Curlicue offers a lovely range of beautiful eco gift wrap and paper tape. Everything is made from locally recycled paper and in bespoke designs by indie artists and illustrators. All items are free from plastic coating, foil or glitter and are easily recycled. They are also printed with soy-based inks and this means they wash out easier at recycling, to make it easier to make new items. Everything is made locally for a low carbon footprint, and to help support local business.
People in the UK alone use 227,000 miles of gift wrap each year, and anything with glitter or foil can’t be recycled. Most is also wrapped in plastic, and all ends up in landfills, where it never biodegrades. If you receive a wrapped gift, always remove and safely bin the sticky tape, before popping in the recycling bin, if possible. Many eco companies these days even allow you to send gifts direct to recipients in reusable or ‘naked packaging’ to avoid gift wrap. Or choose one of the nice fabric reusable gift bags in stores.
switch to plastic-free paper tape
Plastic-free packing tape (also in birthday & Christmas designs) is ideal to seal envelope and wrap gifts. Torn from the roll, it’s compatible with standard tape dispensers. It’s less of a choking hazard than sticky plastic tape, but still keep away from young children and pets.
Brand name Sellotape was created during World War II to protect windows from bomb damage, and seal ammunition boxes. But most modern brands of ‘eco tape’ contain bioplastic (if it can only be industrially composted). True plastic-free tape can be home composted.
Read up on on keeping pets safe at Christmas (decorative plants to keep away are holly, mistletoe, ivy, begonias, poinsettas and lilies). Don’t send plantable cards to homes with pets (due to toxic wildflowers).
beautiful reusable fabric gift wrap
Reusable gift wrap is a great way to wrap gifts, as once you learn how to tie the simple knots, you don’t need tape. Just wrap, gift and then unwrap and give again. The recipients can use it for their own gifts, or for families, you just unwrap, stash in a drawer and use it again. Most gift wrap is made with virgin paper, and sometimes coated with plastic glitter and then wrapped in plastic.
Fabrap offers beautifully illustrated organic cotton gift wraps, packed in recycled paper envelopes, with notecards to keep or give back the wrap, once gifts are opened. Some wraps are reversible, so you can choose from two patterns.
HappyWrap is a company that produces beautifully designed organic cotton gift wrap. Find simple wrapping guides on the site, to learn how to wrap everything from bottles to books and jewellery.
The brand was inspired by Dick Whittington, who would carry all his belongings in a fabric bag on a stick! All the gift wraps are made locally (including gift tags and packaging) to reduce carbon footprint and support fair labour laws. The company also sells recycled paper gift wrap and sustainable Lokta paper (from a bark that sheds naturally each year in Nepal and provides jobs).
The naturally coloured fabrics have lovely weight, so need for lining and your gifts remain nicely hidden. The orders include cotton cord and a recycled card gift tag with cotton twine. And an illustrated wrapping guide to get you started. The small wraps are good for wine bottles, gloves, books, DVDs, bracelet boxes, watches, aftershave, clutch bags, Kindles and iPads. The medium ones are for a shoe box, board games, shirts, cuddly toys, cameras, phones in boxes and large books.
Battle Green Reusable Gift Wrap is in bright red or green, made with organic cotton. Ethically made in India, these festive gift wraps donate £1 from each sale to a small non-profit that helps care for abandoned, abused and unwanted domestic/farm animals and sick/injured wildlife.
creative techniques for gift wrapping
The Soul of Gift Wrapping is a book that combines inventive wrapping designs with inspiring personal essays by sustainable gift wrap artist Megumi Inouye. Drawing on the gift-giving traditions of her Japanese heritage, this book shows how the act of giving a thoughtfully wrapped gift can be a creative caring act for both the giver and receiver.
Using recycled and repurposed materials, her approach inspires readers to think intentionally about the presentation of every gift, whether it’s a tip for an unseen hotel housekeeper, a simple gift of fresh for a neighbour or a special birthday gift for a beloved family member. Learn how to make tape-free folding techniques, paper and fabric bows, clever message tags and unique approaches for odd-shaped items.
