Have you started wrapping your Christmas presents yet? If you’re anything like me, the answer will be no but it will be on a very long to-do list!

I generally follow the same formula each year; opting to shun the garish shiny paper and attempting to find some style by using that well known combo of brown paper, twine, luggage tag and twig (stolen from the Christmas tree). I think in the back of my head, I’ve always felt better using recycled paper amongst all the excess packaging of Christmas.

My family traditionally would use gift bags each year, and would just use the same bags each year. Quite often, the same tags would also be used – occasionally with a name crossed out and replaced with another! Whilst it was all very eco-friendly, it did make for some rather battered looking gifts. It reached a low point when my brother presented something in a supermarket plastic bag; secured with a roll of sellotape!

Over the past year, I’ve built up a small stack of cloth bags from various things: the kids received some toys, I received a few in goody bags and I picked a couple up in a local shop. I think they’ll look lovely with my usual greenery and luggage tag approach.

Wrag wrap

But I’ve also discovered ‘wrag wrap‘ – a kind of reusable fabric paper. I was googling eco-alternatives to wrapping paper and hit upon this site; after looking at the options I couldn’t resist ordering a couple of sheets to see what it was like.

I opted for ‘crackle wrap’ which is made to sound like tearing open paper when you unwrap your present. It’s effectively just a double layer of fabric with a crinkly inner left that makes that ‘crackle’ sound. Using a integrated wrapping cord, you secure the fabric using a button. The wraps incorporate used plastic bottles – which obviously means at least some of them aren’t in our oceans – and they even have reusable tags.

I wouldn’t be use this if I was giving someone a gift outside of our family or circle of close friends – at £3.35 for a large sheet I want it back! But in terms of finding something I can use year after year, I think this is it. The wraps seem really well made – the fabric certainly isn’t flimsy and the sticking is very good. There’s an array of designs so I hope we’ll just gradually add to the collection. I certainly know Christmas would be easier with a few less bin bags of paper!

Do yo have an eco-Christmas ideas? I’d love it if you could share a few – always looking for new ideas!