i'm dreaming of a green christmas

Green, as in environmentally sound or beneficial.

We decided last year to discontinue our practice of purchasing gift wrap- for any occasion including Christmas. I started out making specially fitted gift bags for each of the girls' 3 Christmas gifts (more on that practice to come), and they were a big hit with the kids. We have already reused them for birthday gifts, and they will see more action shortly as we begin placing our carefully chosen gifts under the tree.

We still use some paper to wrap gifts, but it is only from reused sources. We save tissue and gift bags when we receive gifts wrapped in them, and we sometimes use various other papers such as the kids' paintings or wrapping material from breakable items purchased in stores. We do not purchase any boxes for gifts, nor do we take the "free" boxes offered at department stores. We reuse boxes from items we receive in the mail and UPS shipments, as well as gifts given to us.

Something I came across recently which is new to me this year is Furoshiki, which is a traditional Japanese form of packaging. Items are wrapped in cloth, which is usually a large square shaped piece of silk or other lightweight fabric. The cloth is then reused for other wrapping or carrying purposes later, and there is no throw-away paper involved. I found a link on a fellow blogger's site to this post about Furoshiki, and was thrilled to see it. In order to learn how to fold the fabric for a variety of different gifts, you can view this chart, or download the pdf file.

There are traditional cloths available for purchase, but I intend to embrace this custom without making additional purchases of brand new materials- using fabric I already have on hand. Some other ideas would be to give an item wrapped in fabric yardage for a friend or family member who sews, or in a pretty scarf so the recipient gets a bonus accessory as part of their gift. I will also be watching the thrift shop for inexpensive tablecloths or bed sheets that will make great Furoshiki cloths- just cut into large squares and hem the edges. Or they could even be cut with pinking shears and eliminate the need for sewing altogether.

For us, this is just another step in our journey toward a more Green existence. We do not accept disposable items as an acceptable form of convenience in our household, and look for ways to cut them out whenever possible. I'm proud to know that this choice is also being made by at least one of my local friends this year- that's 2 households on Fort Irwin which will NOT have a huge plastic trash bag filled with tissue and paper gift wrap sitting on the curb this December 26th. Well done, Susanna!

What are YOU doing to make this Christmas a Green one?