Christmas is a magical time of year but it’s also a wasteful time of year. We’re all familiar by now with the recycle, re-use, reduce mantra but many of us, it seems, are prepared to relax our principles at Christmas, particularly when it comes to wrapping presents. Even eco friendly gifts!

Here are 5 suggestions for different ways to 'wrap' at least some of your Christmas presents this year.

5 Green Alternatives to Gift Wrap

1. Old newspapers and magazines
   Presents wrapped in newspaper can look surprisingly stylish once you've added some ribbon, or brown string, and a few natural embellishments. And, if you’re really clever, you might be able to choose a section of paper that has particular relevance for your recipient, whether that be a news feature, a puzzle page or the weekly horoscopes!
2. Recycled brown paper
   As with newspaper, brown paper is a eco friendly wrapping paper and can be dressed up with ribbon and embellishments but it also acts as a blank canvas for all manner of artistic endeavours, whether that be the kids’ snowman potato stamps or stylised pen and ink holly leaves.
3. Glass jars
   Whether it be a kilner jar, a mason jar or a plain old jam jar, all manner of small gifts look beautiful contained in glass jars and the added beauty is that the jar can then be reused, again and again, for other purposes. It's a very eco friendly gift! For extra brownie points, why not have a go at making your own gifts to go in the jars. Herb-infused oils, festive candle holders and home-made truffles all look so much more professional when presented in a jar tied with a smart label.
4. Fabric
   Fabric gift bags come in all sizes and colours and are a great re-usable alternative to wrapping paper. If you can sew your own, even better. They’re also ideal for wrapping presents that are awkward shapes!
5. Christmas gift boxes
   It’s now possible to buy both wooden and cardboard gift boxes with designs as elaborate as any wrapping paper, and often with the option to personalise too. The beauty of a gift box made of card or wood is that it can be re-used, often in a myriad of alternative ways. But do make sure that your gift box, like the eco friendly gifts made by Plantabox, is made with sustainable wood.