8 environmentally friendly alternatives to regular gift wrap

When you bought your gifts this year, were they given to you in a plain brown paper bag? If so, you already have everything you need to get wrapping! Brown craft paper doesn't have to be boring. You can add ribbons, use a stamp to create a custom design, add little adornments (as seen above), or draw your own patterns on it. We also happen to think there's something quite charming about a gift in plain brown paper. It's a throwback to a time when holidays were about warm fellow feeling rather than fancy paper. Plus when Tiny Tim unwrapped his gifts, this is probably what they looked like.

In Japan, there is a longstanding tradition of wrapping gifts or goods in cloth, and there are a surprising number of techniques. You can buy special cloth particularly for this purpose, or you can reuse everything from old pillowcases to beloved t-shirts. Or wrap gifts in a blanket, giving two gifts instead of one.

Do you still want the satisfying tear of paper, and the glossy shine of gift wrap? Then it's time to start pulling apart old magazines. Wrapping gifts in magazine pages can be really fun, as there are all sorts of images and styles to choose from.

Do you have an ancient atlas or out-of-date map you don't know what to do with? While your old map may not help you find the current borders of the Netherlands (they swapped portions of land with Belgium this year), it can help you make your gifts some of the most striking beneath the tree. Maps are just as beautiful as gift wrap, and more recyclable.

Looking for an alternative to gift bags? Instead of buying a single-use gift bag, try making some yourself out of cereal boxes. These gift bags are a little more hardy than your average bag, and you can cut them to your preferred size. Remember pulling a prize from the bottom of a box of cereal as a kid? These gift bags will give your friends and family the same thrill.

We've been focusing on gift wrap that you can reuse or recycle, but what about paper you can plant? There are a few varieties of plantable gift wrap out there. This biodegradable paper is full of seeds, so once you've unwrapped your gifts, you can work it into some soil and receive another gift—the gift of a living plant—soon after. Want to try it? Get it here

There's something satisfying about receiving a gift wrapped in burlap. This material adds a nice rustic touch under the tree.

A vintage tin already has an aura of intrigue, but when you fill it with goodies, it takes on a feeling of even greater importance. Best of all, the person who receives a gift contained within a retro tin is likely to love the container as much as whatever is inside.