I originall was going to use newspaper, but I was worried that the ink might get the carpet dirty etc.... Magazines would work better for sure, but we don'y really have any around the house. I bet you could buy them at the second hand store tho. BUT I did use all the gift bags that I had received from other people last year etc, and when I ran out of those, used cream colored and white pillow cases, and then tied them shut with ribbon I already had. I think I will elaborate on this idea next year and go to the second hand store and buy fabric to make cloth ribbons, and make cloth gift bags with drawstrings or something :)

originally*

I know it is better to buy oranges without the orange net bag... but if you do have this bag, it ties into an unexpectedly awesome bow.

shoot, ive just wraped my gifts up. but it looks alful cute

I made the bow shown out of some magazines I had that were going to be recycled...it turned out so cute! I love these ideas!!! No more buying new wrapping paper for me!

I have used all-recycled materials for wrapping for a few years, and it makes my wrapped gifts completely unique and creative.  I have used: newspaper, pages from magazines, pieces of mail, maps picked up on road trips, tissue paper and boxes from anything that has been shipped to me.  I use fabric ribbons and save them to use again and again.

One addition for this year: I estimated how much money I would have spent if I had chosen to buy new wrapping paper, and donated that amount to a charitable organization of my choice.

Several years ago, I was given this idea by a friend.  After Christmas, I purchased clearance holiday print fabric en mass.  Then I went about using it to make drawstring bags of various sizes.  Every year, I just bring the bags out of the attic, along with the stockings and holiday decorations.  (Usually, I give them a quick wash so that they smell fresh and clean.)  Then my family uses them to wrap their gifts for one another in.  It's become such a lovely holiday tradition, seeing all of our pretty gift bags under the tree every year.  It's also been a huge money saver over the years; being able to skip the purchasing of paper, tape and disposable bows.

It's also a nice idea to pass these on to friends, with the instructions of passing it on themselves.  That way, you start a cycle of passing around your gift wrap...and you never know, one of the pretty bags you made yourself might come back to you someday! 

This is great for birthdays, Valentine's Day, get well soon gifts...or any other reason we find to give gifts or celebrate!  Just use the fabric of your choice!

I ordered a lot of my gifts on line so they came in their own cardboard box. I decided that it was horrible to waste the boxing so I used ribbons and bows (most from previous years) and gave the gifts in the brown boxes. When my kids first saw the gifts, they laughed but after explaining why I did it they thought it was cool that I was greening Christmas.