3 Tips for reusing your Gift Wrap
Did you know, the amount of waste generated at Christmas is over 15 times more than any other celebration here in the UK. To help minimise this, we wanted to give you a few quick and fun ways to give your gift wrap a new lease of life; as small conscious decisions really can make a big positive difference.
Wrap without tape
Make it easy for your gift wrap to be reused by avoiding tape.
1. Measure your present, and add an extra 2 inches to each side.
2. Lay the wrap diagonally (so it looks a bit like a diamond), with the present in the middle. Make sure the wrap covers the gift entirely.
3. With the 'diamond' corner of the wrapping paper over the top of the gift, pick up the right hand side of the paper and carefully fold it over the top.
4. Repeat step 3 with the left side.
5. Hold the wrap in place with one hand, and create a crease in the paper at the top of the present. Fold over.
6. Pop the folded paper into the bottom slot where you first wrapped. Secure with your favourite festive ribbon!
Make a star decoration
A fun activity the whole family can enjoy.
1. Cut your paper into a perfect square (it can be any size, but make sure it's not too small as it will be harder to fold!)
2. With the wrong side up, fold the paper diagonally to both points, and in half both ways.
3. Pick up the paper at the diagonal folds, and fold them both in on themselves. Allow the top diagonal corner to fold down on top, creating a perfect square.
4. Fold the edges of the square into the middle point, so your paper looks like a kite. Turn your square around and repeat this step on the other side.
5. You should have a triangle shape at the top, fold it down to create a crease.
6. Open up one side fully, but stopping at the crease in the bottom of the triangle from step 6. This will create a long kite shape.
7. Fold the piece out lengthways. Repeat this step on the other side.
8. Open up the whole piece of paper, and there will be a paper square shape in the middle. Carefully fold along each side of the 'square', and at the same time fold each of the other folds inwards. Once you've done this on each side, your piece will look like a triangle.
9. Fold each of the triangles upwards so they stick out at the top.
10. At the bottom of these new smaller triangles you've created, fold each side in half. Do this on each side.
11. Now, open up gently, turn your paper around and you'll have your star!
Make gift tags
Easily made from gift wrap or cards.
1. Choose the part of your wrap or cards you'd like to turn into a gift tag.
2. Cut out the gift tag size you want. We cut ours into circles but you don't have to!
3. Punch a hole in the paper or card near the top.
4. Add some ribbon, and you're good to go!
