I’ll teach you how to wrap gifts in an eco-friendly and creative way this holiday season using handmade and wild, foraged adornments. This is a fun and sustainable way to create beautifully wrapped gifts. Replace the traditional red and green with a bit of handmade charm. This natural gift wrapping idea is the perfect way to dress up your holiday packages, gifts, and decorations.
Gather Your Supplies
This step-by-step guide for learning how to wrap gifts sustainably using natural elements is not only fun, but will give you a sense of pride in creating something beautiful that won’t harm the environment. First, take a look around your home and assess what you already have. Start setting aside items you think will work. Here are some ideas of things to look for.
Gift Boxes: Choose recycled Kraft gift boxes that look as lovely unwrapped as they do wrapped.
Kraft Paper: Kraft paper, whether recycled from brown grocery bags or purchased on the roll, is the perfect medium for wrapping a gift inspired by nature.
String, Twine, Raffia, or Recycled Ribbon: I’m particularly fond of jute twine and striped bakers twine, but I’ve seen beautiful packages tied with yarn, raffia, ribbon, and even string. I use any combination of these and whatever I have collected over the year to reuse.
Dried Orange Slices, Cinnamon Sticks, Salt Dough Ornaments, Old Ornaments from Years Past: Homemade ornaments made from orange slices, cinnamon sticks and other natural materials add a natural yet whimsical touch to your holiday gifts.
Foraged Finds: Here’s another opportunity to spend time outdoors and connect with the season. My favorites nature items to add to gifts this time of year are bare twigs, evergreen sprigs, holly branches with berries, and dried garden finds like hydrangea or dried silver dollar plant. Don’t be afraid to get even more creative with pine cones, acorns, or even feathers.
Tools: Collecting your nature bounty will be much easier with a good pair of pruners and a gathering bag or basket. You’ll also need scissors, tape, and possibly a hot glue gun depending on the material you plan to use.
1) Little Evergreen Wrap
This look is so easy and beautiful! I just let the natural beauty of the Kraft box stand on its own, and then wrapped it in some ribbon that I received tied on a gift last Christmas. I added a sprig of Weeping Spruce, but really, any evergreen sprig will do. Some suggestions are Juniper, Pine, or Hemlock—you can find these outside on a neighborhood tree or during a woodland walk. Top it off with a handmade gift tag for an absolutely gorgeous minimalist look.
2) Dried Wildflower Wrap
Here’s an opportunity to get creative with some roadside weeds. These pretty wildflower pods and dried grasses pair perfectly with recycled Kraft wrapping paper, (from brown grocery bags), some thick twine, and some acorns or dried orange slices.
*I collect and dry wildflowers all year to have on hand for craft projects, but if you visit large fields and roadsides, you will be sure to find some interesting dried “weeds”.
3) Dried Orange Slices Wrap
If you’re looking for a way to add something warm and natural to your holiday gift wrapping this year, look no further than dried orange slices! Pair them with recycled Kraft paper gift wrap, thick twine and a few cinnamon sticks for a gorgeous, naturally wrapped gift.
Making dried orange slices is so easy and cheap. Learn how here: Dried Orange Slices for Natural Homemade Ornaments
4) Salt Dough or Cinnamon Ornaments Wrap
While this project is a bit more difficult than the rest of the ideas presented today, I think you’ll find the extra effort is definitely worth it. Gifts wrapped with recycled paper and tied off with these amazing salt dough or cinnamon ornaments are a gift unto themselves and something every recipient will adore.
5) Forest Finds Wrap
For larger gifts, use bigger sprigs of evergreen for more impressive effect. Get creative and add things like foraged sticks or small bundles of mixed evergreens. Finish it off by tying them in twine or hemp string and topping the whole thing off with gold painted acorns or pine cones.
6) Backyard & Garden Wrap
Go outdoors to collect interesting dried plant material. Hand drying can never replace the power of wind and sun as they dry out pods and flowers in your garden, creating the most magical things like glassy dried silver dollar plant and papery hydrangea. These delicate things are perfect for small Kraft boxes wrapped in delicate ribbon or craft wire.
Concluding Thoughts
I hope you found some inspiration from this tutorial on how to wrap gifts with sustainable materials and the magical gifts of nature. So try out some of these wild ornaments, or get creative with your own. Either way, I hope my ideas for eco-friendly gift wrapping brings inspiration to your home and gifts this holiday season. Happy Holidays!
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