Do you save and reuse Christmas gift bows?

[Tap]

Pretty simple question...do you save and reuse gift bows? I guess I should add a qualifier....in your own home.   It might be harder to control what happens at the in laws etc.  

 

A friends husband doesn't understand why she saves and reuses bows year to year, but all of us girls at work agreed that we saved the majority of our bows too for reuse.  We toss mangled bows or ones that are not worth saving (too thin so they wouldn't hold up in the bow bag etc).  We are in the PNW where recycling is a huge part of normal life so maybe it is more common here?  Or is is more about being frugal? Feel free to include your reasons for saving if you are so inclined. 

 

 

[OneStepAtATime]

Sometimes I save bows but we don't use bows often.

[SKL]

Yes, I save them.  I don't always use bows, but I still like to save the ones I have / receive in case I have something that needs one.  :)

[Tap]

We save and reuse the vast majority of our bows.  We buy the containers at Costco so they are nice and thick.  They go into a container on Christmas morning and get stored for next year. We save them because they are easy to collect and reuse. We like to do it so we can be a bit kinder to the environment.

[gardenmom5]

I switched to fabric ribbon (usually from costco) a number of years back.  I don't' buy bows anymore - but they still seem to arrive.  some I save, some I don't.  I save my ribbon from year to year.  I roll it up, and pack it away.  I might use 'non-christmasy' ribbon  during the year.

 

so - the only ribbons etc. being saved are the ones I use for my own family. gifts that leave - ribbon is never seen again.

 

I also save the nice gift tags (family can be reused).  I did buy a new box this year, as some get thrown away.  my son wanted me to write the name of the person he was "gifting" - so the handwriting would be consistent.

and I save better gift boxes.  I throw them out when they get ratty. 

as christmas approaches - I might save amazon boxes for gifts.  (I used a lot of amazon boxes taped together as platforms, under draped fabric, for the buffet at my dd's wedding reception.)

 

eta: I do it because it's frugal.

Edited December 20, 2017 by gardenmom5

[gardenmom5]

oh - I had one son wrap a gift tonight - and come ask me to put the ribbon on it.  he even came up late this evening looking to see if it was done.  (my inability to sleep - has caught up with me and I'm sick. :glare: )

[Suzanne in ABQ]

I stopped buying bows several years back when they became more trouble than I wanted to deal with -- always getting either smashed or knocked off by other gifts.  Plus, the adhesive just seems to be really cheap these days.

 

I do save fabric ribbons, and use them occasionally.  And, I do save gift bags and reuse them.  Bows just don't happen in our home at Christmastime.

[kiwik]

I don't buy bows etc but ds8 and ds10 carefully unwrap their presents so as not to rip the paper. We generally only buy paper once a year. I also don't usually do gift tags. I buy a pack of 4 different papers and everyone gets a different one.

[Katy]

I don't, and I don't understand my one group of friends who tries to save wrapping paper and gift bags every year too.  It just seems cheap to me.

[Katy]

Wrapping paper often gets damaged or has creases so I don't really see how I could reuse it, but a bow may have only been on a gift a short time or left untouched. Gift bags are often left in good shape so folding and setting aside seems logical to me even if it makes me look cheap. I'm not sure you would know about my habits if we were friends, though. You give me a gift, I store the bag later. I wouldn't reuse it for the gift giver unless maybe it was close family and no one cared/remembered.

 

oh, I'm not judging my friends for being cheap, I'm worried people will judge me for being too cheap.

[MEmama]

We don't use bows, but I save the very few that come our way. We use very little wrapping paper and reuse what we can. Mostly we use gift bags and boxes and ribbon, and all of those get saved (gift tags and tissue, too). We have a couple fabric bags that have been use since I was a child, though most are much more recent. Others have been around since before DS.

 

I can't imagine throwing all of it away every year. Seems unbelievably wasteful to me.

 

Eta: we are environmentally conscious all year. I treat very little as truly disposable and reusing wrapping paper, etc is just an extension of that.

Edited December 20, 2017 by MEmama

[kewb]

I am a gift bag person not a wrap with a bow person. However, back in the day I absolutely saved bows,tissue paper, wrapping paper, and gift bags. I still save gift bags and tissue paper. If I received a present with a bow I would probably save it.

Reduce, reuse, recycle. It is fiscally responsible and kind to the environment.

[Jenny in Florida]

We switched to fabric gift bags and ribbon about a decade ago. So we save and reuse almost all of our wrapping materials from year to year. But none of it is "boes" in the sense of those pte-formed plastic ribbon things.

[HomeAgain]

We have slowly gathered nice bags and boxes over the years to the point where half of our gifts this year are in reusable boxes/bags.  I think we wrapped 3 so far, and bought a package of cheaper boxes to put into the rotation.

 

I hate wrapping, so having a way to reuse things is right up my alley - plus I live in a place where trash is very controlled (plastic bags at checkout were just voted out of existence) and we compost/recycle as much as possible.

 

 

 

Edited because I've had coffee now and an increased reading comprehension: Bows!  Oh!  We use fabric ribbons.  I have a bag of single use bows but we don't use them because we have so many different pretty ribbons.

Edited December 20, 2017 by HomeAgain

[JudoMom]

We don't use bows that often, and the last batch I bought was cheap.  

However, if they were nice, I'd save them.  I save and reuse gift boxes, gift bags, and tissue paper if it's in good condition.  It just seems wasteful to not do that.  

[JFSinIL]

Bows only go on gifts to others, but I do try and save them (also gift bags - we have some with multiple layers of gift tags on them now).

 

Nothing gets ribbon any more. Life is too short.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I'm not that organized.  I think it's a great idea...just...I'm not that organized!  I'd forget I had them.

 

 

[underthebridge]

Anything other than cloth ribbons are put in the craft box for kids to play with. Many years ago I bought several 50 yard spools of grosgrain ribbons in various widths and colors from a wholesaler that was liquidating. Fifteeen years later, I am still using the ribbon to wrap gifts. I have seen recipients reuse the ribbons on gifts, as hair ribbons, on suitcases, as loops for cameras, etc.

[marbel]

I used to try to save bows, like my mother did, but more often than not by the time I needed them the next year, they'd be smooshed and useless anyway.  

 

Now, I don't buy bows, and the only person I know who uses them is my MIL, and hers are pre-smooshed because their gifts are always packed and shipped. So, not worth saving. 

 

I prefer curling ribbon myself, though I am seeing less and less of that in stores lately.   Or I use cloth ribbon, or washi tape, if I'm not using a gift bag.

[SparklyUnicorn]

My cats love bows.  They'll play with them until shredded.

[Rachel]

Other, I’ve never put bows on packages and have only a couple times received presents with ribbons and bows (at Christmas). I did save those, one decorated my mantle and another was turned into a hair bow.

[regentrude]

We save bows, ribbon and wrapping paper, and reuse those year after year.

If possible, I package the gifts without using tape, just ribbon, so that it can be unwrapped without ripping the paper.

[regentrude]

I don't, and I don't understand my one group of friends who tries to save wrapping paper and gift bags every year too.  It just seems cheap to me.

 

or environmentally friendly :)

Edited December 20, 2017 by regentrude

[flyingaway]

We save. I have issues with putting more trash on the planet, especially after living in a place where, I swear to god, there were 12 different categories for trash and if you got it wrong they would apply a demented sad-face clown sticker to the bag and not pick it up. Shudder.

[stephanier.1765]

No, mine always find a way to get squished so it's easier just to buy a new bag each year and not worry about it.

[MysteryJen]

No, but my dmil does. It has become a family joke. She has bows that are at least 50 years old in boxes.

 

I live a small house and will not store things that are cheaply and easily replaced.

[8circles]

I don't use bows. I do use (& re-use) ribbon & any significant pieces of wrapping paper or tissue paper. I also try to use fabric gift bags whenever possible.

[cjzimmer1]

I don't, and I don't understand my one group of friends who tries to save wrapping paper and gift bags every year too.  It just seems cheap to me.

 

I'm on the other end of the spectrum,  why spend the money on something new when you already have something that gets the job done.  It seems so wasteful to me when I see people throw away perfectly re-usable stuff.  I'd rather be considered cheap than wasteful.  Clearly you'd rather be considered wasteful (and I don't mean that as an insult in any way but just can't think of another way to phrase it) than cheap.  Neither is a wrong view point just different ways of looking at the same scenario.

[Spryte]

The only bows we use now are handmade, with ribbon. I am a bow snob. :D

 

We don’t buy premade bows anymore, but when we did - we saved them.

 

I do save ribbon, by rolling it back up, if it’s long enough. We reuse gift boxes and bags, and tissue paper that’s not mangled.

 

We make our own gift tags.

 

We are big into reusing and recycling here, so I save everything we can.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Sometimes I save bows but we don't use bows often.

 

This is my response as well. It's pretty rare that we use them at all, but if I see one that looks re-usable and is especially nice, I'll save it. My main problem is that they don't often stay nice in the storage bin, so it's hit or miss as to whether I'll actually get to re-use it again!

[cjzimmer1]

I save bows.  I have a flat box that we store them in so they don't get squished so easily.  At any family gathering there is always 2 bags, one for paper, one for bows and ribbons.   Gifts in general don't thrill me (Gift giving is NOT my love language) so I don't want to spend anymore time than necessary on acquiring supplies.  Right after Christmas, I access my wrapping paper situation,  If I'm low, I'll buy a few rolls at 75% off (and always aim for some not Christmasy prints),  otherwise I just skip it.  Then whenever a gift giving occasion arrives, I just raid the stash of paper and we are good.  Honestly for me having to go buy a bag, card or wrapping paper on top of the gift would probably prevent me from giving gifts at all (or at least wrapped ones).  I truly hate shopping for anything.

[alisoncooks]

I reuse bows if they look nice. I also save gift bags and (sometimes) tissue paper...

[gardenmom5]

Yes, quite often. I was horrified at a baby shower as they stuffed tissue paper in the trash bag 😂 If it's in good shape I save tissue paper as well. I typically do buy some new stuff at the end of Christmas so I usually have a stock pile, but I hate to waste stuff in good shape. I do toss old ribbon. I got lazy this year and used more bows. I'm usually more of a curling ribbon person. Not saying using bows is lazy in general, just that for me it was too much hassle recently. We opened gifts from the nuclear family tonight. I try not to put name labels directly on bags/boxes and use hanging tags or attach stickers to gift wrap so the materials can be reused.

 

I don't understand the tissue paper - OK - I do understand, but it always gets wrinkled.   I just buy a huge thing of tissue paper from costco - and it usually lasts me at least three years.

 

I still have curling ribbon I bought 25 years ago . . . . I'm sick of curling ribbon.  but I hardly use it anymore.

My kids raz me terribly if I try to save wrapping paper.  there was one that was very pretty, so I was very careful to save the paper.  but they also know where to find a box or other gift wrapping items - even when they didn't live with me.  

 

oh, I'm not judging my friends for being cheap, I'm worried people will judge me for being too cheap.

 

that says more about them than you.  and what it says about them - is their opinion isn't worth the paper on which it's printed.

[cjzimmer1]

I don't understand the tissue paper - OK - I do understand, but it always gets wrinkled.   I just buy a huge thing of tissue paper from costco - and it usually lasts me at least three years.

 

 

I only use tissue paper to stuff in the tops of gifts bags so the first thing I do if I'm using a new sheet is crinkle it up and then stuff it around the item.  Brand new paper is too stiff to nicely cover things in a bag in my opinion.  So to be used or new doesn't make a difference because it will all be crinkly when I'm done arranging the bag anyways.

[marbel]

Wrapping paper often gets damaged or has creases so I don't really see how I could reuse it, but a bow may have only been on a gift a short time or left untouched. Gift bags are often left in good shape so folding and setting aside seems logical to me even if it makes me look cheap. I'm not sure you would know about my habits if we were friends, though. You give me a gift, I store the bag later. I wouldn't reuse it for the gift giver unless maybe it was close family and no one cared/remembered.

 

I also save gift bags.  Well, not my MIL's because she tapes them shut and tapes a tag on (or uses self-stick tags) that wreck the bag when removed.  If I can save a gift bag to be reused, I use ribbon to attach a new tag, so it can be reused yet again.  

 

I do wonder sometimes if I have "regifted" a gift bag.  But if someone remembers giving me a gift in a bag that I use for their gift, oh well. It's not like i'm regifting their gift back!

 

Unless the piece of paper is unusually large, I don't reuse because of creases, unless I can cover them with ribbon. 

[Selkie]

Nope, I don't like keeping cluttery stuff like that around. I only keep a minimal amount of wrapping supplies and buy more as needed.

[Seeking Squirrels]

We don't, but I would like to. We lived in an apartment for years and I didn't save anything like bows, plastic easter eggs....stuff like that. I didn't have the space to easily store them for once a year use. Now that we're in a house we should. I just haven't gotten holiday decor and stuff like that organized yet. Once I do, I can see saving any that survive the chaos of opening. 

[bluemongoose]

I voted "other". I make my bows using old magazines. If they don't get super smashed...then I do reuse them. If they do get smashed, I take out the Brad that holds them together and reuse it on the next bow from the next magazine.

[bibiche]

I would if we had them, but we are a furoshiki family, so every year we just pass our beautiful wrappings back and forth. :)

[EMS83]

No bows here!  I've never really been a bows kinda gal.  :D

[rebcoola]

No bows here but we do save and reuse bags, boxes, and tissue paper. 

Edited December 21, 2017 by rebcoola

[gaillardia]

When I first read the title of the thread, I saw boxes, not bows.

I am more likely to save the boxes to reuse. I reuse the thin ribbon bows, love those. I try to reuse gift bags and tissue paper for in-family but not when giving for baby and bridal showers. 

Sometimes I use plain blank paper (like end rolls from a newspaper printing co.) and I stamp or stencil it, just trying to be frugal and a little more environmentally conscious. 

I like the furoshiki plan. 

[Elizabeth86]

No. However, I'm not sure what I would save if I had storage space, but I almost have a family of 6 in a 1000 sq ft house so I don't save much.

[Ali in OR]

We save:

boxes (bought some sturdy ones this year that we'll use for years--shirt boxes are so cheaply made now they only last a year or two)

bows (have some store-bought ones 5-10 years old. Started making them out of ribbon last year)

gift bags

tissue paper that's not too horribly rumpled

 

We do not save wrapping paper but we do buy only the kind without metal foil so that we can recycle it.

[Hannah]

I would if we had them, but we are a furoshiki family, so every year we just pass our beautiful wrappings back and forth. :)

 

This is a lovely tradition.

[Carrie12345]

We just skip the bows, for the most part. Less hassle, less waste, less expense, and I definitely don’t have any extra space to store a bunch.

[Cinder]

I still have curling ribbon I bought 25 years ago . . . . I'm sick of curling ribbon.  but I hardly use it anymore.

 

I still have curling ribbon too! Those giant spools last forever. I know I bought mine over 20 years ago.

[Cinder]

As to the poll, we rarely use bows--almost never. One year my dd begged for bows, so we bought a bag. The bag of bows lasted several years because we mostly use (and reuse) gift bags. I don't really care for bows because, like a PP stated, the glue isn't very sticky and the bows fall off the packages. They're kind of a pain.

 

 

[Element]

Saving bags will always remind me of this SNL skit: "There are only 7 bags in this whole county!"  :lol: 

I, too, save bags when I get them. I usually buy Kraft paper for wrapping paper, and we recycle it. I don't know if it does any good or not, however, because we do not remove the tape pieces before recycling. 

[slackermom]

I try to use fabric, cloth ribbon, and tie on little embellishments like bells, ball ornaments, or candy, so mostly it gets reused. I save about half of the gift bags that pass through, but often that is for the practical purpose of carrying things home in them, as we usually are at relatives houses for the holidays.

 

For one of my first Christmases as a young adult, I used a few rolls of ribbon to made a ton of bows to use as ornaments on my tree. It was a pretty inexpensive way to get a festive look. I often throw used gift ribbon in with the ornaments, knowing it will get used again somehow, on the tree, or on a bottle of wine, or whatever.