Plucky Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 I'm thinking of the holidays. I am tired of all the wrapping paper mess. Does anyone use Christmas fabric or fabric bags? What do you use to cut down on the mess and waste? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathkath Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Hobby lobby has big bags of assorted ribbon for cheap. Buy several of those and get fat quarters of inexpensive Christmas fabric. Cut around the edge of the fabric with pinking shears. Sew the middle of the ribbon to the middle of the fat quarter, just enough to hold it on without ripping. Then you can just wrap smaller items first with the fabric and use the ribbon to tie it neatly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 For everyone but Santa I buy gift bags. For my family members I recycle all of the bags, and even the extended family have gotten into the act. It isn't the cost of wrap that bothers me, since I always get it on sale the day after Christmas, but I hate wrapping. When the kids get older I think I will sew gift bags and use them instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 Hobby lobby has big bags of assorted ribbon for cheap. Buy several of those and get fat quarters of inexpensive Christmas fabric. Cut around the edge of the fabric with pinking shears. Sew the middle of the ribbon to the middle of the fat quarter, just enough to hold it on without ripping. Then you can just wrap smaller items first with the fabric and use the ribbon to tie it neatly. Very cool. I don't have a hobby lobby. I'll check Joanne's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 For everyone but Santa I buy gift bags. For my family members I recycle all of the bags, and even the extended family have gotten into the act. It isn't the cost of wrap that bothers me, since I always get it on sale the day after Christmas, but I hate wrapping. When the kids get older I think I will sew gift bags and use them instead. I'm going to do this, too. Ripping wrapping paper is fun, but the mess is a pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2squared Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 We use fabric bags for Christmas. Each dc has their own pattern. The bags have drawstrings. I LOVE them! We use the bags for St Nicholas day and Epiphany too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 We use fabric bags for Christmas. Each dc has their own pattern. The bags have drawstrings. I LOVE them! We use the bags for St Nicholas day and Epiphany too. Did you buy them or make them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 I use bags (I bought them at Michael's a couple of years ago). I like them for several reasons. If you are at someone else's house, you can put lots into them and travel with all one person's gift together (also useful for little parts and pieces coming home) They are less mess. they are great for large gifts and gifts that have many "parts" such as doll, doll clothes, diapers, bottles etc..... (instead of wrapping a buch of small things, I can put them all in one bag.) Negs: Easy to open and look. I like to wrap with cloth (on sale at Walmart after Christmas) and label with letters (so no one knows who has what gift) and I have a master list with the letter "key", then stick in the bag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 I do this. I use fabric scraps or fat quarters. I either use them as I would wrapping paper and then put them back in the drawer after the unwrapping is done, or I make little bags with ribbons on them when I am up for some sewing but nothing complicated or long-term. I also use yard goods for tablecloths. :0) I'm thinking christmas tablecloths can be used, too. I'm definitely going to hit the sales after Christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Consider Furoshiki, Japanese cloth gift wrapping. Fabulous link here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 I don't, but I love the idea. Me, too. Some people make bags out of them with snaps and hand them down to their kids so they have a lot of memories associated with them. Sadly, I am unlikely to spend time doing that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 Consider Furoshiki, Japanese cloth gift wrapping. Fabulous link here. So cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2squared Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Did you buy them or make them? Make them. Each dc has 10 bags in various sizes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 Make them. Each dc has 10 bags in various sizes. Wow. I am impressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelanieM Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 We use Christmas fabric. I have pieces in different sizes and we wrap the gifts like we would with paper, and tie together with string. Or sometimes we gather the edges and bundle them up and tie around if that works well for the size of the gift/fabric combination. We've done this for years now, and I love how much less garbage there is on Christmas morning! Plus it's a super frugal option, and much more environmentally friendly. One of these days I might get around to sewing some of the fabric up into bags... or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 I use fabric to wrap and tie with ribbons. I generally collect the fabric back after the opening, but there have been some people who think the pretty fabric is part of the gift and take it with them. It seems awkward to ask for the fabric back so I don't fuss about it. I can usually get more on sale so it's no biggie. I have three sizes of fabric: big, medium, and little. I also use an assortment of ribbon. I find that the ribbon with wire can be tied on to look just gorgeous. I've also been known to tie on silk flowers (usually poinsetta). I've received many compliments on my wrapping at Christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 one thing I do is save large canister type containers, like the kind that Nesquik or Hot Cocoa mix comes in. I save cocoa canisters too. Wrap wrapping paper around the cylinder and tape in place. Then you just tape the lid down and you can re-use it. This year I stained my deck and saved the 2 paint cans. I am going to paint or decoupage them and use them for gifts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennsmile Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Santa has nice fabric bags with ribbon ties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 I went by the thrift store and dollar store. My dollar store had red and green 12x12 pillow cases with a zipper for $1. Instant Christmas bag. The thrift store had Christmas, plaid, green, and red placemats. I bought the kind that I could cut open and it would be an instant bag just hem or cut with pinking shears. These were 99 cents each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 We do. I started making simple bags with fabrics I found on clearance a few years ago. At the end of each season, I wash, dry and fold them and tuck them away for the following year. Every year or two, there is a gift that doesn't fit neatly into the existing bags, and I end up adding another one to the pile. We just tie them closed with pretty fabric ribbon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 I re-use boxes, tissue, gift bags, bows, etc. from year to year if they are still in good shape.... It doesn't really cut down on the mess because I have to store all that, but it does cut down on the need to wrap so many things.... ETA: I forgot to add that some of the boxes we re-use are already wrapped (top and bottom separately) or are decorative, so don't have to be wrapped. You just tie on ribbons to hold them closed.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 I use fabric to wrap and tie with ribbons. I generally collect the fabric back after the opening, but there have been some people who think the pretty fabric is part of the gift and take it with them. It seems awkward to ask for the fabric back so I don't fuss about it. I can usually get more on sale so it's no biggie. I have three sizes of fabric: big, medium, and little. I also use an assortment of ribbon. I find that the ribbon with wire can be tied on to look just gorgeous. I've also been known to tie on silk flowers (usually poinsetta). I've received many compliments on my wrapping at Christmas. I think I will keep fabric bags for my immediate family & reuse paper gift bags for others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 We use them! I don't think my kids would know what to do with wrapping paper, lol. There are currently about a hundred in my attic, sorted by size. MIL started making them 20 years ago, and it caught on with our entire community. Each family simply makes enough for that holiday, and then we all swap them around. DH always gets a chuckle when he sees a bag that he sewed as a teen (they are easily identified by their un-square-ness). We own a store, so our bags are all made from scraps leftover from custom orders. It is funny to unwrap a gift and have a family member pipe up, "Oh, that was from Mrs. Xyz's dining room. Remember her odd maid who wouldn't let anyone touch the stair railing because they might leave fingerprints on the brass!" :001_huh: or "That was from the customer who thought that washable wallpaper needed be put in the washing machine before installing, to make sure that it was nice and clean . . . and then they tried to stick us with the bill to clean the glue out of the washer!" :lol: Lots of fun family memories. See - it still looks like Christmas, even without the Santa paper and garbage bags. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 I've used fabric bags before for extended family. For the kids, I sewed them in the shape of a stocking. My SIL reuses a big one I made. I really like the idea a pp mentioned about each child having their own pattern. We learned early at Grammy's Christmases (the Mennonite one) to open paper veeerrry carefully. She reused the same stack of paper for years. My mom and I will save the bigger pieces to reuse, but I don't save everything. Mom irons the tissue paper to reuse, also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelanieM Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Years ago I heard of a family that reused wrapping paper and each time a present was opened, they had the recipient write a note inside with a description of the gift and the date. That family had some pieces of paper that had been in use for over 30 years! I thought that must be a really sweet tradition, and a wonderful way to share family memories on Christmas morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 We've used a silk scarves wrapped japanese style a few times and I have made up a few drawstring bags in the past. I always mean to make more but never get around to it and it won't happen this year as my sewing machine is broken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 We do. I started making simple bags with fabrics I found on clearance a few years ago. At the end of each season, I wash, dry and fold them and tuck them away for the following year. Every year or two, there is a gift that doesn't fit neatly into the existing bags, and I end up adding another one to the pile. We just tie them closed with pretty fabric ribbon. Ditto. I've made enough to give to our relatively large family.:001_smile: I've only used clearance fabrics, but felt is my favorite because it doesn't have to be hemmed. On a few bags, I got creative and used a sheer fabric over a thicker fabric. We also use them for birthdays, although we have some we made especially for birthdays. No one has complained that their presents are in Christmas bags.:D What I *really* want to do is give them as baby shower gifts. Oh, to have all those hours back when I was wrapping those toddler toys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 I use Waldorf silkies. I wrap the gift and use a ponytail holder to secure it and then make a bow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted November 8, 2011 Author Share Posted November 8, 2011 My older children told me that I am taking away the best part of Christmas morning - ripping up the wrapping paper violently. Sigh, oh well they'll have to get used to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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