color-photocopy family photos. Use a collage of pictures as gift wrap; then Grandma and Grandpa can hang it on the fridge.

Fold cardboard tubes. Hide small gifts inside paper-towel or toilet-paper tubes and tuck in the tube ends. Brightly colored ribbons and gift tags complete the look.

Use recyclable newspaper. Black-and-white text and graphics look sharp with red bows. Try Asian or European papers.

Make the wrapping part of the gift. Try simple but sturdy wood or craft-paper boxes, picnic baskets, bamboo steamers, lunch boxes, Japanese bento boxes, or even plastic wastepaper baskets.